It has been one crazy week! I will try to wrap it up without writing a book.
Monday I met all the 2nd graders that I will be helping and boy were they great! Seb and I have a class of 22 students. He is a fabulous teacher and is great at getting everyone to behave. Of course there are a few that like to misbehave, but all in all we have a great class. The schedules are a bit crazy and basically I am at the school till 6PM three days a week. School is from 8:45-3:45 and then I help out with afternoon care three days a week. On Monday I will be helping out with the choir for an hour (maybe playing piano?!) and Tuesdays I am going to start a gymnastics club for an hour. Yipee! I wish we had trampolines... Oh well. The club will start next week I believe.
The first day of school for the Reception class (Kindergarten but not) is a HUGE deal in Germany. The kids (ages 4-5) come to school with their parents for an assembly where the heads talk and then they kiddos come to the classroom for only an hour and then go back home. They all bring a special cone shaped container with them filled with goodies to celebrate their first day. Well... Maybe 3 of the 22 little ones speaks any English. The rest ONLY understand German. We are only teaching in English. This creates some problems. We had one girl who cried her eyes out the entire time and another clinging to his mother. Another cried periodically. Eventually I started saying a few things to some of the distraught kids in German and then they realized that I was not some scary monster but someone they could communicate with. A little. Lindsay is fabulous and exaggerates all her movements to try and help the kids understand what she is wanting them to do. We sing songs, we dance, we color, paint, play with cars, play in a sand pit (in the classroom!), and try to keep everyone happy. Day 2 for the kids went great - only one or two cried the whole day! Yipee! Some definitely surprised me with how quickly they warmed up. We have a couple trouble makers but really they are all adorable (I really like the trouble makers for some reason) and just love attention - wealthy parents sometimes means the kids just don't get enough attention since their parents are so career focused.We have some snugglers, some hand holders, and some students who really try and comfort the others who are upset. It's so freaking adorable.
Grade 2 I barely spent time in yesterday and today I spent a little more fun. You really start to appreciate the fact that they understand English and can speak some English as well. Today I got to help in math (love math!!!) and basically just walk around the classroom so far helping students who have questions.
I am the only American. Weird! There are a lot of Canadians and the rest are basically German. They are all fabulous teachers and I am so lucky to be working with them all.
Met up with "The Women" this week for Sushi night at Charlotte's. Marlene and baby were not there but Adriana was in town (she moved to London) and Ning was there also along with a new friend from Mexico. I was starving by the time I got there and was so stuffed when I left. I love sushi. Ning was saying that maybe this weekend we should go to the famous thermal spa nearby. We'll see! I drove her new MINI after dinner. Sooo cute. Got to get me one of those! :)
Trip 1 may be planned - yipee!! Amsterdam! This weekend I'll tour some of the newbies around town to my favorite spots on bike trails and in the city. Maybe some hiking? We shall see...
love and miss
Monday I met all the 2nd graders that I will be helping and boy were they great! Seb and I have a class of 22 students. He is a fabulous teacher and is great at getting everyone to behave. Of course there are a few that like to misbehave, but all in all we have a great class. The schedules are a bit crazy and basically I am at the school till 6PM three days a week. School is from 8:45-3:45 and then I help out with afternoon care three days a week. On Monday I will be helping out with the choir for an hour (maybe playing piano?!) and Tuesdays I am going to start a gymnastics club for an hour. Yipee! I wish we had trampolines... Oh well. The club will start next week I believe.
The first day of school for the Reception class (Kindergarten but not) is a HUGE deal in Germany. The kids (ages 4-5) come to school with their parents for an assembly where the heads talk and then they kiddos come to the classroom for only an hour and then go back home. They all bring a special cone shaped container with them filled with goodies to celebrate their first day. Well... Maybe 3 of the 22 little ones speaks any English. The rest ONLY understand German. We are only teaching in English. This creates some problems. We had one girl who cried her eyes out the entire time and another clinging to his mother. Another cried periodically. Eventually I started saying a few things to some of the distraught kids in German and then they realized that I was not some scary monster but someone they could communicate with. A little. Lindsay is fabulous and exaggerates all her movements to try and help the kids understand what she is wanting them to do. We sing songs, we dance, we color, paint, play with cars, play in a sand pit (in the classroom!), and try to keep everyone happy. Day 2 for the kids went great - only one or two cried the whole day! Yipee! Some definitely surprised me with how quickly they warmed up. We have a couple trouble makers but really they are all adorable (I really like the trouble makers for some reason) and just love attention - wealthy parents sometimes means the kids just don't get enough attention since their parents are so career focused.We have some snugglers, some hand holders, and some students who really try and comfort the others who are upset. It's so freaking adorable.
Grade 2 I barely spent time in yesterday and today I spent a little more fun. You really start to appreciate the fact that they understand English and can speak some English as well. Today I got to help in math (love math!!!) and basically just walk around the classroom so far helping students who have questions.
I am the only American. Weird! There are a lot of Canadians and the rest are basically German. They are all fabulous teachers and I am so lucky to be working with them all.
Met up with "The Women" this week for Sushi night at Charlotte's. Marlene and baby were not there but Adriana was in town (she moved to London) and Ning was there also along with a new friend from Mexico. I was starving by the time I got there and was so stuffed when I left. I love sushi. Ning was saying that maybe this weekend we should go to the famous thermal spa nearby. We'll see! I drove her new MINI after dinner. Sooo cute. Got to get me one of those! :)
Trip 1 may be planned - yipee!! Amsterdam! This weekend I'll tour some of the newbies around town to my favorite spots on bike trails and in the city. Maybe some hiking? We shall see...
love and miss
