gifts of the parents

So, I got my car towed. Long story short (well, really it's just a short story) I got back late one night to my apartments and there was no parking anywhere near my building. So, being the [really cute] young 21 year-old FEMALE that I am, I decided I did not feel safe parking [really] far away and walking back... [also, out of laziness]. So, I parked in front of the dumpster. Yes, dumb, I know, but I was going to get up [really, really] really early in the morning for work and I know the trash men don't come before 6 a.m.

Well, lo and behold, sometime in the wee hours of the morning my car was towed. The point of this story is to highlight my GRATEFULNESS [in light of the Thanksgiving season] I have toward my parents for the gifts that have given me: persuasion [thank you, mom] and stubbornness...because the "customer" is always right" [thank you, dad].

Due to the gifts [that I once, and sometimes still do, hated as a child in public] that I have received from my parents, I was able to talk the towing company down from a $100 recovery fee to a $50 recovery fee. What talent!

...and I parked in front of a dumpster!....duh, Lara, duh.

Dona Dollars

One of my goals for this semester (and for any semester I teach Spanish) is to get the students speaking in the target language (aka: Spanish). Most students who take Spanish in high school expect to be "fluent" after a few years, but realize they can barely carry on a conversation with a native Spanish speaker after all those semesters. Part of this is the fault of teachers for 1.) not speaking to their students in Spanish and 2.) for not making the students ever have to speak in Spanish. These are both understandable problems. For one, it's SO MUCH EASIER to speak to your students in English. As for getting them to talk to you in Spanish, it's challenging, makes them feel vulnerable (what if they say something funny or incorrect in front of their peers), and they know you will understand them perfectly fine if they speak in English. So to achieve my goals of making my students as conversationally "fluent" as they can possibly be from Spanish class, I have create the "Dona Dollar". This is how it works... 10% of the students' grade is participation and I give the a weekly participation grade. Each Monday the students will start with a 90% participation grade. When they speak to me in Spanish or a classmate in Spanish I give them a Dona Dollar. (Side note: they cannot randomly yell "hola" during class and get a Dona Dollar. Their comment must be relevant and beneficial for the whole class. ) At the end of the week I collect their received Dona Dollars and for each dollar their participation grade goes up a point. (example: 90 + 6 dona dollars= 96%). I also have a seating chart taped to my whiteboard that has each of their names on it. If during class they are talking in English, while either I am talking or another person is talking I put a tally by their name. I also put a tally by their name if they are sleeping in class. At the end of the week I subtract a point from their participation grade for each tally by their name. (example: 90+ 6 dona dollars - 4 tallys = 92%)

This system is also a great way for me to diferentiate. I have some students who are very conversational in Spanish and some students who are still working on learning how to introduce themselves in Spanish. I remind them that I am the Queen of Dona Dollar (because I am Dona Sullivan after all) and I determine when a Dona Dollar is deserved. For example, my more advanced students must use an upper level phrase or sentence to earn their dollars but some of my students will earn dollars for simple phrases, because I know they are reaching the current potential. I also give them Dona Dollars if they see me outside of class and use Spanish.

The Dona Dollar system is AMAZING and I can't get my students to stop talking in Spanish. Even though they think up questions to ask that might not be super necessary, just to get a Dona Dollar, I don't care because they are speaking in Spanish!

*** this picture is the picture of my actual Dona Dollar and I print 600 (10 per page) of them each week on light green paper.

Happenings

Let's see... I went home last weekend and it was filled with biking, swimming, running, dressing-up, giving out candy, carving pumpkins, and catching up with friends.

Monday (Nov. 2nd) was Day of the Dead in Mexico. It's a largely celebrated holiday in Mexico so we learned about it in class then i had my students make "offerings". In Mexico, "offerings" or "alters" are made in honor of the dead. The offerings may include photos, toys, food, etc. I then had one of the art teachers in the school come and vote on which class had the best "offering".

In Destino this week we had a local Hispanic pastor come and speak to us. He was well received. We are currently up to about ten girls and ten guys at the weekly meetings!

I have also included a picture of my classroom at Panther Creek High School. I was observed on Thursday and it went very well!

After returning from Asheville on Sunday evening I got to meet-up with some of my friends that studied abroad in Spain with me. We girls went out for Tapas (Spanish appetizers) at a local restaurant in Raleigh.

Unfortunately I am fighting a cold now, but today I went and got my H1N1 vaccine (free to NCSU students) and last month I got my Flu Shot. Tonight I going to the Panther Creek Senior Night Football game, in the morning I'm running 20 miles (I hope!), then I'm going to the NCSU Homecoming football game, then I'm going out with Destino friends to celebrate Silvia's (Destino member) birthday. I'll probably spend Sunday afternoon grading papers and planning.

Thanks for reading!

I've decided to become a professional actor.

I originally thought that I wanted to be a teacher, which is why I am spending my college career studying education. Well, turns out it's not what I thought it would be. I thought I had gotten myself into a career where I would be presenting information to other human beings, they would learn the information, we would play a game or two to practice, and then we would repeat the cycle with new information. Turns out, I was wrong. Apparently when you decide to teach a foreign language, you are really an actor, not a teacher.

Acting is what it has come down to. I act everyday. I act out grammar concepts, I act out vocabulary, I act out two person conversations (all by myself, might I add), I act out directions/instructions, I act out games, I act enthuistic when I'm tired; I ACT all day long.

Now, don't be fooled, my acting is not as glorious as Hollywood acting. For starters, my audience is a group of very critical, self-conscience, too cool for school...but yet really interested... teenagers. I act, not by choice, but for understanding. You see, I teach about 95% of my class in Spanish (I mean, it is Spanish class after all). The only times I speak in English are when the kids are in trouble (warnings one and two are in Spanish, but three deserves some serious English), when there's an emergency (so far we have not had one), or when I'm going over an important test or project that has picky details (I have to make sure the "spacey" kids are on the same page as the rest of us...I mean this both figuratively and literally).

Because my job has come down to acting in front of teenagers everyday I have found that my days are very inconsistent. Some days are GREAT; everyone understands, everyone behaves, everyone does their homework...and then some days are not so great; no one understands, I see blank stares on faces looking at me know matter how many different ways I try to act out "get your homework out" (even though they've heard the phrase 1,000 times), everyone talks while I'm talking, and no one does their homework and therefore does not understand the class work.

The organizational part of teaching is way easier than I thought it would be. The "up" and "down" days are what makes teaching harder than I thought. When my student's are having an "off" day it gets taken out on me. No matter what I'm doing (good or bad) they react the way they are feeling. Unfortunately, I take that as a personal reflection of the lesson I prepared for them. I love teaching, I really do. But, I wish there was some consistency. When I go into school in the morning I never know if the students are going to have a "good" or "bad" day.

It's also hard to only talk Spanish on those "bad" days because the kids don't want to think and they don't want to push themselves to interpret a foreign language. So no matter how hard I act, and no matter how enthusiastic I am, and no matter how many crazy things I do in front of them to get them excited about Spanish....they just sit there.

So, I like the challenge (well, usually) but I've decided that being a plain ole teacher (one that lectures, gives lots of worksheets, and has so little interaction with the students it doesn't even matter if their having a "good" or "bad" day) is, well ....EASY; but being an ACTOR, that acts because they love it, that acts because they want to convey a message, that acts regardless of the audience's response is, well....hard.

As for the weekend...
Sarah Riddle is coming up tomorrow to spend the night. We, and a bunch of Destino girls, are going to a Campus Crusade Girl's Sleepover tomorrow night. There's a talent show and we are all Salsa dancing. Then Saturday I have my long run (I'm going for 17/18 miles...yuck!) and then afterward I'm going to the fair with some friends. I going to EAT WHATEVER I WANT at the fair because I'm burning so many calories in my long run! Wahoo!

Fall is in the air!

This past weekend I went home for "fall-break" except I
didn't really get a fall-break because of student teaching. However, I went home for just the weekend.

While at home, I got to hang out with my friend Sarah. We went out for dessert and then went out salsa dancing. It was also fun to see friends form work. I went to visit my friend Maria and her three week old baby, Vanessa. Maria was one of my ESL students this summer. I also got to go to Wal-Mart (my favorite!), go to church with Caroline, play games at the Skinner home, go for a long run (it is soooo much more enjoyable running in Asheville than in Raleigh), and go out to eat with my parents. When I was leaving on Sunday afternoon my sweet Bug (aka: Audie Murphy the Cat) was in my car all ready to go....he got out reluctantly with a kitty-treat.






































Student teaching has been going wonderfully. I really really love it. My kids are great and with the right motivation can be really fun and enthusiastic about Spanish. They make me laugh; a lot. This week we danced (the students and me) to techno, played "Steal the Bacon", and had conjugating wars. Next week my students have a test, then we will be reviewing for the midterm, watching the movie Selena (they need a break every now and then), and then learning how to dance Cumbia (a Latin style of dance similar to Salsa). The singer Selena is known for her Cumbia music so I figured we should experience it first-hand. I'm really excited about the lesson.

This weekend I plan to go to the NC Fair (for the first time!), go to an RUF (Reformed University Fellowship) pot-luck/bonfire, attend Spanish Church, run 14 miles, and sleep "late" (8am is now late to me....how lame!).

I love the fall weather. I can feel and smell the holidays around the corner. I do miss Asheville during this time of year, but Thanksgiving break will be here before I know it.

Thanks for reading!

This is how I dress for work:

This morning I taught a whole class by myself. It was really fun! The planning that goes into the classes is draining, but overall I like it. I also way OVER PLANNED. This is better than under planning, but I was really sad when I didn't get to do half of my activities...and I put all that time into stuff that I didn't get to use.

This week at Panther Creek it has been Homecoming Week, so their are "Spirit" days to show school spirit. Wednesday was "Wacky Tacky" day...and I participated, hence the many colors from the red/pink family!...and I just wanted an excuse to wear my RED BOOTS!

Catching up...

I had every intention of writing several times on my blog this week, instead of just giving one large weekly update, but it just didn't happen. Sorry. So here's to "bulk blogging"...

I finished Methods this week! I had my final exam (a presented lesson plan) on Tuesday. I actually finished creating my lesson plan on Sunday and found myself to be bored out of my mind on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday because I usually have so much to do. My finial went well and I got an A on it, but I have not yet received my grade for the class.

Monday afternoon I went for a walk around a lake and read a book for enjoyment because it was such a nice day. It was weird not having anything to do.

Tuesday I had Destino. I made Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies (a childhood favorite) to take to Destino because I had so much free time! After Destino I went out for Sushi with Allison (roommate), May (resident from last year), and Jen (methods classmate) to celebrate Jen and my completion of Methods. Sushi Blues in Raleigh has half-off sushi on Tuesday nights AFTER 10pm. Allison, Jen, and I were all falling asleep by the end of our meal because we are all on teacher schedules!

Wednesday I still went to methods class to watch other students present their final projects. Then Wednesday evening our methods class had a pot-luck to celebrate our completion of our Methods class.

Today (Thursday) I had my first official day of Student Teaching. It went well. I'm currently "team-teaching" with my CT, so each of us do an activity or two during each class periord. I love my first periord (level II). They are quiet, stay on task, and still participate. My third periord (level III) are a challenge. They love to socialize and talk, and I get them right after their lunch when they seem to have lots of energy (they get to go off-campus for lunch). This is also my largest class (35 students...yuck!) which does not help. Then I have my sweet fourth period class (level III). They are clamer, usually on task, and attentive.

Tomorrow, I will be teaching a legend to my level III's and then doing story books with them. In level II we will be playing a fun game to practice our reflexive verbs. Also, my level II's are reviewing clothing vocabulary, so tomorrow I'm wearing a coat, scarf, jeans, boots, sweater, jacket, tie, gloves, blouse, t-shirt, bathing suit, scocks, belt, hat, and maybe a few more things, in layers. At the beginning of the class I'm going to dance to techno music and take off the clothes as they call out the names in Spanish. Sort-of a VERY APPROPIROATE version of a strip-tease, that embarrases me, wakes the students up, and helps them learn the vocabulary.

Tomorrow night I have a Barn Party with Campus Crusade for Chirst. Their will be hay-rides, corn on the cob, mechanical bull riding, line dancing, ect. Saturday morning I'm playing in the Mi Familia soccer tournament on the Destino team and then we are having a Quesadilla party on Saturday afternoon.

I think that's about all!