Goodbye My Cherubs

This was the last week with my cherubs. It was a long week with 2 lessons, 2 field trips, and 1 hoedown. I would call it a pretty successful week.

Monday June 23

We started out with morning assembly. It wasn't head teacher talking this time. They talked about courage and faith. She threw it together last minute so it wasn't very good.

We got back to class and started maths. We started reading a 24 hour clock. I was really confused because they use a 24 hour clock when reading digital and 12 hour clock when using analog. I helped the lower group again. They were really confused. I felt bad for them. I tried to help as much as I could.

Play time. I used this time to set up for my lesson.

My lesson. This was American fun facts. I started off a game of fact or faked. They got really into it. They had some troubles with certain ones. I asked "Fact or Faked: Americans write their date day/month/year" After that I moved onto talking about the flag. We discussed the stars, stripes, and colors. Then the national anthem and pledge. One student could sing the American national anthem but not his own. It was really funny. During my lesson, I had students write down facts. After the lesson they had to turn those facts into trivia questions. We played the castle game. The person trying to get into the castle said "sir oh sir, please let me in. I must get in or I'll be late". The castle responded "give us the code, give us the code. Or we will leave you on the road". They then asked te trivia question. If they got it right they got to go into the castle. Wrong answers sent the back in the line. They got really loud and rambunctious during this. Three children even started shoving each other. My cherubs did not work well together. It was bad. I think they liked the game though. I guess that was good.

Lunch time.

After lunch, my students went into class 10 for a science lesson. I was told to stay back and help in class 9 with the other Year 4 teacher and Abby. This was good. I got to help them work on their maths. The same my class worked on earlier in the day. They were struggling as much as my class. It really is hard to understand when they have to know two different clock systems. That is not easy for me, let alone children. Some of their questions were like "Write how this would be written on a 24 hour clock- 17 to 10 in the afternoon" They actually talk like that too. I have had to pause wen teachers have told me that lessons would be "20 from 9 until 10 to 10." It really keeps you thinking.

Play time.  I went out and walked around

We came back in from play and read the world cup story

Tuesday June 24

Today was the day of the dreaded Dr. P observation. We started off the day with Maths. We continued with time. My students still did not understand it. I tried really hard to explain it to them. It did not work well.

Then they switched to the world cup story.

Play time.

They came back in and worked on their Egypt booklets. I had to help multiple people find their papers because they misplaced them.

Lunch time.

My lesson was after lunch time. Yay! It was about US history. Started with Pilgrims went through the Revolutionary War. All of my children kept talking during my lesson and not playing attention. Dang it. Then we used what they learned and another summary paper to create a skit of an event. We had 4 different groups. Pilgrims, Boston Tea Party, Paul Revere and the Shot Heard Round the World, and the Declaration of Independence. These skits didn't turn out very good. Whatever. They got done and I am done teaching my lessons.

The lesson had to continue after play time. They got all of their skits done.

Wednesday June 25 

Today was field trip day! Whoot whoot! All of my cherubs came into the room with their packed lunches and put on their reflective vests.  Haha.  They were so darn cute.  Lindsey was recruited to help with my class on the field trip.  

Lindsey and I were assigned 8 students. We got a pretty good group.  Thank goodness.  After a few minutes we headed out to the double decker bus.  We got on the top level.  We took off and my class started scream singing happy birthday to one of my girls.  It was cute.  My teacher yelled at them to stop.  Rude!  We got to the museum and we were ushered into a room to put our lunches.  All of the cherubs dropped off their lunches, jumpers, and cardigans.  We were off.  

First thing on the schedule, hands on activity.  We got to go and handle real Egyptian artifacts.  I was intrigued.  They had little activities for the children to partake in.  I worked at the hieroglyphics table.  It was really fun.  We all had to wear white gloves.  

After that we headed to the Egypt trail.  This took us through an exhibit.  The children had to find the trail and answer the questions on their sheet.  My cherubs worked pretty fast.  They had really mummies on display.  One even had its head unwrapped.  It was fascinating.  I liked looking around, but I couldn't stay long because my cherubs were all over the place.  We were the first group in and the first group done.  After we finished, we took them to the toilets.  As soon as we all got back from the toilets, the fire alarm went off.

You have got to be kidding me!  I ushered my cherubs down the stairs, making sure all 8 were accounted for.  Of course, we were on the 5th floor (6 floors in America).  We raced down the stairs.  As we reached the lower level, we could actually smell smoke.  Our group was the first ones from our class outside.  I gathered them and we headed across the street.  Everyone else caught up.  My kids kept asking what was going on.  I told them we didn't know.  Some were mad because their lunches were in the building.  We were outside for 15 minutes.  They called the all clear and we went back in.

We headed to the Aquarium to kill some time before lunch.  It wasn't the best aquarium I have seen, but the cherubs seemed to enjoy it.  After browsing at the fish, it was time to go to lunch.  The room was packed with cherubs from other schools.  There were probably 100 children in that room.  My class sat on the floor and ate.  Lindsey and I waited for a table to sit at.  

With a little more time to kill, we went to the bugs section.  They had creepy crawlies all over...

Meet the mummy was next.  It was in the theater.  An 'egyptian' was going to prepare a body for burial.  He choose three students from the audience to help him.  It was a good show.  It was factual and entertaining.  

After the show, we went to the dinosaur/extinct animals exhibit.  This had many stuffed critters.  They ran around looking at all of the animals.  

It was a long day, but really fun.  We went down stairs, gathered their jumpers and cardigans and loaded back on the bus.  We were on the bottom this time.  My little cherubs decided to sing some real songs this time.  They belted out some songs.  I recorded their voices because it was too cute to pass up.  

Thursday June 26

Today was my last day in the classroom.  I was attacked my hugs upon my arrival in the classroom.  They were all exclaiming 

"Why is today your last day?"  

"Do you really have to leave?" 

"Cant you stay?"  

"I don't want you to leave!"

My last day was at least going to be a great one.  I started off my going to the local high school with my girls for a dance and theater workshop based on the musical Matilda.  They were so darn cute.  I was having a great time watching them.  They learned a 2 minute sequence in just an hour.  They performed it.  Abby, the assistant teacher, and I were the X-Factor judges and got to judge how they did.  I video taped their adorable dance.  It was actually a somewhat complicated dance.  I was surprised.  We only had one accident.  Not to bad.  After the dance, we got to do theater.  They acted out the Bruce cake scene.  How ironic…  

I had a great morning watching them dance and act.  It was amazing. 

We returned back to school in time for lunch.  I ate, went back to the classroom and set up some things for my students, and went out to play time.  

At play time, my children attacked me.  I had 5 kids hanging on to me the entire time.  Holding my hands, hugging me, jumping on me.  They would not let me go.  

After play time, it was time for the surprise Abby and I had planned.  We started off with a mini review quiz of everything we covered in our lessons.  With each correct question, the students got to move their piece to a new state.  We ended in Tennessee, so we could have a hoedown.  

After the quiz, the cherubs were rounded up in the hall (gym) and we put them into lines.  We proceeded to line dance.  It was such a great time.  Even the teachers got into it.  my normally stern and angry teacher was dancing, singing, and acting like she has a a lasso.  I was really surprised.  

Play time.  I went back outside.  More cherubs clinging one me.  I took out my phone and started snapping pictures of the cherubs.  All of them started screaming take a selfie with me.  

Back inside, my students gave me gifts and cards and I gave my gifts to them.  The were really happy.  It was a great day.  

Being in the classroom has been a great learning experience.  I had some good times and other not so good times, but my students were great.  I loved being with them and teaching them a little about America while learning how the British school system worked.  

Check back here regularly the next week, I will be traveling the whole week and posting more frequently until I come back to America.  Ta and Cheers!