HENDERSON SOUTH

Last Two Weeks of Practicum

     Well my teaching experience is going so well! I am with a teacher named Trude Karaka! She is fantastic! Hilarious and such a good teacher! She is half Maori, and half European. She has blond hair, and is probably lighter skinned than I am! Kind of crazy! Anyway, the kids are so cute! I am learning a little bit of Maori and even Samoan! It's going so well! I had my first formal observation and it went very well! Professor Jim came in and watched me teach a reading lesson. He spoke only good! I have my next formal observation tomorrow! We are making body garden hope all goes well! 

      Anyway beyond the observations, I have had a lot of control over what happens in the classroom. One of the teachers has been out sick for over two weeks now, and last week I began taking over his class as the reliever. He didn't have lesson plans or anything, so I put all of the days lesson plans together! This was such a great learning experience.

     Then this past week, Miss Karaka has had some course to go to for the deaf student in our class. She brought me back into her class and I have been teaching the full day! This has been so great! I was able to do the reading groups, spelling groups, math groups, some writing lessons, swimming lessons, health lessons, and topic lessons! Topic is something specific they have been asked to teach. Right now we are talking about rights and responsibilities! I think my favorite moment in teaching (also the one I was the most scared for) was giving the attention signal. This is where I say something and all the children finish it, and stop, look at me, and listen. Miss Karaka's signal is "Tahi Rua Toru" Then the children say "Fa"! I think this was one of the funniest moments! I said it, and then everyone stopped and looked at me and had the biggest smiles. Then when I started laughing, they all started laughing...the American accent doesn't make a great attention signal! No worries though, I got them settled down, and now they love hearing the American "Tahi Rua Toru!"

      

       Now that Miss is back she still wants me to keep teaching, so next week I will be teaching full time! Planning the lessons and doing the whole deal (well other than Maori, I decided I didn't feel comfortable teaching this.)

       Anyway, I am really excited about everything happening over here! I really am learning so much! It's crazy how fast everything is going! Who would have thought that teaching in the schools for six weeks would have gone by so fast! I love the kiwi students!