Week 8 - Teaching Internship

This past week went well. It's the last week where I am in charge of the class and teach everything. I taught a little multiplication and division, as well as a little on estimation. All of these things aren't required outcomes for grade two, but they have to just be introduced to them so that they'll be a little familiar with them next year.

We also did poetry this week, and the kids seemed to love it. Most of them (some of the boys included) really enjoyed doing acrostic poems and writing couplets. This is also something they aren't required to learn/know for grade two; it's another "get them acquainted with it" lesson. We did up acrostic poems for the principal and vice principal, the mother who taught gym class for two or three months, and the mother who came in every Friday afternoon this year to help the teacher do administrative type jobs around the classroom. We are also going to be doing one for the boy in grade six (I think that's the grade he's in) who comes down once a week to read to the kids and help them a little. We came up with the descriptive words as a group and voted on which ones to use (most votes won). I typed them up and printed them on nice paper and we glued them to some construction paper and the kids all signed them. We'll present them next week, and the kids are super excited to give them to their recipients!

Also, the caterpillars we got from the kindergarten class were all in their cocoons this week (by Monday or Tuesday), and today at lunch we got a surprise! One of the butterflies emerged! We should have the rest out by Monday or Tuesday at the latest (that is if we didn't lose any). The kids were extatic to see this. I don't know if they actually witnessed the butterfly coming out, or if they only noticed that it was out and flapping its wings to get them dried and build up strength. I think I was (and am) just as excited about this as the kids! I've never seen this happen, and it is definitely amazing!

God does some awesome work! To think, he created a creature that spins a cocoon (amazing) where it changes into a different creature (butterfly), becoming more beautiful than it had been going in! It just amazes me at what God has created!

Next week is my last week (it's the last week of school as well). I won't be teaching everything, but I'll finish up doing another lesson of poetry on Monday. Mrs. G. will do math, and we have several of the kids who want to read books to the class, so they'll do that this week as well. Starting Tuesday, there isn't much school work to be done. Tuesday is an all day field trip to a local park and we'll have a pic nic there as well. There are assemblies and presentations of certificates and whatnot the rest of the week. Friday is only a half day; I'm not sure if I'll have to stay until 2:00 or 3:00 or whenever, but even though the teachers have to come back the following Monday and Tuesday, I don't have to. My prof said we're done when the kids are done. So, maybe I'll get to leave when the kids do as well!

I found out this afternoon that I'll be teaching a kindergarten (or primary as they call it) class when I'm in Australia. I'm going to try to talk to the kindergarten teacher here to get some idea of what the kids learn at that level so I'll have a little idea. Also, I'd like to see if there are any books on Canada for that age level so I can read them to the kids in Australia, to help them learn about Canada.

I'm getting a little more excited about going Down Under, but truthfully, I haven't really been thinking about it too much. I think as the day we leave (July 6) draws closer, I'll get more excited - and nervous.

Well, I'd better end here for now. I'm getting tired and for some reason my body feels restless tonight. I was wondering if it might be because I'm over-tired...at least tomorrow is Saturday, and I can sleep in!

Have a blessed and Christ-filled day!