Routine, Routine, Routine

This week is brought to you by the number 1, the color red, and the letter A.

I started English classes with our preschoolers two and a half weeks ago and I'm in my third week of teaching these munchkins. I use the word "teach" rather loosely, as I'm not sure how much learning is happening. I have never taught preschoolers before. Sure, I had been a nanny for years and I consider my knowledge of children and their quirks pretty high (I sure hope so, considering my college level education on human development and education), but still... I've never taught preschool. I'm more of a fourth/fifth grade sort of teacher. I like students who can, you know, read to themselves. I like having conversations about the large rights and wrongs of the world. "Stop hitting her" really isn't my thing. Neither is "stop wiping your nose with your sleeve".

But it will have to be my thing! I get the joy of seeing these faces every day. We have four classes of students, and I have each for a half hour. The babies (2-3 years old), preschoolers (3-4), 1st year Kinders (4-5) and 2nd year Kinders (5-6). Every class sings songs every day (and I'm getting a little tired of Five Little Monkeys, to be completely honest), and then we are working on our subjects. Actually, the babies are mostly just playing, getting used to me. But all classes are slowly getting used to me speaking more English to them.

So I'm trying to pull out my bag of tricks. Literally, actually, as today I have a pillowcase full of red things and I am pulling them out and saying "1 red.... marker!" or "1 red .... doll!", and would you believe they actually think it's really funny if I stick my whole head in the pillowcase to look for the next thing? Easily entertained, these ones.

Tomorrow we're coloring pictures of apples. 'Cause apples start with A, and they are red, and there will be 1 on the page. See? 1, Red, Apple. These children will be bilingual geniuses in no time.

The excitement continues!!