Being the Teacher

September 24, 2012 3 pm

            Today I was completely alone for the first two hours of the kindergarten class.  The kids were fine for the first twenty minutes because they were already watching Alvin and the Chipmunks when I came into the classroom at the start of the day (8:30).  However, after 20 minutes a few children started asking to watch Dora the Explorer instead and before I knew it, the whole class was chanting “Dora, Dora!”  I couldn’t find the Dora DVD, so I threatened that if they weren’t quiet I would turn off the TV - they weren’t quiet (to my dismay) so off went the TV.  A couple of them were sad, but I think most of them didn’t notice because they were so rowdy.  I erased the date that was written on the board from Friday and asked the children to tell me what the day and date were.  They were being loud and crazy, but I eventually, somehow (I’m not sure how) got them to tell me that today was Lunes the 24^th of Septiembre.  After that, I had kids come up one by one to write their names on the board so that they could practice writing and we would have something to do.  I got through ten of the eighteen kids and then they became crazy again and I could not continue with having them write their names.  I started writing letters and numbers on the board and had them tell me what they were.  This worked for a few minutes and then most of the kids started running around the room and I could not figure out how to stop them.  Luckily, yesterday was Student’s Day and my teacher had asked me to buy candy to give to the kids for today’s party, so I opened the candy early and pulled out a handful.  In a strict voice, I told the kids that I had lots of sweets for them, but if they didn’t sit down and be quiet right then, I wouldn’t give them anything.  I have never seen or heard these children sit so still and be so quiet.  It didn’t last long, but they were behaved enough that I was able to write the numbers 1 through 10 on the white board and call up the kids’ one at a time and have them point to the number that I told them to point to.  After each kid came up, I gave them a piece of candy.  After this, I was able to find the Dora DVD and I put that on.  That lasted for about ten minutes and then I pulled out my camera and started taking pictures of the kids, which they LOVED!!  They all gathered around me wanting me to take their picture.  So, moral of the story, I will always bring candy and my camera with me to the kindergarten.  I was so happy to see my teacher at 10:30, however I was disappointed because she did not even apologize for being late.  All she said was, “I am so tired from carrying this big cake!”  She was late because she was getting a cake for the Student’s Day party.  I was so pissed.  I wonder if the school is going to rely on this teacher more for random tasks, like buying cakes, since I am here.  Or, if I had not been there, would the kids have been all alone for two hours?  The rest of the day was fine, all three classes joined together and broke a piñata, had a dance party, and ate cake.  And the kids loved me because I continued to take pictures.  Now I am exhausted!  Off to Spanish class, at least I am the student now!