School is in full swing and teaching is more intense than I ever realized it would be with my kids.
Exhausted. I am exhausted at the end of most days. I have running tangible lists of ways to improve teaching for them on my desk (Mallory, thanks for the ladybug notebook!!) and lists running in my head all day about what they need and what isn't working to help them bridge between the 2 languages. All 300 hours of ESOL in college did not equip me for 13 kids (plus, 2 American kids) that have no English proficiency. 15 students sounds like a great number, but it is far too large for a bunch of kids in the DR.
I have a very eager and fabulous intern, Kelsey, that is finding new ideas and ways alongside of me to figure out how to differentiate among the levels. I am actually proud of the system of centers we have going for both reading and math right now to accommodate all of the little ones, including my on-level American kids. One of the hardest things with class is slowing my speech and using fewer words to communicate. My roommate/teammate, AnneMarie said the first week of school her arms hurt from all of the body language she was using to communicate to the kids. It is so true that 75% of communication is in body language!! My aide calls my face the BRADY FACE when kids are in trouble. They may not know what I am saying other than "No me gusta!" but Rosa translates the rest and they know they are in big trouble when they see that face. :)
Our kids are starting to emerge with the language and it is the sweetest thing! One of our little girls said "I need to go bathroom." We busted out in LOUD cheers!!!!! She said it all in English out of no where!!!!! I have shortened the way they say it to help with acquisition. So many simple things are not simple. Basic vocabulary is something we are trying to incorporate daily at the end of the day. In reading Kelsey runs my vocabulary center and the first story from Reading A to Z was Nan and Pap. It is about 2 little dogs. In the very short story they are in a pan. OH my gosh, they couldnt figure out what a pan was and we were a little vexed that the dogs sit in a pan in the story. No context clues or pictures help describe the word "pan" to the kids. One day, mid-day, I told Kelsey to run home and get a flipping pan! In the States, these simple vocabulary words wouldn't be an issue.
Our American kids say the Spanish phrases for morning greetings and to use the bathroom/water and we are teaching our Hispanic kids to do the same in English. It is working out well.
I can't have Rosa translate everything, so being patient and letting them figure out some directions is exhausting. I have lesson plans I want to follow and we cant get through half the stuff I want to get done by the end of the day. I want to do a lot of Kagan activities and they are so much lower than I expected. They cant communicate to each other in English to do the activities. Most of them are at a Pre-k or early K level. I am not use to this. I taught 2nd for 4 years and loved the age-level.
PS Rosa was playing BINGO with her reading small group and found a penny in the chip. "Hey, Brady, look at this!" I instantly smiled at seeing some US currency. All the times I threw out pennies sweeping, etc, now I grin EAR TO EAR when I see one and put them in my desk.
Last note, Madre and Padre O are traveling here this week... send up prayers for them. Kathy and Trevor have moved here and things are going well. I told Kathy we need a blog entry AHORA! :) In the meantime, send up prayers for their transition.
Exhausted. I am exhausted at the end of most days. I have running tangible lists of ways to improve teaching for them on my desk (Mallory, thanks for the ladybug notebook!!) and lists running in my head all day about what they need and what isn't working to help them bridge between the 2 languages. All 300 hours of ESOL in college did not equip me for 13 kids (plus, 2 American kids) that have no English proficiency. 15 students sounds like a great number, but it is far too large for a bunch of kids in the DR.
I have a very eager and fabulous intern, Kelsey, that is finding new ideas and ways alongside of me to figure out how to differentiate among the levels. I am actually proud of the system of centers we have going for both reading and math right now to accommodate all of the little ones, including my on-level American kids. One of the hardest things with class is slowing my speech and using fewer words to communicate. My roommate/teammate, AnneMarie said the first week of school her arms hurt from all of the body language she was using to communicate to the kids. It is so true that 75% of communication is in body language!! My aide calls my face the BRADY FACE when kids are in trouble. They may not know what I am saying other than "No me gusta!" but Rosa translates the rest and they know they are in big trouble when they see that face. :)
Our kids are starting to emerge with the language and it is the sweetest thing! One of our little girls said "I need to go bathroom." We busted out in LOUD cheers!!!!! She said it all in English out of no where!!!!! I have shortened the way they say it to help with acquisition. So many simple things are not simple. Basic vocabulary is something we are trying to incorporate daily at the end of the day. In reading Kelsey runs my vocabulary center and the first story from Reading A to Z was Nan and Pap. It is about 2 little dogs. In the very short story they are in a pan. OH my gosh, they couldnt figure out what a pan was and we were a little vexed that the dogs sit in a pan in the story. No context clues or pictures help describe the word "pan" to the kids. One day, mid-day, I told Kelsey to run home and get a flipping pan! In the States, these simple vocabulary words wouldn't be an issue.
Our American kids say the Spanish phrases for morning greetings and to use the bathroom/water and we are teaching our Hispanic kids to do the same in English. It is working out well.
I can't have Rosa translate everything, so being patient and letting them figure out some directions is exhausting. I have lesson plans I want to follow and we cant get through half the stuff I want to get done by the end of the day. I want to do a lot of Kagan activities and they are so much lower than I expected. They cant communicate to each other in English to do the activities. Most of them are at a Pre-k or early K level. I am not use to this. I taught 2nd for 4 years and loved the age-level.
PS Rosa was playing BINGO with her reading small group and found a penny in the chip. "Hey, Brady, look at this!" I instantly smiled at seeing some US currency. All the times I threw out pennies sweeping, etc, now I grin EAR TO EAR when I see one and put them in my desk.
Last note, Madre and Padre O are traveling here this week... send up prayers for them. Kathy and Trevor have moved here and things are going well. I told Kathy we need a blog entry AHORA! :) In the meantime, send up prayers for their transition.
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