Third Grade

Hi Everyone! Well I thought it was time to blog about my new students and new job. Due to some circumstances at the school, I have now become the third grade teacher. It has been a big adjustment going form 1st grade with 2 students to 3rd grade having 10 students. However, the lesson planning takes a LOT LESS time. I would spend about 5-6 hours planning on Sundays for first grade. I planned 3rd grade last week in 2 hours! I was excited.

The kids are really great. They are super smart and I love how they are connecting themselves with the change in the world. For International school we are taking Matthew 25:35 and focusing on each part of the verse every month.

"For I was hungry and you face me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and you invited me in. I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me"

This month, we are focusing on hungry kids and will be participating in World Vision's 30 hour famine. We will also be raising money to send to Africa to help hungry children. The third graders really seem to be grasping the concept of children in other parts of the world not having enough food. In various writing assignments, journal times, or discussions in class, hungry children will be brought up by one of the students. It is awesome to see their hearts toward children who are hungry and dying daily from malnutrition.

I am looking forward to teaching this class for the next several months. We will have fun :)

The first two photos in this post are from missions elective which is the last class period on Thursdays. All the students come together and are grouped into countries( my team, Bolivia, is below). In the missions elective the kids learn about the natural disasters, and reasons why their specific country is having problems with hunger, education and other reasons for poverty. In the picture below we were just about to start a game (that is why Crystal has an orange and grain clipped to her pocket).

The other photos are of my classroom and the kids making Valentine boxes for our Valentines party we had last Friday.

Speaking of Valentine's Day, Korea has some interesting traditions. There are around 5 special "love" holidays..that what I call them. :) For Valentine's Day women will give men chocolate, and then in March the men who received chocolate, will then give chocolate to the woman who gave it to them. I am not sure if they regularly keep to that tradition because I saw a lot of men in Seoul getting stuff for women on the 14th. Anyways...just thought I would share a random Korean fact.

Pretty much that is what has been going on here as far as third grade. I can't believe March 1st will be my 7th month! Crazy how fast time goes by.

Bye!

3rd Grade here I come

Here is the latest on my life in Korea. I am no longer teaching 1st grade. One of my students was pulled out of the school and there is a need to a third grade teacher sooooo that will be me.

This week I have been shadowing and checking out third grade, as well as, changing my first grade classroom into a third grade classroom. I have a lot of small details I need to get done, but will hopefully accomplish them by Monday...which is the first day of teaching 3rd grade for me. I will post photos of the classroom and students eventually. :) Oh, thats another thing I will have 10 students now...quite a difference from 2, but I am excited. I will miss 1st grade, but it will be a neat experience to teach 3rd.

My school is doing the 30 hour famine right now with World Vision. Which means that our hall is decorated with poverty statistics on cradboard boxes. The kids also made some neat projects out of cardboard that are hanging from the ceiling. I will have to post photos of that as well. I am super stoked about that too. The third graders really seem to be connecting with the poverty of other children, and noticing that in Korea they are very blessed to have food, clothes, and shelter. I think it will be a good experience participating in this project with the third grade. I will let you all know how that goes too.

SO as a side note and some random, fun things that have happened lately....#1 two other teachers and myself found a bowling ally (which we have been to two times already)!!! #2 I just skyped my sisters and my mom ALL at the same time. It was super cool having a conference call...so anyways I just thought I would fill you all in. :)

Ok Peace Out and pray for Korea b/c #1 North Korea is being weird these days.... and #2 my city is in a drought so there isn't much water. (A neighbor at the school is providing ANCA with a little bit of water)

I think I am really finished blogging now...I need to go to bed. Good Night!

-Krissy