With one term left, ten weeks, I'm thinking how to end the year with enough to keep kids busy and yet not so much that we're rushed and not able to complete projects by the end. Same dilemma as at home, just different time of the calendar!
Christmas is celebrated openly in the schools here. No other religions are highlighted, according to the people I've spoken to. No Hannukah, no Kwanzaa, etc. It's Christmas all the way. Wow. Like our old days when we crafted our way all through December. I'm not used to that, but I'm hearing teachers spend quite a bit of time and create some pretty amazing Christmas presents. I better get thinking!
We finished our study of the rainforest and took our field trip ("excursion") to the local rainforest nearby. What a great, great day! It's a 1 1/2 hr drive, and we rode in the deluxe school buses here that are like our Greyhound coaches. Of course we had to stop in the little town at the start of the forest for coffees. My co-teacher phoned ahead to her friends who own the coffee house. The big bus pulled up, we jumped out and quickly retrieved our mochas! We were ready to hit the waterfalls and brush turkeys ahead!
I've visited this rainforest now five times (we bring each of our American visitors here), but seeing it with children was a different experience. I loved seeing the wonder in their eyes. Most had never been before. We were concerned with leeches. Yes, leeches. We learned how to rub them off should they drop down on us. We wore hats and long sleeves with our pants tucked into our socks for protection.
There were a number of forms to fill out before leaving school for legal protection. We filled out a risk factor form for things like bus-travel risk, snake-bite risk, and hot coffee-spill risk. No, just kidding about that part! But the others were serious! We carried a school first aid kit and a school cell phone with all numbers pre-programmed.
I've seen my colleagues make beautiful displays of large photos of their children, so I tried the same. I've since printed the photographs on 8 1/2 by 11 paper and laminated them. They are glossy prints now of the buttress roots, the strangler figs, the skink, the fungi, the huge huge ferns, and the happy children. They're terrific!
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Friday, October 15, 2010
I Love My Kids!
We had such a great week back from holidays. I was amazingly interesting to them once again (which we know won't last long!). They were thrilled to see a new spelling list, happy to record rain forest layers in their science booklet, and happy to pour through books again during our Daily 5.
The boys' pecking order has been established, so they can relax. Families are sending in nutritious lunches once again. Hair was cut, lice was eliminated for now, new shoes were purchased for growing feet, and they are genuinely happy to work and play together again. Whew!
Our older kids had had a very tumultuous time last term. Macksville goes from K - 6. Which means sixth graders who, in the states are the young ones of the middle school, are the oldest in the school. That means the hormones are in, the dynamics are changing, the music and pop culture has a new meaning, and they are "over" elementary school. I'm noticing a big difference from what I see in the 5th graders at home that are "over" elementary school. That is plenty, as we know. This is exponential, as you can imagine. US 6th graders are given the larger school, the P.E. classes, the lockers, the different teachers and different classes, and the new horizons, so to speak. Here the 6th graders are still in one room with one teacher all year. Yes, they are the leaders. Yes, they are the role models. But they are rebelling like they never have. Is it the new millenium? Is it families? Is it us? Well, what part can we change to help?
So, this term's answer is a detention room, basically. A room with cubicles, no stimulation, no interaction or breaks with other students, and full supervision. Parents give permission, and the time period is whatever it takes to be ready to go back to the classroom. There are up to 8. Right now it's boys, but Friday saw it's first girl addition. Some staff are horrified that we would go to this length. It's punitive, it's isolating, it's cruel. Others are understanding that now other students can have a chance to learn, be heard, and flourish, finally. We'll see.
Meanwhile in my room, the kids and I are humming along! This is why I love second graders and why I love doing what I do.
I overheard something funny this week, though, that I have to share. I hope I don't offend a reader, but please understand this is Australia, and the social norms of the U.S. are less strict. A Kindie student had not written or drawn anything on her page. The teacher said, "Look at your paper! You haven't done anything. The other children have filled their pages!" The little girl said matter-of-factly, "Then I bettah git off moy ahse!"
The boys' pecking order has been established, so they can relax. Families are sending in nutritious lunches once again. Hair was cut, lice was eliminated for now, new shoes were purchased for growing feet, and they are genuinely happy to work and play together again. Whew!
Our older kids had had a very tumultuous time last term. Macksville goes from K - 6. Which means sixth graders who, in the states are the young ones of the middle school, are the oldest in the school. That means the hormones are in, the dynamics are changing, the music and pop culture has a new meaning, and they are "over" elementary school. I'm noticing a big difference from what I see in the 5th graders at home that are "over" elementary school. That is plenty, as we know. This is exponential, as you can imagine. US 6th graders are given the larger school, the P.E. classes, the lockers, the different teachers and different classes, and the new horizons, so to speak. Here the 6th graders are still in one room with one teacher all year. Yes, they are the leaders. Yes, they are the role models. But they are rebelling like they never have. Is it the new millenium? Is it families? Is it us? Well, what part can we change to help?
So, this term's answer is a detention room, basically. A room with cubicles, no stimulation, no interaction or breaks with other students, and full supervision. Parents give permission, and the time period is whatever it takes to be ready to go back to the classroom. There are up to 8. Right now it's boys, but Friday saw it's first girl addition. Some staff are horrified that we would go to this length. It's punitive, it's isolating, it's cruel. Others are understanding that now other students can have a chance to learn, be heard, and flourish, finally. We'll see.
Meanwhile in my room, the kids and I are humming along! This is why I love second graders and why I love doing what I do.
I overheard something funny this week, though, that I have to share. I hope I don't offend a reader, but please understand this is Australia, and the social norms of the U.S. are less strict. A Kindie student had not written or drawn anything on her page. The teacher said, "Look at your paper! You haven't done anything. The other children have filled their pages!" The little girl said matter-of-factly, "Then I bettah git off moy ahse!"
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Two Week Holidays
We're back from our break. As I've mentioned before, Australia has the same number of vacation days as we do, but they break them up differently. Ten weeks of class, then two weeks of holidays, then back to 10 weeks of class again. This continues Feb - Dec. Then six weeks of summer holiday and back to class. So, this was our third two-week break, and it came at the best time!
I prefer the school year paced this way. You are guaranteed solid 5-day weeks for 10 weeks for unit work. No 3-day weekends or in-service days interrupt the flow. On the other hand, it's a long haul, 10 straight weeks! But with the two week break, you have a full time to relax and/or travel. You return really refreshed and ready to go again.
A perfect example of my renewed patience and love for this job came Monday morning. I gave the kids a review page of subtraction after hitting fractions pretty hard (I'm on a roll!). One student looked at his math problem and drew a blank. He asked for help. He couldn't tell how to take 7 away from 12 when the problem was in vertical form, "a stack-em-up," I call it. He had no idea. Now, three weeks ago I would have been horrified, disappointed, frustrated, and incredulous. What do you mean you don't know 12 - 7?? We've been doing this for months! What's not to know? How can you just forget something as basic as that?? Haven't I taught you this 25 times???? Instead, after two weeks of family time, travel to beautiful and amazing places, I calmly smiled and said, "Have you ever seen a problem like this before?" "No." "Oh, well, read the problem to me. You can't? Okay. Let's see . . . " I found the counters, I counted with him and laid them out on his desk. I casually sat next to him until he smiled and nodded with the "a ha!" face. That's why we love holidays!
Our trip began with our oldest son, Aaron, and his fiance, Jolyn, arriving for their first visit here. We spent the weekend exploring Sydney and the Blue Mountains. From there we went to the Red Centre, in the Northern Territory, to camp at Uluru. We slept under the stars in the outback. Fantastic! We explored around the Rock, the surrounding national parks and also at Alice Springs. Our next stop was the Great Barrier Reef for a three-day snorkel trip. We swam with sea turtles, heaps of fish, and even a shark, but a non-agressive one. The coral was outstanding, and our time there was terrific. Once home we could clean up, fish some, and regroup for the next (and last) 10 weeks of school and our stay here.
I prefer the school year paced this way. You are guaranteed solid 5-day weeks for 10 weeks for unit work. No 3-day weekends or in-service days interrupt the flow. On the other hand, it's a long haul, 10 straight weeks! But with the two week break, you have a full time to relax and/or travel. You return really refreshed and ready to go again.
A perfect example of my renewed patience and love for this job came Monday morning. I gave the kids a review page of subtraction after hitting fractions pretty hard (I'm on a roll!). One student looked at his math problem and drew a blank. He asked for help. He couldn't tell how to take 7 away from 12 when the problem was in vertical form, "a stack-em-up," I call it. He had no idea. Now, three weeks ago I would have been horrified, disappointed, frustrated, and incredulous. What do you mean you don't know 12 - 7?? We've been doing this for months! What's not to know? How can you just forget something as basic as that?? Haven't I taught you this 25 times???? Instead, after two weeks of family time, travel to beautiful and amazing places, I calmly smiled and said, "Have you ever seen a problem like this before?" "No." "Oh, well, read the problem to me. You can't? Okay. Let's see . . . " I found the counters, I counted with him and laid them out on his desk. I casually sat next to him until he smiled and nodded with the "a ha!" face. That's why we love holidays!
Our trip began with our oldest son, Aaron, and his fiance, Jolyn, arriving for their first visit here. We spent the weekend exploring Sydney and the Blue Mountains. From there we went to the Red Centre, in the Northern Territory, to camp at Uluru. We slept under the stars in the outback. Fantastic! We explored around the Rock, the surrounding national parks and also at Alice Springs. Our next stop was the Great Barrier Reef for a three-day snorkel trip. We swam with sea turtles, heaps of fish, and even a shark, but a non-agressive one. The coral was outstanding, and our time there was terrific. Once home we could clean up, fish some, and regroup for the next (and last) 10 weeks of school and our stay here.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
