End of the First Week

The end of my first week of internship has arrived. Everything went well so far, though I haven't done a lot of teaching yet. The first few weeks the host teacher slowly "breaks" you in and you just do little things here and there. I did do some reading to the class two or three days, and I helped in math class, but not the actual teaching for that class.

Mrs. G. told me on Tuesday (my first day) that she was teaching them how to do addition using the front end method. This is a totally new concept to me, though I had briefly heard about it in my Math Education class at school. The idea for this is to add the first two numbers, from the tens column, together (keep in mind this is a grade 2 class and they are using only double digit numbers so far), write the total down below the line. Next, you add the numbers from the ones column and write that beside the answer from the tens coloumn (and put a plus sign between the two). Then you add those together to get the answer. There are a lot of extra steps involved, but apparently it's to help them with that type of math for when the get to grade 3 or 4.

Some of the kids caught on quickly, and of course, some didn't. She used a manipulative for the kids at first, to help them understand. Those who caught on to the math, she encourages them to go ahead and do the work without the manipulative. Those who struggle are allowed to use the manipulative, but she also encourages them to try without using it.

Over the next couple of weeks, I'll be teaching more and more. It culminates in me teaching the entire day for about three weeks total, and then I get weaned off and Mrs. G. will take one more and more again until she is doing all the teaching. I must admit - this kind of scares me, but I think that's natural.

Yesterday there was a supply in for Mrs. G. and there will be one in on Monday as well (hopefully the same one). We got along great and didn't have any problems. Mrs. G. will be back on Tuesday.

In other news, I was contacted by somone from my church's Christian Education Board indicating that the church is having a little "ceremony" for the university graduates. It's nothing fancy (from what I recall from past years and when I got my B.A. in 2006) - the graduates go up on the stage, they are introduced and asked to tell what they are graduating from, what they plan on doing next, etc. and they are presented with a Bible and prayed for. I told them I could attend. That will be at the evening service. I don't know how many university grads there are this year, but I'm sure there are a few.

Well, I've rattled on long enough. I'd better head off and do up some last minute work that I have to submit on Monday (observation journals). I hope you'll have a blessed and Christ-filled day!