other spin drums

Making a pin drum

Eco

Clapping game

Magic drawings

Catching up...

I've been behind the past few weeks! I've been traveling and trying to keep my creativity alive in the classroom, so blogging has taken a back seat unfortunately but here's what we've been doing in second grade:

We have completed the water cycle, animal kingdom and plant kingdom and started to review. I took the opportunity to survey the class and ask them what they like best for class activities. They mentioned games! And some other things like coloring and songs but the general consensus was games, which wasn't surprising.

We have since played one game that was suggested to me by a fellow English teacher in my program and it was a hit. One student faces the class and I write a word on the chalkboard. The other students must take turns giving clues to the student so that they can guess the work. For example "cow"..."We get milk from this animal." "It is a mammal." "It has four legs." etc. The students had a blast and so did teacher Marta Ruth!

I'm going to continue searching for educational and conversational games to keep them engaged and their energy high, there are some stars hiding inside!

Weeks of February 25 - March 1 and March 4 - 8

These past two weeks were slightly off schedule as we celebrated Andalucia Day on February 28 and International Women's Day on March 8. We've also had some teacher's out with various things going on so these past two weeks were definitely a lesson in going with the flow which is very important! All that said, they were very good weeks and the students had a lot of fun with the activities that were related to these two very important holidays.

During these two weeks we wrapped up our lessons on the animal kingdom so I took the chance to review a bit about fish with the story Rainbow Fish. I read the story and Teacher Marta Ruth helped me to translate. I wanted to be sure they also understood the message of the book. After reading I gave each student their own sparkly scale as a representation of me sharing my English with them. They seemed to enjoy the story and the scales!

We continued on and started the plant kingdom, following along with the book.

Week of February 18 - 22

This week in second grade we were learning about the animal kingdom and specifically covered arthropods, mollusks, and fish. I did not have an activity but we worked with the learning activities in the book and I encouraged participation with stickers. We completed the sections together and I drew them large on the board so students could come up to write and draw their answers. Each time they came up or spoke, they received a sticker and the goal was for everyone to finish class with a sticker.

I felt good about this activity because it got them excited and interacting! Finally, my second graders are talking to me!! It only took a little incentive. I will build on this momentum with some more interactive lessons and more moving in the classroom.

Our first six weeks with Teacher Melanie!

Our first six weeks with Teacher Melanie!

Now that I’m adjusted to my new life here in Spain, let me tell you about these amazing first six weeks…

I am the Auxiliar or Culture and Language Assistant here at CEIP Antonio Rodríguez Almodóvar and my role is to encourage conversation and introduce relevant American culture into the classroom. Let me say…this is THE BEST job I’ve ever had! I am showered with love and appreciation and I get to use fun activities to get students involved in their curriculum. I think the one thing that I have been shocked by is how much I am truly able to teach the students. When I have their full attention I am able to introduce new subject matter and they walk away with knowledge and new confidence in their English. There is no better feeling!

Second grade is a surprisingly quiet bunch. They are energetic when they know the activity at hand but otherwise are very quiet. They are the last group I have to find my best communication style with. All of my other grades, I’ve tapped into what gets them excited and talking…second grade. We will get there soon!

SCIENCE

In class we follow the book very closely. I spend my time reading the activities and reviews out loud. I have used “Wiggle Breaks” to shake their nerves out from time to time. During a wiggle break they are given 10 seconds to stand near their chair and jump/shout/shake or anything that they want to make noise and move in their places. It seems to get them more comfortable and more likely to speak. We have covered the water cycle, and they had a fun song to sing to me about it. We also covered landscapes and I found it fitting to sing Marvin Gaye “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”. The lyrics mention: mountain, valley, river, wind, rain and cold!

We’ve now started the animal kingdoms and I hope to find some fun communicative activities for the units ahead!

Outside of traditional classroom instruction I also took the opportunity to teach about Martin Luther King Jr on MLK Day. I also made sure to bring a little bit of the American style of holiday celebrations for Valentine's Day by giving the students candy and a Valentine treat to keep and to share. At the end of the school day I could see that they had shared all of their stickers with their friends and were enjoying their lollipops...ahh spreading love! :) <3

Social Sciences. Unit 3: The world around us. Landscapes Vocabulary. (II)

Social Sciences. Unit 3: The world around us. Landscape Vocabulary. (I)

Social Sciences. Unit 1: The Solar System. The Solar System Song.

Social Sciences. Unit 1: The Solar System. The Solar System Planets.