Persona Especial - Observer

So the other day (I want to say it was two weeks ago), the teacher next to me has resource lab with students that have special needs in certain areas. They're given time to work on certain classes and homework.

And as my students are telling me the password of the week, I have that teacher tell me, "One of my students wants to observe your class today."  To which I responded, "Is that ok with you?" And she said it was fine. I told her that if he or she didn't cause problems, they were completely welcome.

So a student comes in, sits down and works on homework.  It's one of my rowdier classes (30 or so students). They have a great energy but need a lot of redirection.

And we go through normal class. The students applaud for the things we usually do. We went over the day, date, how they were doing and we interviewed someone.  We laughed, we joked, we stayed in Spanish most of the time.

After the class, I asked if the student got any of his homework done or what he thought of class.

He responded with, "That was awesome!"

I heard from the teacher next door that he just hears our class through the wall and it must sound so exciting that he just needed to experience it for himself.

TPRS year 3 - new school next year

I found myself on the last full day of school cracking up and having a great time with my Spanish students.  The best part, I wasn't teaching.  I had a guest come and teach my classes with his version of TPRS and CI.  

My kids were able to kind of see someone else's teaching as well as show off all that they had learned this year in Spanish.

I sat in the back and cracked up.  They were clever, funny, interested.

But it was bittersweet.  These students I have invested in all year (some for two years), weren't happy with me as I told them how great the year has been and how much I have appreciated being their teacher this year.  That many times although we've been learning Spanish together, I feel like at times, it was like we were just hanging out (intentionally though while still learning).

Nevertheless, I would take my fond memories of them as I embarked on a journey with my family to a new place.  I'll be teaching in the KC area this next year and I'll be teaching in a school that is traditional in their Spanish instruction.  But the teachers have seemed open to what I do and would like to see it implemented.  I am very excited about this opportunity to possibly win over some other teachers to TPRS and CI.  

But I will greatly miss my students and the opportunity to continue investing in them and teaching them to see their growth as individuals as well as students of Spanish.

I think that's the difference in the TPRS and CI for me.

I used to teach in terms of lessons.  We would go over the lesson and then they would have practice worksheets and I would go back to my desk because my job had been done.  It was as if I created this wall of "now it's my time."

I got to know some of the students but all of the talking about THEM was usually in English on the lower levels and in Spanish 3, they still were very shy about speaking.

By the time I did TPRS and CI, I just saw this whole change in my understanding of how to teach and what it is to be a teacher.  I got to know my kids a lot better, their successes, their fears, their struggles, and most of it in Spanish.  

I would say that's why it will be even harder to leave my school.  I got to know the kids better these past two years, and their quirky personalities.  I took down my wall with TPRS.