Today

I taught almost the whole day today. My first teacher did not show up and I found out that she has hurt her leg somehow so she may be out for the week. A substitute came but I taught much of the class as I know how we have been doing things. In my next class, I working 1-on-1 with a student who has just come from Romania. She is 11 and knows no English. She has been here about a week and I have been working with her a bit. It is difficult as I know exactly nothing in Romanian. However, she is very intelligent and is learning fast. We are working on colours and family and things of that sort.

When I tried to go to my next class, an English support class, I found myself locked out. The teacher had gone to a funeral and didn't remember that she hadn't told me until she was at the church. I ended up taking the students and teaching them somewhere else for awhile until she returned and we went back to our classroom.

After lunch, I headed to my Senior Infants class. The teacher needed to do a few things so I said I had some things in my bag I could do with the class so she left and I worked with them. We talked about all sorts of things and I read them a book. I also talked about snow as some of the girls were quite curious about it as it does not snow here much, if at all. I, in all actuality, dispise snow and the cold it accompanies, but I was happy to share my knowledge with the girls. I had the following exchange with a 6 year old:

"I knew one girl who ATE SNOW, Miss Marks."

"Yes, I have eaten it myself."

"WHAT? Is that ok?"

"Yes, as long as it is clean."

"How does it taste?"

"A great deal like water, as snow is made from water."

"But what does snow taste like?"

"Um, like water."

This continued for awhile. I do not think they quite believed me that snow is actually just frozen water. They are quite sceptical. Then they asked if I could bring them some. I assume it would be rather trying to mail a snowball. I can see it now....

"Wow, Mom! Thanks for the parcel of water!"

I did tell them about making snow ice cream and snowmen and I taught them a song about snow that we sang for the teacher later. I think I might do a little something about snow in another class too as I have seemed to have piqued their interests.

After this class, I headed to my final class where I am teaching about different versions of stories and fairy tales. We did the Three Little Pigs today. First we made a list of things we remembered from the story that we have been told. Then I read two different versions. The first one was pretty standard. Then I read "The True Story of the Three Little Pigs" by A. Wolf (As told to John Scieska). The girls loved the story and had a lot to say about it. We did a Venn Diagram and talked about the similarities and differences between the stories. Tomorrow we will be doing the same with Cinderella. I have a Native American version, a standard version, and "Cinder-Edna." I think they will really be interested to hear these, as I am quite sure none of them have heard them at all, well, aside from the standard one.

OK, well, tis off to bed for me as I have school again tomorrow. I have to be ready to teach some division and Cinderella!

Goodnight all!
~Erin