This week, I began taking groups of kids to do English classes. Even though I had only had one of the two weekends involved in the teaching course, it was decided I should start and get some experience.
Overall impression - pretty good. I'll be able to manage this for a year I think.
On Monday I had a group of 8. Tuesday a group of 6 then a group of 4. Wednesday a group of 6. Thursday a group of 6 then a group of 7.
What I did on the first three days seemed to be well received by the kids. I did the hello song then taught them the colours using coloured beads, which I handed out after repeating the name several times. Then I had the colours lined up at the end of the room and had kids trying to find what I was looking for, eg. "Yellow. Find yellow. Where's yellow?" Most of them managed it just fine, and if they didn't, I still turned it into a lesson for them and the other kids. After colours I finished off with a couple of rhymes using actions and the goodbye song.
On Thursday I did the exact same routine, except, well, the first group were pretty awful. Three kids especially. They would not shut up, stay seated, refrain from hurting each other... and the other three weren't helping, just laughing or joining in with the rubbish. I tried using a stern voice. I tried raising my voice. I tried talking to kids with their names and getting down to their eye-level and saying stop, be quiet. etc. Eventually I tried just sitting there waiting for them to get bored and cut it out. But nothing worked. Half-way through the colours activity, I just called an end to it and took them back to the group room and asked the teacher to have a bit of a chat with them about it.
By the way, I speak only English in all my lessons. That's one of the rules of the course I teach. You use movements, songs, plastic figures, etc. to help the kids understand the words you say. But when it gets out of hand, sometimes it would be really convenient to just use German. And I'm not allowed. Oh well! The second group I took on Tuesday had listened to the lecture from the teacher about the first group, and were more well-behaved. At least I was able to get through the full lesson with them.
I spent Friday and yesterday (Saturday) at the English course. On Friday we learned more songs and games and yesterday, each of us students had to present a half-hour Pat's English class in front of Christine (the teacher) and the head of the parent company that runs all the Pat's Kindergartens. We used our five fellow students as the kids. I went first and did colours, slightly differently, followed by Incy Wincy Spider and If You're Happy and You Know It. I got mostly good feedback, the only thing was I could have done more in each activity because I only made it a bit over 20 minutes. Christine said that wasn't a big problem though so I was happy.
Now the course is over, I've met some new friends because of it, and it's up to me to pass the wealth of knowledge onto the children of today! Wow, that was epic.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Sunday, February 15, 2009
What did you do on the weekend? Oh not much, except...
I went skiing today!
It came about because Erin is in Italy, has been since Thursday, and Camilla was going to go to Berlin over the weekend but cancelled due to someone getting sick. So she said "do you want to go skiing this weekend?" I was skeptical because if I wanted to go, I still had to:
- Buy ski trousers
This turned out to be pretty hard because the first store we looked in had ones for like 150 Euro, or the cheapest reduced ones at 50, which was still too high for what would probably be a one-off adventure. Camilla recommended I try a store called Tchibo, which pretty much changes the items it sells a lot. But at this time, their stock included ski pants, even if the only sizes left were L and XL. I tried a large pair and they were a bit big but at 29 Euro, and because I wanted to ski the next day, I had to get them.
- Buy ski gloves
I found the cheapest gloves at Karstadt Sports, Thinsulate ones for 17.50. But, after trying a 32.50 pair of red gloves made from Gore-Tex, and liking them so much, I went for them. I know I’ve been being tight with money but I think it was a good investment.
- Buy ski goggles, possibly
I would have been happy wearing my sunglasses out there but since we found 9 Euro ski goggles in C&A, we both bought a pair!
We left a bit after 8 this morning on a one-hour train journey to a small town called Altenburg, south of here, right near the Czech Republic border. We hired gear and went up the lift (which is a tow lift, not a chair lift). The ski slope wasn’t the biggest or most challenging in the world, but it was still great fun. After a few runs, I had lost all fear I had of going down ski slopes. I was doing well considering my only experience was my five days of skiing in January 2007.
By the end I was going fast as. We each had a four-hour pass which lasted until nearly 2pm. The ski trousers worked just fine, as with the goggles and gloves. I wore thermals under everything and on top I also had my hoodie under my ski jacket, and as a result I was never ever cold, except for my nose, which was uncovered. It was all good though. We took a bus back and saw some different scenery as a result. The whole venture (buying clothes, transport, hire, lift pass and food) turned out to be like 100 Euro, but now we’re thinking of going again next weekend maybe, which will only cost about 30 Euro now that I’ve got all the gear!
Oh damn, I’ve got work tomorrow. Forgot about that.
It came about because Erin is in Italy, has been since Thursday, and Camilla was going to go to Berlin over the weekend but cancelled due to someone getting sick. So she said "do you want to go skiing this weekend?" I was skeptical because if I wanted to go, I still had to:
- Buy ski trousers
This turned out to be pretty hard because the first store we looked in had ones for like 150 Euro, or the cheapest reduced ones at 50, which was still too high for what would probably be a one-off adventure. Camilla recommended I try a store called Tchibo, which pretty much changes the items it sells a lot. But at this time, their stock included ski pants, even if the only sizes left were L and XL. I tried a large pair and they were a bit big but at 29 Euro, and because I wanted to ski the next day, I had to get them.
- Buy ski gloves
I found the cheapest gloves at Karstadt Sports, Thinsulate ones for 17.50. But, after trying a 32.50 pair of red gloves made from Gore-Tex, and liking them so much, I went for them. I know I’ve been being tight with money but I think it was a good investment.
- Buy ski goggles, possibly
I would have been happy wearing my sunglasses out there but since we found 9 Euro ski goggles in C&A, we both bought a pair!
We left a bit after 8 this morning on a one-hour train journey to a small town called Altenburg, south of here, right near the Czech Republic border. We hired gear and went up the lift (which is a tow lift, not a chair lift). The ski slope wasn’t the biggest or most challenging in the world, but it was still great fun. After a few runs, I had lost all fear I had of going down ski slopes. I was doing well considering my only experience was my five days of skiing in January 2007.
By the end I was going fast as. We each had a four-hour pass which lasted until nearly 2pm. The ski trousers worked just fine, as with the goggles and gloves. I wore thermals under everything and on top I also had my hoodie under my ski jacket, and as a result I was never ever cold, except for my nose, which was uncovered. It was all good though. We took a bus back and saw some different scenery as a result. The whole venture (buying clothes, transport, hire, lift pass and food) turned out to be like 100 Euro, but now we’re thinking of going again next weekend maybe, which will only cost about 30 Euro now that I’ve got all the gear!
Oh damn, I’ve got work tomorrow. Forgot about that.
Monday, February 9, 2009
bin müde
i. I saw on BBC World News on TV that there are some pretty bad bushfires in Victoria right now. My thoughts go out to you from all the way over here. I can't comprehend the fact that some fires are supposedly deliberately lit. Like what the hell. To the max.
ii. From Friday to yesterday, I had the first weekend of 2 spent entirely here in the Kindergarten doing the training for the course called Pat's English, that's what I'll be doing with the kids. It was taught by a German lady also fluent in English and the students were an American woman who's been in Germany for 10 years, two German women, Milly, Erin and me. It was boring at times but mostly very helpful and a bit of fun too.
iii. I dunno who's still reading the junk that comes out of my brain through my fingers into a computer but the comments have dried up completely for about the entire time I've lived in Dresden. Is it me? It's me isn't it. I'm sorry.
iv. Um..... have fun at school, uni, year off, work or whatever.
ii. From Friday to yesterday, I had the first weekend of 2 spent entirely here in the Kindergarten doing the training for the course called Pat's English, that's what I'll be doing with the kids. It was taught by a German lady also fluent in English and the students were an American woman who's been in Germany for 10 years, two German women, Milly, Erin and me. It was boring at times but mostly very helpful and a bit of fun too.
iii. I dunno who's still reading the junk that comes out of my brain through my fingers into a computer but the comments have dried up completely for about the entire time I've lived in Dresden. Is it me? It's me isn't it. I'm sorry.
iv. Um..... have fun at school, uni, year off, work or whatever.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
No waaaay
I talked to my family on the phone on Sunday and guess what? As Mum was cleaning, she found my lost passport. It was under two huge plastic storage containers that have been in my room for the past 2 years or so, full of books and other things that don't fit anywhere else.
Dad said he thought he had checked there already and I reckon he would have... maybe it was stuck to the bottom of the container when he lifted it up.
Anyway.
Slightest bit annoying that it cost me 4 days of the trip and than $300.
Whatever happened to comments?
The other day at the library I saw a box of ex-library CDs for 1 Euro each. Mostly it was stuff like "best of 80s" and "karaoke classics" but guess what else? Affirmation by Savage Garden!! (Yeah, I bought it... I just HAD to.)
Dad said he thought he had checked there already and I reckon he would have... maybe it was stuck to the bottom of the container when he lifted it up.
Anyway.
Slightest bit annoying that it cost me 4 days of the trip and than $300.
Whatever happened to comments?
The other day at the library I saw a box of ex-library CDs for 1 Euro each. Mostly it was stuff like "best of 80s" and "karaoke classics" but guess what else? Affirmation by Savage Garden!! (Yeah, I bought it... I just HAD to.)
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