Writers Block

I have never been a writer…so my solution to writers block is just closing Microsoft word and hope that I get some kind of motivation to write later.

I need some topics people. Comment on this post with some ideas of what to write about. That would be very helpful. In the mean time I will update you on the past two weeks…

For all you teachers out there who hate sloppy work from a student….come to Samoa. Students spend whole class periods making their paper look perfect. Copying down the notes or format for the assignment (since there are no copy machines at our school the students have to copy down the worksheet by hand) takes FOREVER. Most of the students don’t even do the work. There is a art form to this too. They use their rulers to create the lines for the title, even though they are doing on loose-leaf which as you know already contains lines. The lines are usually in red. Then the heading is in blue and the directions and questions are in black. You should see how concentrated the kids are while doing this. It gets exciting when someone messes up and they run around the room looking for someone who has whiteout to fix their mistake. It’s such a process, one that I can’t stand.

Jenny’s Classroom Rules

NO RULERS

NO WHITEOUT

BLACK PEN ONLY

Sometimes the simplest changes are the biggest….

I got my classroom taken away. I was marking the year 6 books during interval one day and noticed there was a lot of noise, more than usual, outside. I saw all of the desks and table being moved out of all the classrooms. I assumed that they were going to be clean, and another excuse to end school early. When I asked a teacher what was going on she told me that they were switching all of the classrooms, and year two was being split into two classes because it was so big. Its not a big deal, I just have to travel to each classroom instead of them coming to me. The problem with the big move was I had just organized the library, which is now piled in the year 2 room….

On a more positive note I have been working on a reading program with the year 7 and 8’s. It has been going very well. The students are starting to understand the routine, and even the lower students seemed to be getting something out of it. I am happy when the “lazy” boys come into my class excited to do the work! You can usually find this group of boys roaming around school or in the bathroom. They are my favorite and are determined to make me a fluent Samoan speaker.

In a week I will start seeing every class at least two times a week. I will be very busy but it beats observing all day long!

Last  weekend myself and other 83’s went to a beautiful waterfall. We had a great time swimming and jumping into the fresh water. It’s always a fun time when we get together. We sat around talking about school experiences trying to be positive for each other. It’s nice to have a group of people I can relate with and not feel so bad if things aren’t going perfect at my school.

In other news….

Next weekend I will hopefully be getting SCUBA certified. The weather has been wonderfully sunny and hot for the past two weeks. Knock on wood….

Stay tuned for pictures….

Peace and Love

TEVI AND RIVKA

ME AND MY GIRL RACH

CHRIS AND HIS P90X BOD WITH TEV AND MIKA