One for the Language Learners

I had a moment of panic last night which has now become the motivation for this post.  You see, one of my students last year drew an amazing picture at the end of the year, full of detail and humour and I thought I had downloaded it and so I deleted it off my camera. But then I couldn't find it anywhere on my computer.  Thankfully, my external hard drive saved the day and I can share this gem with the world. 

My students were reflecting on how God had helped them in the past year and this is what this little guy had to say.

Note the towering stack of paper, the rubbish bin full of scrunched up attempts and the one about to hit the trash.  Clearly it was hard work learning to write in Korean! 

This little guy is Italian.  He came into my classroom with no English at all.  He had already begun to learn French so I could communicate with him through that.  I have to say I have never seen a student learn a language like this guy did. 

The Blessing of Being One Among Many

Two weeks ago in our Bible class we were reflecting on the blessings that God has given us.  One little boy in my class drew a picture of our school - the sports court, Hope Hall, our playground platforms and even our brand new building with its detailed staircase.

 

It was in the middle of drawing those detailed stairs that I stopped to ask him about his picture.  He told me about the first day he came to school to be tested for Kindergarten and how he cried because he was so afraid.  How well I remember that day!  He was terrified and cried incessantly. The teachers were afraid that he might run away at any moment. "But now," he said, "I'm not scared any more.  I feel safe!"  What a sweet blessing to hear these words and to know that Sahel Academy is a safe place for learning and growing!

 

But what happens when our students have to leave? 

 

It was last year at this same time that I found out one of my students was leaving.  He had struggled emotionally and behaviourally all year.  I had worked with him diligently on some of those really difficult behaviours and seen some huge changes in him. But he was still struggling and needed a closer connection to his father.  His mother decided to return to the U.S.  It was a wise decision but I remember being so saddened because I knew that he was leaving a place where he was seeing and hearing about Jesus and he so desperately needed the healing that only Jesus can bring.  I had no guarantee that he was going to a place where he would continue to hear that good news. 

 

One year later and I just had another student leave.  Her father was transferred to Senegal. They have known since before Christmas that this move was coming.  Just after finding out, her mother came to me and asked me if I knew of any schools like Sahel Academy in Senegal.  What a joy it was to be able to recommend Dakar Academy, a Christian school serving the international community in Dakar! 

 

 

So on her last day at school we put her in the middle of a big group hug, prayed for her and joyfully sent her on her way, confident that she is going to a place where she will continue to hear the truth of God's love for her.

 

I'm so thankful that Sahel Academy is just one of many Christian schools serving the international community around the world.  It is truly a blessing to know that when our students leave here, God can take them to other schools where the good work He has begun in their lives here can continue there!

 

Would you consider praying each day this February for Sahel Academy and other international Christian schools like it?  These schools play a critical role in the building of God's kingdom in the hearts of their students and in the countries in which the schools reside.  We need God's provision.

 

 

For a link to Sahel Academy's specific staffing needs click here.  One of those needs is someone who will cover for me while I am away on home assignment next year.  Thanks for praying for teachers!

Just in Time for Valentine's Day

Have you been longing for love but just not finding it?  Have you had your eye on a special guy but he just doesn't seem to notice you?  Perhaps you've already hooked him but you just need some tips on how to make him feel loved.  Good news! Just in time for Valentine's Day, we've located an expert on love who will answer all your questions.  You might be wondering how we discovered this expertise in our midst.  Well, you see the First Grade is exploring "How To" Writing.  This, of course, began with a discussion about what it means to be an expert at something.

Following the discussion we each made a list of our areas of expertise.  And voila! Just like that, we have a love expert in our midst.

(In First Grade expertise in the field of love is directly proportionate to the number of hearts you can add to your picture so don't be afraid to overdo it! The more hearts the more qualified you are!)

A timely topic, indeed!  Don't worry.  If I gain any meaningful insights, I'll be sure to pass them along to the lovelorn among you with an extra large helping of hearts!

How to Make a New Friend

Tomorrow is the first day back to school for us here at Sahel Academy.  Back to school always means that there are many new friends to be made.  What better time to get some advice from a Second Grader about how to best go about making a new friend!  So with out further ado, I give you a short "How To" on making a new friend.

1.  First you say hi.  Then shake hands.
2.  I think you should play with your friend if you want to know him better.
3.  Then your friend will have to leave.  But don't be sad.  He or she will come back tomorrow!
4.  Then you can play with your friend after you to to sleep.

5.  Later at school in recess, I recommend you play soccer with him.
6.  You can teach your friend how to spell April, Saturday, January, May, backstroke.  (All words from the Second Grade Spelling book...too funny!)
7.  And that's how you make a new friend.  The end.

There you go, my friends, get out there and play some soccer and spell some words.  Today is a day for making new friends!  And by the way, if you happen to meet and make friends with Xopop be sure you tell him he's got quite the cool name!

Happy First Day of School!

Love is in the Air

Just a month or so ago, Miss Schmidt and I were reviewing our weekly Bible Verse.  It just so happened that the week's verse was Matthew 4:19, "Come follow me," Jesus said, "And I will make you fishers of men." We were discussing the context a little bit and Miss Schmidt then posed the question to our First and Second Graders, "Am I the one that's going to teach you how to fish for men?"  Of course, we all had a good laugh at the silliness of that, knowing full well that it was Jesus talking.  One little First Grade Girl piped up and said, "Yeah, Miss Schmidt's going to teach us how to catch boys!" Since then I've been telling Miss Schmidt she will have to write a little book entitled, "How to Catch Boys."

In January, that little First Grade Girl might have needed such a book but the month of February has been a good one for her.  The marriage proposals have been pouring in, the little boys lining up for the privilege of writing their name beside hers and then today, the first love letter arrived. (All names have been blotted out to protect the innocents.)

My favorite part of this letter has to be the pregnant pause before the "BIG" declaration..."You are the prettyiest girl in class."  I'm equally amused by the last sentence, "and did you know I love you better (than) best friend's name?"  Let me just tell you that these two best friends are tighter than tight so that's a big declaration!

Well, there you have it.  It's February and love is in the air!  We'll try to keep the dating to a minimum though.  After all, it is only First and Second Grade!

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

It's the most wonderful time of the year...Report Card Time!  Did I just say that?  I'm kidding really but I do enjoy report card time because it's when I discover these awesome little writing treasures in my student's writing folders.

First here are some of my little writers being very serious about the business of writing.

 

 

Now for the treasures!

The back story for this one is that one day my electrician (designated student to turn the lights on and off) went into our second classroom where he was to turn the lights on.  Sitting right below the light switch  was a big black spider.  He screeched and immediately went to the other side of the room where he turned on the lights.  Meanwhile, I killed the spider and teased him that one day he was going to have to be brave enough to kill spiders for his wife.  A day or so after this incident, we went into the room again and he crossed to the other side of the room to turn the lights on.  He didn't want anything to do with the scary spider light switch!  So after all of that I found this little gem in his writing folder. 

Telling it like it is, I would say!  I'm convinced there's a brave guy in there somewhere.

This second one just makes me laugh because of his plans for the terrible creature of which he writes...not to mention the way the incorrect spelling of "like" changes everything. :)

"Why I don't like cockroaches they are ugly."  And the little guy says, "Down the toilet!"

No argument here, little guy.  You've definitely got the right idea!

It Was A Good Last Day

The 2013-2014 year has come to an end.

We began the day with our traditional soccer game.

The secondary and some staff played while the rest of us watched and cheered.

Midway through the game we were introduced to a new animal called a bush baby or a galago.

Then we moved inside for our closing assembly where these four earned a certificate for saying their verses with no errors.  I am especially proud of the little guy on the end next to Miss Carriger who is an English Language Learner and made only one mistake all year!

We finished our assembly with the "Be Happy" dance.

And if you don't feel happy after that then there's always kid writing.

And there you have it another year of "theaching" in the books for Bothers.

Confession is Good For the Soul

They say that confession is good for the soul.  I'm not sure that my First Graders have ever heard that saying before but they certainly went about confessing the error of their ways as they wrote letters for the incoming First Graders.

I no longer have to wonder who was writing on the chalkboard or using the pencil sharpener to sharpen their eraser.  Pretty sure this is as good as a signed confession!

And then there is the kid who cut his head open after running across the room, tripping and falling.  He might just get it now.

And notice that after confessing your own shortcomings, you can always go on to cover those of your teacher.  Ha!  It's totally true!  I'm always forgetting stuff.

There was all kinds of sage advice given - stuff I say all the time...

Fill your water bottle at recess.
Tie your shoes.
No hair dressing!
Clean your desk.   

Then there was this kid, slow as molasses, she is.

Her advice - she skipped straight to rule number 3 in our classroom.  Follow directions the first time.  When I asked her why she wrote that she first said that following directions was important but when I asked her why she skipped to that particular rule she said in a very earnest voice, "Because I'm trying!" I wanted to bust out laughing.  She's trying all right but mostly it's my patience that has been tried. I guess I can take consolation from the fact that she at least recognizes it's a problem. 

The truth is that it has been a pretty challenging year for me and I'll readily admit that I haven't always been as patient and loving as I should have been.  But in reading these letters, there was so much grace extended to me from these little ones as they shared with the incoming First Graders that they felt challenged, that they laughed and had fun.  And though it hasn't been easy, I rejoice with them in the growth that they have demonstrated and I'm thankful for the grace that God extends to each one of us as we continue growing.

How to Make Lemonade

It's been all about "How To" writing in Writer's Workshop for the last month or so.  One of our very first activities was to make lemonade together so that we could all experience a procedure together and then explain it for an audience.  That experience was the inspiration for this book, written by a second grader, who envisioned little men with miniature sized machines making lemonade for a regular sized guy.

How to Make Lemonade

First you wash your hands.

Next you cut the lemons.

Then you squeeze the lemon.

Fourth put the lemon juice in the pitcher.

Then fill a little pitcher with water all the way to the top.

After that get some ice.

Then put the ice in the pitcher.

Then get one cup of sugar and measure

Then put the sugar in the pitcher.

The last part of the work is to stir all of those things together.

Last, drink it and enjoy.

Wow!  Anyone else think I have a future author/illustrator on my hands?

Signs of Christmas

Here in Niger there aren't that many visible signs of Christmas...no snow, not many twinkling lights or Christmas trees in windows but one sign that Christmas is on its way is the Christmas program our elementary children usually put on.  This year it was called, "Signs of Christmas."

Under the direction of my friend Bev, they did a fantastic job! 

 

One moment that made me want to bust out laughing was when this cutie got up to say her line along with several others.  After she finished, she took the time to pose for some pictures and threw up the victory sign just for good measure right in the middle of the program.

 

 

The little girl holding the purple bundle in the middle was Mary and let me tell you, she took her job seriously.  There wasn't a chance that anything bad was going to happen to Baby Jesus!

 

After the program, one of my students took it upon himself to write down the words to one of the songs they sang.  Can you figure out which Christmas carol it was?

 

 

Pretty sure this was the first time I've ever been asked how to spell virgin by a First Grader and I have to say I love the fact that it says, "Sleep in Heavenly Pees."  Oh my!  I have no end of entertainment when reading First Grade Writing!

 

Sleep in Heavenly Peas, friends.

A Tailor Made Super Hero

Contractions have been cropping up all over the books my students have been reading.  Without a little direct instruction, First Graders have trouble reading contractions properly so I decided it was time for some lessons on the topic.  There are lots of great free resources out there for contractions but I have to say Captain Apostrophe caught my attention.  You can click on this link and be whisked away to another blog where you can find a great little story about how Captain Apostrophe has the power to join two words by swooping in, knocking out some letters and then flying high and hovering above the new word.  I wasn't in love with the look of Captain Apostrophe so I sought out another image. 

When I came across this one, I was pretty sure he would be a hit with all the boys but particularly Blue Man, my little friend who is desperately in love with the color blue.  So who should appear in Blue Man's writing several days later but....

Dun Dun Dudun....Captain Apostrophe!

 

Did I call that or what?

 

Now clearly, I have got some work to do on how you actually use apostrophes but hey, at least one person is enamored!  Speaking of work to do....

 



 

I should probably teach my writer's how to spell "write" so that we don't have to be "ritting stores" during "Whiters Workshop".  



Mrs. McNosh Hangs Up Her Wash and other Rhyming Fun

The concept of rhyming seems to be particular difficult for my little English Language Learners this year.  So recently I took a couple of weeks to try to move them in the direction towards grasping the concept and being able to produce rhyming words themselves.  I happened to have on hand Mrs. McNosh Hangs Up Her Wash in big book form. 

 

And who doesn't love Mrs. McNosh?  She's certainly not a traditionalist when it comes to doing the laundry.  Everything from the laundry to the mail to the turkey is fair game for a good washing.  As stories go this one is great fun with lots of vocabulary and rhyming practice thrown in too.  Here's a little preview of the story done by one of my students. 

 

I love the view of Mrs. McNosh in the top box.  Too cute!

In searching the web, I didn't find many resources out there to go along with this story so I made up a rhyming activity myself.  This is my first attempt ever to attach documents to my blog and my hand drawn pictures pale in comparison to all the cute clipart out there but the kids had fun so maybe yours will too. 

Feel free to print and enjoy the following activity.

For those who might be looking for some ideas for fun ways to practice rhyming with their students, there were two other group activities that we did to practice making rhyming words that are worth mentioning.  Let's call the first one Rhyme Around the Room.  I placed quarter sheets of poster paper around the room with one word at the top.  Groups of students were assigned a paper.  They used the marker and wrote as many rhyming words as they could think of in about 30 seconds.  After 30 seconds were up they moved to a new paper, read the words added by the group before them and then continued adding new words of their own. 

 

We'll call the second game Rhyming Encore.  The students were once again placed in groups and given a white board and marker.  I gave them a word such as "fish" and then the groups had to write down a word that rhymed with "fish."  As soon as they had a word they could share it.  Play continued until a group repeated a word, gave a word that didn't rhyme or wasn't real or couldn't think of any more rhyming words.  At that point, the group with the last valid word got a point.  



Just last Friday I was walking with one of my students at our Track and Field Day, our minds about as far away from the classroom and rhyming as they could be.  This student happens to be one of the ones who has had the most trouble with this concept.  He was playing with words as we walked and suddenly he came across two that rhymed, "Mat and bat - those are rhyming words!" he exclaimed.  Even if he didn't win any races, throw the farthest or jump the longest, that was a moment worth celebrating.  He understands the concept of rhyming!