Term 2

Hello again. A few, quick words on the new school term. We're three weeks in, and I'm working a little more than I was last term. That's actually a recurring theme in my life here. As I slowly get my bearings, I am able to take on more and more. This is fine for a Peace Corps Volunteer, but I really feel for first year teachers, who walk head-on into such an overwhelming situation. I'm finding that I really am getting better at the whole teaching thing. My lessons are more interesting, I relate better to my students and I even have an easier time with classroom control. This term, my students are focusing on the elements in a story, specifically 'setting,' 'characters,' and 'main event.' We're reading a lot of different types of stories and then dissecting them: discussing themes, answering the 5 Ws and 1 H, relating them to our lives. My students are especially enthusiastic about the last part - they really like finding a relationship between the books they read and their own lives. I'm really excited about this unit, because it's something that all my students can do, from the absolute beginners to the most advanced. It's also a way for me to teach a complete reading course. We look at the words, of course - we sound them out, spell them, practice them - but we also look behind the words, at the meaning they hold for the story. I hope it will be a successful and busy term, despite the looming sports interruptions.
I've also changed things up a bit in my music class. Instead of learning new songs this term, we'll be writing them. That's right, we've started a unit on composing. It's a pretty big change from what we've been working on, but it's in their music curriculum (which I finally got a copy of), and it pushes creativity, so I'm 100% for it. We had our first lesson on Monday - some get it, some don't, but they all seem excited by the change. Let's hope it lasts.
Finally, I'm working on a big project with the Adult and Continuing Education Office. We're going to host the first ever Career Fair in our community. I got the idea at a meeting I attended last year. One of our program participants mentioned that while the office helped people attain higher education, it didn't provide any job support to help them use the higher education. So, I suggested a Career Fair to the Zonal Coordinator and we're running with it. We're inviting local businesses to come conduct informal interviews, college representatives to talk to people about getting a degree, and of course, unemployed community members. This is a real first for the area, so I'm excited to see how it turns out. We're planning for sometime in late February.
On a unrelated note, I just finished a book that I'd like to recommend, The Dogs of Babel by Carolyn Parkhurst. It's a really beautiful, original and truly haunting love story. It's a quick read, too - I finished it in about a day, although that might be because I couldn't put it down! If you're looking for a new book, I definately suggest this one!