The End of the Week = Chocolate Fondue

Well I've finished my first week as a teacher. It went fine. My students are a little talkative but other than that they are good. I think next week will be better as we start our units of study and things become more routine. I think I will be more relaxed now because we have been through the entire cycle. Granted they just changed the morning and afternoon duty schedule of Friday which makes a difference but that should be the last major schedule change this year (well at least I hope it is). The school has grown so big so fast that it is hard to make all of the changes and get things worked out. Basically the school added a hundred students to the elementary school since last year. The P1 classes (what we call Kindergarten) are now part of the elementary school instead of the Kindergarten school (a preschool for 3-5 year olds). My class is also a new addition. So if you take the four P1 classes of 19 students and my 24 students you have a hundred new students to account for and work into an already tight schedule. Next year will be interesting as they will have to add a new fifth grade class. The school will be at its maximum capacity next year (if all grade levels are full). They will not extend the school beyond 3 classes per grade level (except P1 will have 4 because of a smaller class size). In many ways my school is very similar to schools that I observed and taught in in Rome but are also very different. Being in a shopping centre also adds to the fun and experience of the school. I mean we have to take our kids up and down escaltors and through public areas all the time. Its was a fun experience to learn and understand.
This week I wanted to make sure my students knew the procedures and to prepare for Back to School Night. We accomplished this. Each of my students made a piece of artwork (the cut up name thing from Arts and Cultures for all the Berry people reading this). They looked really good. We also went through all five steps of the writing process as they wrote a letter to their parents to read on Back to School Night. I think the parents were happy to get them and see something they had accomplished this week. Especially since they didn't have a lot of homework (some parents were concerned about that). Back to School Night was okay. I know of plenty of areas to improve but I think I was able to convey to my parents my expectations for the school year and ways they can work with me.
Back to School Night went really fast for an hour and half. The opening session actually went 25 minutes (the planned amount of time) and the next two sessions went smoothly as I talked with my parents. At the end Keith and Tim were making the teachers leave. Which was fine because Kathleen, Megan, Karen and I had a planned Girls Night Out with Heather and Angie from the church. We convinced quite a few others to go out with us as well. We had 12 people there and most of us had Chocolate Fondue. It was a good way to end the week and was a good time to talk with teachers that I don't see a lot during the school day.
The best thing to me was knowing that I didn't have to wake up early on Saturday. I actually slept until 930 this morning but really haven't done anything and its already 1. I love lazy days. I really needed some time to rest. I'll go by the school this afternoon to make plans for the next week but right now I'm just enjoying doing nothing. I also hope to get in touch with PCCW so that I can internet on my computer again soon. Well have a great weekend.