October Already!

Well coming back from my vacation on the beach was actually a little hard. I was kind of sick with a cold and then I lost my voice (or it was just really scratchy).... so teaching 36 six year olds is hard when I don't have my normal voice! However, I still really love my job and my kids. I'm sometimes surprised that I'm not more stressed out from having so many students or not the kind of resources I would always like to have, but honestly I'm not at all stressed out about it. I think part of the reason is that I have been in a lot of schools where the rules are usually strict and administration is always coming in to make sure you are doing your job. Here it's not like that at all, instead I get to just do the part of the job I like - which is teach. I love being able to have a guideline of the curriculum but at the same time I can choose the pace and what exactly we learn about. We don't have books in 1st grade and I actually really like that (for now). My students are learning a lot of English and it's pretty exciting to see it. Right now, it's a very minimal level with a lot of nouns and a few verbs, but they are learning! Also, I usually am able to speak in all English during a lesson which is exactly where I wanted to be at this time of the school year. They can understand a lot, but the production is still limited, and that's the normal process of learning a language.

My newest project is to make my students more independent and not have everything be direct instruction all the time. Things are very orderly in my room because there are so many students, but now I am trying to work in group work and games into lessons. So far my students have loved it! We have been playing matching games in groups, while half the class is doing a worksheet and then they switch. I love seeing them work together and have to work things out on their own (even though it doesn't always work that way).

Here's some pictures of my students.

They've been really into bringing their own books lately, so I'm going to start a student of the week type thing and we will read their book.

Playing match the number word and the number game!

At Day-Star we have a virtue of the month and the last one was Patience. Then we had a school assembly and both first grade classes sang a song about patience, with a few movements. It was really cute (a little crazy with over 70 kids of course though!). Here's the lyrics!

If you're patient and you know it wait your turn. (clap, clap)

If you're patient and you know it wait your turn.

If you're patient and you really want to show it, if your patient and you know it wait your turn.

If you're patient and you know it stand in line. (stomp, stomp)

If you're patient and you know it stand in line.

If you're patient and you really want to show it, if your patient and you know it stand in line.

Anyways, this weekend and last weekend I spent just relaxing and hanging out in Juticalpa. I like just having time to hang out by myself or with some friends... it's relaxing! Also, Efe is coming here to visit on the 13th (10 more days!), so I have been busy planning our trip!