Just to preface, I have never worked with kindergarteners in my life. That being said, I have also never worked in a very mixed ethnic school. This morning was fun from the start.
I was very blessed to have a permanent IA (Instructional Assistant/Aid) in with me the entire day. She reviewed the very methodical plans laid out for me and let me know of anything special I should know about. She went to help with Kiss and Ride before school started, so I got to meet the kids on my own.
Just after 8am, one little head peeked in. I don't remember which child it was, but she smiled at me and said "You're not (the regular teacher)!" I explained sweetly (with the most serious face on as possible) that I was substituting for that teacher. She smiled and went into the hall to let each child know that their regular teacher was somewhere else this morning.
The morning went off alright. The students were all very talkative. I believe there was 22 in all? What shocked me was the fact that this school is maybe 10 minutes from my house tops, but the ethnic diversity was incredible. I counted only one caucasian student in the entire class. Many are Middle Eastern, some are African, and a few are other races that I could not figure out. Some of them tried to say "Hola!" to me (might it be the curly hair and the not-black/not-fair skin?), but discovered quickly that it was the only word I knew of the Spanish language. Thankfully none of them decided to speak in their own tongue around me!
I will say right now, I miss taking 2nd graders on class bathroom breaks. It was very difficult taking 20(+?) kindergarteners to the restroom with just 2 people. And the bathrooms weren't even just down the hall; they were down the hall, around the corner, and all the way to the end of that hall, across from the office. That took 15 minutes or more!
When we got back, we went to the carpet and read a book about fruits and vegetables. Did you know that a fruit is anything that has seeds in it? Wow, 22 and still learning stuff:) So we had a talk on why corn, cucumbers, and peppers are all considered fruits and not vegetables! Some of the poor kids definitely got confused when they had to circle the fruits!
Next was the computer lab. All the students' computers go to www.pbskids.org, which, by the way, is an awesome site with lots of different games! All the kids participated quietly here. Sadly a few of them did not have headsets, so they had to turn their speakers on low. They behaved very well though, and I was proud, even if they weren't my kids!
From the computer lab, the students went straight to PE. I was able to relax for 20 minutes or so before going to get them. We danced to music and went to the bathroom back in the classroom's facilities until lunch time. The IA took the students through the lunchline and in the cafeteria. Unfortunately after my break, when I went to get them, it was raining and they had to come in :( We played "Simon Says" painfully - 3 rounds with 22 kids yelling that other kids were out. Fun, right?:)
Once that mess was over, we did a project that the teacher left. Once those were finished, the students could have free choice time when they chose what they got to do for the last 10-30 minutes of school.
Dismissal was fun. One child would not cooperate because she was upset she lost free time (for hitting a child?). I thank God for the IA, because she took her outside and talked to her and let her wail out there while the other children got their book bags. I think they were the quietest then than they had been all day! :) I got to take the kiss and ride children. Only left one...she didn't see her after-school bus and ended up going to the office to wait for a ride:-/
All in all, good day. I even talked with someone in the office when I was checking out and she asked me to bring in my resume once she heard I had an actual teacher's license. Yay, God!:)
Alright, time to wind down with a little bit of God's creation: Hugh Jackman :P Can't wait!!
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