Thankful, that is how I am feeling right now. Thankful to become part of the local community. Thankful to walk into a school each and everyday with the same kids smiling and greeting me. I am thankful to have teachers who are patient and kind. Teachers that walk me through things that are new to me and teachers that hold high expectations for a person who has only been in a school for 2 weeks since graduating high school (and attending college).
I have learned so much about the developmental stages of children in these past couple of weeks than any book in any of my psychology classes ever has. The mind is a beautiful thing and can learn much, but until you do, it does not become habit, it does not set it, and it does not become real.
This week was exceptional. I took part in Mr. Brown's identification course and was introduced to the agriculture club.
On Tuesday's Mr. Brown puts together activities for his class to complete. These activities are more hands on and tailored towards the outdoors. This week we paired up and tested our senses. We set out on an adventure using our eyes, our ears, our touch, our smell, and even our taste. One pivotal point during this activity was when Tiona and I had to see a bird fly. We looked around and we didn't spot any wildlife, but then we stood there, silently, as silent as we could and suddenly we noticed multiple birds chirping in the trees above. Moments later, one flew away. Had we not stopped and listened we would have never known the birds were there and would not have heard the beautiful calls made by these animals.
The following day I was introduced to the agriculture club. Each Wednesday afternoon, a group of students come together and feed the school rabbits and also learn how to plant and grow seeds. This week we quickly fed the rabbits and provided them with fresh water. Shortly after, we learned about the greenhouse effect and planted different seeds that would eventually provide food to the rabbits.
The end of the week was topped of with bring TLS to the classroom. I was able to spend some time with Ms. K and Mr. Hubby's 5th grade class. This week I introduced them to LEADSTAR which is an acronym that provides 8 guidelines of effective communication.
L - listen to the entire message
E - eye contact
A - avoid distractions / avoid being distracted
D - dont interrupt
S - speak loudly and clearly
T - think before you act and speak
A - ask questions (about the topic)
R - repeat the message
Its been a fun-filled week. I am continuously learning and growing while watching hundreds learn and grow!
Highlight not mentioned: Mrs. Fake's 2nd grade class play performance about Tanzania :)
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