Today was my second experience at first grade and I must say that it went much better this time around. I am now known as Mr. Chen to my students. Don't ask me why? They just thought it was hysterical when a student called me Mr. Chen, instead of Mr. C, by mistake. It was actually the Asian boy in the class that pointed it out, saying, "ha ha ha Mr. Chen, that is so funny!" The students continued to call me Mr. Chen no matter how much I protested. I am hoping by next week they will no longer remember this new nick name, but I highly doubt it.
This class is a lot of fun I must admit, but I am still having severe classroom management malfunction. They all seem to have the attention span of a nat, and cannot stay quiet for longer than 30 seconds of instruction. They are intelligent kids and seem to understand what I am teaching, even with the surrounding chaos, but they make me nervous and seem really unruly in my eyes. I guess they are all used to it and I am the one who will need to adjust to the way they do things.
These kids crack me up! They do and say some outrageous things. Today, during their bag pipe lesson (yes, these kids learn about bag pipes), the guest speaker was explaining kilts to the students and he said, "Now the most important thing to remember is that this is not a dress." One of the boys from my class (who is slowly becoming my new favorite) shouted out, "But it's a man skirt!" The entire first grade (all three classrooms) erupted into an uncontrollable fit of laughter! I couldn't even keep a straight face after hearing this zinger and busted out laughing myself.
The school that I am at is amazing. Today I was shown my classes's science fair project and it is the same work I spent last semester teaching to fourth graders at a completely opposite school. My school is so far from Title One I was shocked walking into it's prestigious surroundings. It is strange how blatantly obvious it is that funding effects education so dramatically. The fourth graders I worked with had nothing, and the science project we did with them was completely over most of their heads. My first graders are reading and writing at a higher level already and we aren't even half-way through the school year yet. Their classroom is full of manipulatives, they have constant parent volunteers and support, there are tons of books for them to choose from, and that type of accessibility to learning in our school systems really pays off.
The reason I say that I want to go back to first grade is because I experienced a Friday in the life of my students. They came to school at 8:30 and spent the first 15-20 minutes learning about their art project for the day...then it was another 20 minutes of free reading and being read to...next was singing practice for their big program, followed by centers (where they actually had to work on some math), recess, bag pipe lessons, brunch (not lunch, BRUNCH, because today was their early out day), another recess, probably more art (I'm not sure as I had to leave for class) and then they get to go home at 12:45 OR they get to load up on a bus and hit the ski slopes for their school provided lessons.
Oh what a life. I guess if I can't be a first grader again I will just have to try to get a job teaching in a school with this sweet of a set up!
Fingers Crossed!
I think I'm starting to like first grade afterall. I still have a lot of work to get done though, so we'll see how it goes.
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