This week, one of my teachers asked me to create a game for the kids to play in class, that would let them practice the new vocab they are learning. One of my friends at the home base suggested Bingo, and she and I stayed up last night make a ton of bingo cards for the kids. The kids are learning about food, so all of the vocab is about fruits, vegetables etc. The idea was that I would say the word in English, hold up a big picture of the fruit that my teacher uses as flashcards with the kids, and then have the kids find the word in Spanish on their bingo cards. I was a little nervous about how it would go over, since I wasn't quite sure if the kids were old enough to read Spanish yet, but it turned out great! I have never seen kids so incredibly excited about bingo before. Though since the kids are all first graders so they were also incredibly loud. They have just started to master reading Spanish, so Bingo turned out to be a good way for them to practice that too. As soon as I would call out the name of food, they would all start yelling "teacher teacher, do i have it?" and then me and the other teacher would go around and help check to see if they had put the bean (yep we used dried beans instead of fancy plastic pieces) on the right square. Then of course when they one, they would all start shouting gane, gane (i won, i won!) at the tops of their lungs and would jump up and down. it was a little painful to hear, but the ecstatic looks on their faces was worth it.
one of things i've noticed here is that the kids seem to have much more freedom in the schools that I think I did in elementary school. instead of one recess after lunch, they have 10 minutes between every 40 minute period to run outside into a big courtyard area and run around. and they definitely run their little hearts out, shrieking and bounding up and down the stairs. kids fall down, jump back up and just keep on going. they also only have to go to school for half a day, somedays just for the morning until 12 and others from the afternoon 12-5.
the teachers are also much more formal with kids in some ways. i was so shocked when i heard them all using the usted form, or the more formal 'you' version of commands and verbs with the kids. in
spain i never used the usted form, at home maricarmen insisted that we use tu and so did our teachers at school. in contrast the kids are always hugging and kissing the teachers, especially the younger kids. its so cute to go into a classroom and have kids yell your name, and then come up and have so many of them try to hug and kiss you that you can barely move. the kids are also really generous, always wanting to share their snacks with me, or give me stickers. i've gotten some sweet high school musical ones
tomorrow i'm making a poster about the 'natural wonders of
virginia' for my 4th grade classes so I gotta go get started on that!
miss you all!
xoxo
wendy