Marymount Week Two

So I have just completed my second week at Marymount! We can now successfully get to Marymount without any assistance from our leaders (Kyle and Steve)! The kids are become more used to having me around and I am actually doing a lot!! And I really like my teacher! She is so kind and I love that she lets me do so much! On Monday, I taught a lesson the Qin Dynasty and the Great Wall of China. First we sat on the carpet and I read to them this book called The Great Wall of China, they seemed to really enjoy it! Then they went back to their seats and glued into their notebooks a little thing I had typed up about the Qin Dynasty and The Great Wall of China. We read it aloud, and then I assigned them a writing assignment. They were suppose to image that they were pulled from their jobs as an artist, musician, criminal, or teacher to build the Great Wall of China. They all got really into the assignment which made me so happy! Then the time was over. Most students were not able to complete it all way so they were going to work on it another day! But I had one student come up to me and say “Ms.McCarty can I work more on this at home?” I loved how excited he was about it!  On Tuesday, I taught a Math lesson about rotations (1/4 = 90 degrees, 2/4=180 degrees, ¾=270 degrees, and 4/4= 360 degrees of a full turn). This seems like it would be so easy to teach but it actually proved to be a little more difficult than I thought! I guess because you basically just have to memorize those facts. But we drew circles and arrows in their notebooks to show the turns. I hoped they were understanding the material but I wasn’t too sure, but my teacher asked them some questions about it at the end and they all got the answers right! So I guess I did what I was suppose to! This was my first math lesson ever, so I was happy when she said that I did a good job. On Wednesday, they had a May Day mass and it brought back so many wonderful memories of St. Bridget’s! They all brought it flowers and crowned Mary! I love that mass! And then they placed flowers all around the statues of Mary around the school. I didn’t really see the kids that day because of the mass and then they had specials and lunch, so that wasn’t too eventful with the kids! Thursday proved to be an eventful day at school, one of my students pulled down the pants of another student at recess…yikes! And I had my observation lesson. I was teaching the Silk Roads and the Han dynasty. I started off the lesson by just sitting on the carpet and talking to the students about what they think it might feel like to have no communication with the outside world. They gave all the answers I was looking for! Then we did a web diagram of why is trade important. And again they were literally just spitting off the things I wanted them to say without even me having to try. Like one little girl said “Ya like all of the things that say ‘Made in China’” and another girl just said “I know China trades a lot of silk.” I couldn’t have asked for a better moment. I just love how intellectual the students are! Then I read to them part of a book about the Han Dynasty. Then they went back to their seats and we did the same thing with the Han Dynasty (read the paper I had written and glue into their notebooks) and then the same with the Silk Roads. Then I gave them all a map and we traced the route of the Silk Road. Then I asked them so questions orally. They got a little rambunctious after this, but I feel like that should be expected since I taught at the end of the day! Overall it was a very great lesson! The only suggestion that Kyle gave me was to try and let the students figure out if they are write or wrong. Because at one point I asked them if beliefs can change through trade and they said no and I think I made a face that showed that I thought they should change their answer, so of course they did! So I need to work on not showing my emotions and let them figure out their own answers. I need to work on playing the devils advocate. But overall I would say it was an excellent lesson! Then it was time to go for the weekend! I am very excited to see what next week brings!