Week 3! Feb. 15th- Skating!

Today went a lot better than last week with the 2nd grade. We have definitely gotten to know each other better over the past couple of weeks and we have been able to mold our lessons better and better to suit them. In gym we realized since they have so much energy to use it. We used their energy more constructively and worked to tire them out a little bit. We ran and we danced and they seemed to have a good time doing it.

We asked Mrs. Jephtha to teach the life orientation lesson today so that we could sit in and watch how she controls the class. She is amazing. Every single one of the learners sits quietly and patiently when she has control. It was such a relief to see them in this setting where they are able to understand the language better because they are so eager to learn and participate. I’m not sure if they don’t act this way with us because they don’t understand what we are saying or whether they are just too self conscious about their linguistic abilities to answer. I am once again motivated by seeing this to get that kind of response out of them by the time we are done; they are hungry for knowledge and I am determined to satisfy that hunger.

During the reading time, we talked a little bit about ice skating and then did a fun activity with them. We taped wax paper over their feet and showed them how it makes them able to glide on the carpet. This is very similar to how skating is, so we went on an imaginary ice skate. This seemed like a simple idea, all we needed were some feet, wax paper, tape, a carpet, and a little imagination. However, we didn’t stop to think of how many little feet we would have to cover and how long this would take. The three of us went to work ripping, cutting, and taping. Mrs. Jephtha helped control the class while we did this. The process took quite a while and by the time the final foot was done the first couple kids had lost theirs. We took the kids whose feet were covered to the teachers’ longue to skate and glide. The wax paper here is quite thinner than in America, so it consistently was ripping and falling off. Two of us had to stay in the classroom and do repairs. These repairs never stopped, so we never stopped. It was all worth the work though because when they were coming back for repairs they had the biggest smiles on their faces. I kept on asking them if they had fun and they would respond with a big smile and nod. This was extremely rewarding to find a way to offer them a new experience that they have never been able to experience before. Although I never got to see them play, we were all completely drenched in sweat by the end, and again I was exhausted, this day felt like a victory.