Better

This week has been going better. The kids have had a bunch of quizzes, since Christmas is right around the corner, but they have done relatively well. I won´t be sending too many progress reports home this week, thank goodness.

It is helpful to put things into a different perspective. Veronica said something that helped as well. She said that in the US, discipline in a classroom is complete silence. Here, it´s not too much noise. She also said that the culture is a lot different in how the people communicate with each other - talking over each other a lot - which I definitely agree with. Therefore, it´s more normal for this to happen, and quite often, the kids really can be listening to you as well.

The first grade devil child is even doing better. I´ve started calling him my ¨mejor amigo¨ (best friend), and after much reassurance to the other kids that I´m just joking, he has started to come around and focus more and listen and stop hitting the other kids as much. I did, however, have a mother come in and yell at me for something that happened after I had left school on Monday. School ends are 2:30. I was there until 4:00 doing a bunch of stuff. These two sisters were STILL there. (One is in first and one is in second). Ridiculous if you ask me. Anyway, AFTER I LEFT (an hour and a half after school was out), they were playing on the steps, and Alejandro pushed her or something and she got scratches on her elbow and side. Alejandro´s mom is the secretary, so that´s why he was still there. It wasn´t until later in the afternoon that I realized that this incident had taken place almost 2 hours after school had ended for the day. Teachers are only required to be at school until 3:00. COME PICK UP YOUR KID AND MAYBE SHE WON´T GET HURT! And when she does get hurt, don´t you dare come to me and yell at me and act like it happened in my classroom or even during the normal school day. BECAUSE IT DIDN´T! Wow, that made me mad on Monday.

Alejandro is, however, extremely behind. He doesn´t know any of the letters. He can´t even identify or write the letter, and he surely doesn´t know the sounds they make. He is going to need A LOT of work. I´m going to make a packet of materials that his mom can use to work with him over break. I need to make one for Alejandra too, but she has come along and does know some of her letters now. She´s doing much better with the identifying and even knows some of the sounds.

Tomorrow is Thursday. I go home in a week! I´m excited to see everyone, and there is definitely things that I will stock up on! This weekend I need to do some Christmas shopping, and hopefully I will be going out dancing.