We have made it through another day of teaching students in Mount James Primary and Nursery School! The group woke up on time to eat breakfast, and we arrived to school around 9:00 am. Since there are a total of four classes, there are two people in our group who have been assigned to teach in each class. My partner, Mica, and I were able to have a successful day of teaching first and second graders.
There were about three students in our class. These students (whose names are Tavia, Nichola, and Davian) love excitement, just like any ordinary child. Therefore, my partner and I were able to incorporate fun into our lesson. For example, we would tell them to do activities, such as drawing vegetables and clothes. They would then write the name of whatever they drew. To ensure that they understand how to pronounce the words that they have written out, I came up with a lesson that involves understanding syllables. The students, my partner and I clapped out the syllables of each word. They seemed to enjoy it since they got excited when we asked them to draw what they wanted. They also like the clapping portions of our lesson. Since we taught for about 2½ hours, at least one of the students was noticeably tired.
Our group finished teaching at 12:00. We then went to eat our lunch, and were able to bond fairly well. We would talk about some similarities and differences between the two countries. For example, Since America is a more economically developed country, there is more access to water and transportation. Some children would have to walk for miles in order to get to school, while in America, there are more school busses. We did some reflections on our teachings after lunch and I could tell that everyone in our group enjoyed their day after successful management of their students and work time.
We then started on our project, which involved painting a mural, as well as painting tires and cartoons on the walls. I enjoyed it because I learned how to become a better painter through the process. I was also able to help and bond with my group. While painting, we talked about what different kinds of colors could be added to the mural. The Mount James children would also talk about their family and what they like to do during their fun time. For instance, there is a lake that is near the school that the children like to swim in.
I feel as though teamwork helps to get the project done at a faster pace since everyone is helping each other. What may have helped the group the most was our lesson planning last night. We all discussed roles and who needed to get what jobs done, which helped the process of getting the mural, tires and cartoons done much quicker. I love how the Mount James children want to help whenever they can. Yesterday, we had continued to work on their library, and the children were a BIG help. It made me happy because the children did not have to help with the process. As a group, we were able to accomplish another day of teaching students, and cleaning and decorating the school!
Asia, 16, Parkdale High School