4ever Discovering
That’s a Wrap!
I know what you’re all thinking: how did time go by so fast? Well, to be honest, I’m thinking the same thing. I cannot believe how fast this year has passed; I have learned so much as a teacher, and can walk away this year with a smile on my face. My first year as a teacher is coming to an end, and I’m not sure what I am feeling right now. It is a bittersweet time. I am going to miss my little hooligans so much! But, I know I will make more connections with my future students. I have a lot more years of saying goodbye! This is just the start of my career.
As the last unit approached us, we knew we wouldn’t be able to cover all of the content we needed to. June is such a hectic month in any school, it doesn’t matter where in the world you are. Everyone is excited for summer vacation (and let me tell you, it’s not just the kids). There is also a lot of wrap-up items to take care of. With that being said, we made sure not to stress too much about covering all the curriculum, and decided to not rush our way through June. Hey, whatever makes my life easier, I am in!
Just Like That, My First Year As A Teacher Has Come To An End
Our last unit was all about people and places we can find in our community. This was a fun unit where we planned a few different art activities for the kids to express their creative minds. We focused on twelve different people and places, ranging from police officers to crossing guards. It was hard to narrow down to only 12 important people in our community, but we managed.
The first assignment was for the students to create their own map of their community. We had discussed why maps are important, and practiced giving directions in the city. If the kids were ever lost in an English-speaking city, we wanted them to be able to ask for directions and find their way home. For the most part, the maps turned out great! The kids could create any city they wanted; I had everything from Fruit City, to Pokemon Town, to Animal City. There really were no limits with this map (other than the criteria on the rubric of course). The best part about seeing these completed assignments was the progress the kids have made throughout the semester. I was looking through some of their portfolios, and I can say they have 100% improved in their quality of work. FINALLY.
Along with the map, the students were asked to choose one person from their community and describe them. I wanted to know who they are, where they work, and why they are important. Most students had no problems with this, and chose a firefighter or a police officer. However, I had some of my little girls choose a teacher. Although they couldn’t draw me to scale, the artwork came out pretty good. In some of the pictures, they drew my hair all the way down to the ground. I told them not to exaggerate lol.
The last little assignment we had planned was to make a flipbook of different community workers. This was cute because I printed out their own heads to use. They looked pretty ridiculous by the end because the heads were too small for the bodies. Some of the boys even took it upon themselves to draw lipstick and a pig nose on their face. I told them it better not be a self-portrait, but they were just trying to spice up their book a bit. No harm in letting them go a little crazy every now and then. I just thought it was great they are able to laugh at themselves. It’s a step in the right direction.
While we were finishing up our last unit, we were also in the middle of planning for the end of the year ‘Open House’ for the parents. We did this last semester too; however, this time, the parents weren’t invited into the classroom. Emily and I planned a presentation in the auditorium for the parents, and had a little award show at the end of it. Unlike last time where we just sang songs, this Open House I planned little skits for my kids. The grade 2s put on a show about the 4 seasons, and the grade 3s performed a skit about going to the zoo. I think I really enjoyed these better because I could hear each student speak English. I made sure everyone had at least one sentence so there could be no complaints from parents. And of course, once the final performance day came, the kids nailed it. They make me so proud sometimes! The best part was watching each student come up to the stage to receive their award. Emily and I had different awards for each student, so we got some really positive feedback from the parents thanking us for knowing each student individually. Yes, believe it or not, we know our kids; they are not just a number to us! 10 months is a long time to get to know someone, language barrier or not.
What can I say, this year is ending and I am walking away with so much more knowledge than I started with. I have learned so much this year; my students have taught me a lot, especially how to be patient with them! I remember on the first day of school, some of my kids could only say the word ‘dinosaur’. Now, here they are speaking to me about their weekend every Monday morning. I can’t believe how far each and every student has come. This is by far, the best part about teaching; it is so rewarding to see your students grow up because of YOU. It was my blood, sweat, and tears that went into getting these kids where they are today, and I could not be any more proud of them.
So, it is with a heavy heart, I say goodbye to my students in Taiwan. They will always be a part of me, and I will always cherish the memories I have made with them. These kids helped push me through this year; there were times where I wanted to walk away, but knew they would be back the next day, with a smile on their face no matter what. They love English, and I am so happy they enjoyed coming to my class every day. I will miss them so much, especially when I have to tell them I’m not returning next year. Every time they ask me if I’m staying, it breaks my heart piece by piece. All I know for certain is I will definitely return to Taiwan one day. I’m not sure when, but I owe it to my students to see them again. I even had one grade 3 ask me if we could play the song ‘See You Again’ on Friday. LOL. I told him it would make me cry, but he said, “Miss L, we all will see you again’. How could that not make you smile? Words can’t describe how I’m feeling right now, but I know a little piece of me will always be here, in my Grade 2/3 classroom. Farewell, audios, and au revoir to my little hooligans; THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING.
