Day 1: Pre-Autumn Practicum

Has a day ever felt longer? Haha.

Mr. P said once that he always bears the first day of school with an eager desire for it to end. "The kids are just...weird" on the first day, he said. I found them adorable, so I'm wondering what I am to expect of their "normal" behavior.

One little girl walked up to me halfway through the day to hand me a piece of paper. All day, kids had walked up to me to hand me their completed work, so I expected no different from this young lady. "This is for you," she said. I took it and saw the words "Miss Avila" written there, with colored polka dots punctuating the rest of the space. Awww! I said I loved it, gave her a hug, and inserted it into the back window of my practicum binder.

At the end of the day, one little man said, "Today was fun!" Ha! Would you like to know today's agenda?
1. Get to school and play.
2. Come inside and draw [make nametags]
3. Play a get-to-know-you handshake game.
4. Learn about MYD [discipline system]
5. Go back to seats and draw [name tags]
6. Go outside and PLAY "wizards and trees" [a team-building game]
7. PLAY some more!
8. Come inside, then go back out for lunch recess [PLAY!]
9. Eat lunch in the classroom, and draw/read when done
10. Read [Okay, this WAS an instance of schoolwork.]
11. Make, color, & decorate personal posters
12. Recess [Play!!]
13. Posters again
14. Go home!

My point being: of COURSE it was a fun day! It was a play day! Woo! But -- poor kids -- will they be disillusioned when the real work comes?

And, I'd like to take a few sentences here to praise Mr. P. He is so good and so patient with me. While he takes care to teach me just like he teaches his students [methodically, thoroughly], he also lets me make decisions on my own. And he does it all so subtly that I don't feel a bit like he's exasperated with me or like I'm taking up his time. I will admit that, when I first knew I would be placed with a male teacher that I did not even know, I was disappointed. But now, I see that God's hand was in it all along, and, as my mom put it, I "lucked out!" It's almost as good as working with one of my own brothers. I am truly looking forward to the rest of this practicum experience!

Peace out!
More later.

P.S. I really wish I could post pictures on here from the practicum, but -- alas! -- that would violate the students' right to privacy. Bah.