Oops!

I wanted to write this entry as soon as I got out of school that Friday, but Matt and I were so busy getting ready for our second trip that I didn't have time! I flew home a few days ago and have been having my first taste of jet lag. I think I'm finally back to NY time as of today!

Last Friday was my last day in the school. I'm so sad! Those kids were so great. Unfortunately, Matt's teacher was ill, so she wasn't in. There was a "relief teacher" or as we call it, a sub. He has been to America before as well as Canada. He's even worked in some classrooms in Canada so it was interesting hearing about his experiences. I was so happy to see the kids again, but was really sad to say goodbye! I helped out around the classroom when I was needed, but also did a lot of observing. The kids were originally supposed to have "Sports Day", but it had rained the past few days and the field was really wet. Matt's class switched with the class next door for language arts and social studies. I watched the kids do their spelling tests: they pick a partner that reads the words to them and they are allowed to sit anywhere around the room. They also finished up the week's board work and their "quick-maths" with Matt. The students learned about pronouns and did a lesson that integrated social studies. They were all given an excerpt of "The Times", a newspaper, and were instructed to search for any pronouns they could find with a partner. It was also a really fun day because we played a few games. Inside, we played hangman, "How Well Do You Know Your Mate?", and "Buzz". "Buzz" was a great math game.

Instructions for "Buzz":

- About 6 or 7 students come up to the front of the classroom and line up facing the class
- The teacher writes two letters on the board (For this game we used 3 and 7)
- The students that are lined up have to count up but the rules are as follows: For any number that has a 3 or 7 in it, the student that is supposed to say this number says "buzz". Also, any student who is supposed to state a number whose factors are 3 and/or 7 must also say "buzz".
- Any student who does not say "buzz" has to sit down and the group starts over

This was a really fun game and the students realized they really had to think about what they were doing. Each time a group came up, there was a winner and at the end of each round, each winner came up for a championship round. Matt's teacher also uses stickers for her reward system. Students are given stickers for showing good behavior and sometimes for their academics. Some students received reward stickers after this game.

When we went outside, we played an Australian version of "Steal the Bacon" and a game similar to kickball. The kids had a blast and so did I. It was so slippery out on the field, so there were a few falls, but they loved getting dirty! When it came time for the students to leave, I said goodbye to them all and got plenty of high fives, fist bumps, and hugs. I feel so lucky that I had this opportunity and I hope to keep in touch with the students. I am planning on sending a postcard to them soon. Matt is doing a unit with them about the Aboriginal People and they are going to do a lesson on Native Americans. I hope to find a postcard from somewhere around where I live because there were many Native American tribes on Long Island.

The next step for me is my student teaching in Brentwood! I can't wait to find out what grade I have and what school I'm in. My orientation is in a few weeks, so I should be finding out soon. Can't wait to get started...