Getting to Actually Teach!

Its been a great week so far. I'm getting to spend a lot more time in the classroom and I feel like Im actually teaching the kids something. I have started my advanced class and its a raving success. Last week we wrote letters to some children in Australia and made pretend phone calls to America to ask questions. My music is also still a big hit with the kids. The older children have learned, “Aint No Mountain,” “Let it be” and the more recent “Just the Way you Are” by Bruno Marz. The younger kids have learned “I'm a little Teapot” “Marry Has a Little Lamb,”and the Barney song which in inorperated sign language. Next week we are doing “Ill be there for You” from friends and “Three little Monkeys.” I have high hopes for both. I have pushed my way into year seven and am actually getting to plan and execute some lessons. I have memorized about seventy five percent of the kids names and it is helping tremendously. The ducklings that tail me on my walk are quickly picking up the vocab I drill them on as we walk and also becoming more confident in the classroom. I seem to have more company everyday and yesterday had my record with nine kids following me. I stopped them and four flowers though as I feel I just don't have enough hair to pull off nine, and that is saying a lot as I have a lot of hair. The kids are starting to respond to me and because I am making relationships my “disapproving looks” are becoming more effective as classroom management. I have discovered a look can be just as halting to a kid as a smack if the kids cares about what you think of them. I am starting to take on more in school and really tackling lessons when I get stuck subbing instead of playing games. I was so nervous and unsure in the beginning but I am beginning to see that I do have something to offer the kids here. Even if I teach the exact same lesson that the regular teacher would teach, as a native speaker I can offer something new. Then add a little exuberance and some funny faces into the mix and the kids are sold. I hope that this progress continues and maybe by term three I will start to actually feel like I know what I'm doing.