Yesterday, I had the honor to meet with Sra. Montanez. She is my second sponsor and a teacher at school four. Before meeting her, I felt very scared about her reactions towards me. As soon as I met her I just felt a good connections. She is a very elegant, fun and exciting to be with. Furthermore, before she entered her first classroom she told me how elementary students don't know how to speak Spanish yet in that level but opens their mind to a different world. Spanish in elementary is just to explore it and exposure them to the Language.
Our first day started with teaching kindergarten students numbers. She began by playing a video which the students could sing along the numbers. Then she read them a book where the students had to count the ducklings. The name of the book was "Donde Stan Mis Patitos". The children had a blast trying to count the ducklings and figuring out which one was missing.
What I realized about them is that to teach them and maintain them occupied the teacher has to have a lot of energy. If you stop even for a second they go crazy or start whining. In addition, they love to hear compliments from their teachers. Words like "good job" or your doing "fabulous" always means the world to them.
Finally, our day ended with first graders, they where a different type of crowd. This students already where in a different stage of Spanish. This students already knew how to count up to twenty. For this classroom she played the video again, but at a different level which was harder.
Then they worked on a worksheet together and Sra. Montanez called on different students to help her with the worksheet. The day ended with the students breaking up into four teams and competing on who could match more numbers in the computer. I believe that was the best part of their day. I can't wait to see them next Thursday.
Yes, it certainly does take a lot of stamina to keep the attention of the little ones (and the big ones for that matter). Good teaching means, in some respects, putting on a show. It is so cool that kids are getting Spanish instruction in the first grade. I had to wait until I was in 7th before being introduced to Spanish.
ReplyDelete