We're about half-way though our Elephant and Piggie book study, and the kids are completely addicted to the books! Many of the students are arriving earlier and earlier to English Class for the opportunity to reread the coveted stories. I grin from ear to ear as I listen to them read the stories again and again and still giggle each time!
Writing letters to invite Elephant and Piggie to our class for a party! ;)
Letter to Piggie and Gerald!
What impresses me the most with this class is their ability to cooperate and work together. Recently, the class has been smaller due to a wave of illnesses that is spreading through the Elementary School, but the students quickly adjust to the different group size and the lesson continues. While some of the activities are harder with a smaller class size, it is also giving me and the translators the opportunity to really focus on each student's individual needs to help them reach their potential in the English lesson.
With only an hour and fifteen minutes each week with these students, I always feel like I am racing the clock to fit in as many activities and learning opportunities as possible. A couple weeks ago, I introduced the idea of stations to the students in hopes that they would be able to practice the difficult vocabulary for that day more effectively through 10 minute intervals. I was impressed with the effectiveness of the stations and the students seemed alert to the activity at hand! It was a victorious lesson with the success of the new stations; I am looking forward to incorporating more station based activities in future lessons.
Fishing for Opposites
Go Fish - asking for the opposite
Matching the Opposite Words on a Puzzle
Learning English is much more than reading and writing - and these kids remind me how much fun learning is!
We have recently been studying vocabulary of how to describe our neighborhoods and the types of homes we live in. To continue on this theme, we also looked at the different parts of the house and used the vocabulary to describe how a house might look and what rooms it consists of. While the levels of these students are the most vastly different in all the classes I teach, I am encouraged by their efforts to work together and help each other with the pronunciation of words. When a student is stuck or asks a question, I often refer to the other students in the class to see if anyone else would like to try to explain - after all, the teacher is the best student.
The Adult Class is continuing in our Journey Through America theme as we recently entered the southern states. Amazingly, the group of four southern states (Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico) is the only region of the USA that I have not visited. I am learning much about this location through internet research of various landmarks, and I am feeling the reality of the phrase "the teacher is the best student". We have been studying together Route 66. Some of the moms knew Route 66 from the famous Pixar film CARS and one of my students had traveled a short way on the old road when he had visited America! Having these background experiences encourages their questions and communication as they seem to learn more about the topic and practice forming English sentences.
The adult class is listening to Bugs Bunny taking a "wrong turn at Albuquerque" while studying Route 66. It challenged their listening skills as Bugs Bunny doesn't speak as clearly as I do in class, but we watched many different times he said the phrase.
The way the Littles are beginning to form friendships and socializing with each other is precious to watch! I enjoy getting to know the mothers more and more each week and love when the kids come to sit on my lap or hold my hand. The older toddlers will call me "Kendra" (or something close), but the younger kids still affectionately refer to me as either "Auntie" (in Czech "Teta") or simply "Miss Lady" (in Czech "Pani"). I enjoy watching these toddlers explore English through songs, play, games, and art each week, and I think sometimes the moms have even more fun with the materials than the kids!
Zoo Animals! Building a Zoo with LEGOS and watercolor painting zoo animals.
Driving and Looking for Road Signs
Moving a car over a hill and looking at the road signs
We sang a song about a bear and a mountain, so the Littles proceeded to create mountains and caves (for the bear) from block cushions.
I am completely awestruck with the number of kids who walk through our club doors in Letovice each week. It is not uncommon to reach nearly 50 kids at club during the four hours the club space is open on one day. Last week, we hit a new record of a minimum of 64 kids! (If we didn't miss counting someone, but it is sometimes hard to count so many kids!) I thought that with so many kids, I wouldn't have so much time to simply sit with them or play games with a small group, but I was wrong as I still have time to sit with many of the kids and chat about school or other activities or play small group games while still keeping one eye scanning the room to make sure the other kids are okay. I know it is only by God's strength that I have the energy to interact with so many children and still desire to know them more! Building relationships and trust with the kids is such a crucial part of this ministry to further share God's love with the community.
Full Club Room!
Playing a Game of Jenga
Twister!
Sometimes our half-leaders go above and beyond engaging with the kids!
Having two kid's clubs in two different locations can be really exciting because each club is unique in the students who come and the activities that are favored. It was interesting this past week when a couple of girls who normally attend our Letovice Club decided to come to the club in Boskovice for a day. I loved watching these girls interact with the other club kids so naturally! It didn't matter that they were from different cities, but they felt comfortable with each other because they are all familiar with our organization. In the next couple years, these kids may be coming together to join the youth group - and I can clearly see how God is building the relationships between the students now.
A couple Letovice girls enjoying the club activities in Boskovice.
Kid's Bible Class has started preparing for the Bible competition in the spring! They are studying the books of Joshua, Judges, and Ruth. While the competition will focus on facts and application from these books, there will also be multiple other challenges for the students that will challenge their teamwork and other life-skills. The Bible Class Teachers asked if I would prepare a game for the students last week, so the kids worked together to make it across the floor without stepping on the ground. I was surprised by their excitement to continue the challenge again and again! I had to keep thinking of new ways to challenge them! Sometimes they were in two groups, sometimes as one big group, sometimes they were racing the clock, and other times they had a different number or sizes of cushions. Still, they played the game over and over for a half-hour!
Building Their Teamwork Skills
This past week was filled with many activities - extra seminars and youth leadership lectures - because a world-traveling missionary from my hometown in Minnesota was here for the week. We all enjoyed his company and sat on the edge of our seats during his seminars. My translators especially enjoyed the week off from translating for me! There was one time I was walking with my Minnesota friend in Brno (the capital of Moravia) as we were following a small group of young students who we were taking along with to a youth leadership conference for the day. As we were following this group of laughing, energetic teens, my friend asked me "Do you ever just stop and take in what God is doing here in Czech?" I looked at the teens - my friends; many of whom I have known for years - and answered "all the time."