Woo-hoo! I’m In the Classroom! = )

So…tell me not this is crazy timing.  A teacher just sent in her letter of resignation - a KINDERGARTEN teacher!  Now I feel so bad for the school…because, how unprofessional is that?!  She doesn’t tell them in person…she doesn’t give any notice (even worse…she just didn’t show up to school for the first couple of days, and then sent the letter in with a messenger)…and she says it right after the break, when if she had said it before, they could’ve had time to find a replacement!

The classroom I was in

Well…it’s not going to be a student teaching situation…pheww = )  They’re hiring a new teacher…but until then…I’m it.  It was so fun to be with kids again - my class is ADORABLE!  But I also forgot how brain-draining it is…and so much for that myth about them being so well-behaved - they were naughty!  All the same…it was a blast…and I’m excited because I’ll be moving every week or two (once they get a new teacher for this class) between the six nursery & kindergarten classes.  Mika…now I need your experienced advice with the little ones!  One of the hardest things was keeping order without any type of reward system (and even if I set one up, I don’t have anything to give them = /)…but I don’t remember you having one at your preschool…so how did you do it?  Another hard thing was that there were no supplies - no paper, pencils, crayons, scissors, glue…nothing.  When I came in (at about 10), they had just come off of break so the assistant told me that now it was time for stories and songs - until lunch at noon!  And there was not a single book!  And then after lunch was cleaned up (they eat in the class), at about 1, she said it was rest time until the end of the day at 3...but there were not blankets or towels, and there wasn’t even carpet, so they have to sleep sitting at their tables.  Well…surprisingly all but 4 did.  It took a lot to keep them under control, but at the same time I felt so bad for them because they were so bored and restless.  Two of them found excitement in trying to catch an ant for  a LONG time…haha…and it was so exciting that the other two started to participate = )

All of the students present that day (I think she said there's
like 7 missing).  The first week back is just revisions, or
what we call review...so some students don't show until
the second week.

Some of the super cute students

One thing I did learn on the frontlines was that I was being too harsh of a judge yesterday.  I don’t even wanna know what assumptions people would make about me, my school, Hawaii, America, (you get the drift) if they only observed for a day or two.  It’s going to take so much time and learning to even start to understand this whole new country and culture…but I’m going to try to do it from less of a judgmental state-of-mind this time!

That's Jenn-ee-fah second from the left

The students have a mixture of local and English names.  Surprisingly, the local ones are easier because I can just pronounce them the way they sound.  However, with the English ones it’s not so easy because I automatically convert their names to American English.  For example, I kept calling, “Jennifer, Jennifer, Jennifer!’ with no response.  When I switched to “Jenn-ee-fah” she quickly responded.  So, I started speaking in an accent altogether and they were so much more compliant; I didn’t realize how much of their failure to follow directions was just because they had no idea what I was saying!  I mean, it makes sense - I have a hard time understanding people and I’m an adult!  So…I may just come home speaking with an accent…haha

After school was probably the most fun because I could just let loose and have fun with the kids on the playground = )  There’s only one bus that takes 3 trips, plus a lot of the parents don’t come until late…so a good number of them were there until 4:30 (about the time of the last bus).  I also went to go watch the boys play football again, and I was sitting by the two third grade teachers.  I was talking to one for awhile, and when I said that I love playing football he said, “Well bring your boots tomorrow and we’ll play.”  So yay!  I get to play and I’m STOKED!!!!  But then he talked about how he plays for a team here and his dream is to play for ManU…like real dream…so we’ll see…haha = )  I’m so out of shape, too…so I might just totally embarrass myself.  But oh well…I get to play!