I miss you all.
-Shadow
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
In thanks and to honor 15 OUTSTANDING University of Maryland students!!!!
(Sung to the tune of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer)
You know---
Lien, Lissett, Elma, Brian, Kim, Katie, Christina, Matt and Clare—
Arturo, Christine, Sita, Holly, Sophie and Alicia (who isn’t here).
But do you recall
The most famous Terrapin of all?
Testudo, the good luck turtle,
Best mascot in all the land.
Testudo who sits on campus
In College Park, Maryland.
All of the other mascots
Wish that they were Testudo.
If they had his magic powers,
They could watch your fortunes grow.
What’s your wish? Testudo can help.
Law school ... Med school … Job at KIPP (middle school only)
Exams … Cash flow … And Argentina,
Boys and girls relationships.
Testudo, the good luck Terrapin,
Lucky us, we have our own,
Reminding us of your awesomeness,
Tied up with a nice red bow.
**Copied and pasted from Rachel's email to us :-)**
(Sung to the tune of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer)
You know---
Lien, Lissett, Elma, Brian, Kim, Katie, Christina, Matt and Clare—
Arturo, Christine, Sita, Holly, Sophie and Alicia (who isn’t here).
But do you recall
The most famous Terrapin of all?
Testudo, the good luck turtle,
Best mascot in all the land.
Testudo who sits on campus
In College Park, Maryland.
All of the other mascots
Wish that they were Testudo.
If they had his magic powers,
They could watch your fortunes grow.
What’s your wish? Testudo can help.
Law school ... Med school … Job at KIPP (middle school only)
Exams … Cash flow … And Argentina,
Boys and girls relationships.
Testudo, the good luck Terrapin,
Lucky us, we have our own,
Reminding us of your awesomeness,
Tied up with a nice red bow.
**Copied and pasted from Rachel's email to us :-)**
Team Journal
I feel so lucky to have had such an amazing experience, gotten to know some of the most interesting and selfless people the world has to offer (ie. Jim & Rachel Lander, Pat Wu, our participants) and learned about education in such a truly unique and accelerated way that have all transformed the way I look at the world in just 10 short, short days.
I am truly thankful that Clare and my #1 goal of group cohesiveness was achieved and completely surpassed. We wanted everyone to walk away with something special, with more knowledge of the challenges rural educators face, and with memorable friendships. So, it warmed me to think that everyone had such an enjoyable experience that plans are in the works to come back and continue our relationship with KIPP, with NW Halifax, with the Landers, and with the students of the surrounding towns of Gaston.
Thank you to everyone in our group - I learned so much from all of you and felt so close in such a short time. Thank you to the Landers for actually being more hospitable and generous than I ever thought was possible. Thank you to Pat Wu for being an inspiration to work hard and be nice.
-Elma
And, without further delay - here is our team journal :-)
I am truly thankful that Clare and my #1 goal of group cohesiveness was achieved and completely surpassed. We wanted everyone to walk away with something special, with more knowledge of the challenges rural educators face, and with memorable friendships. So, it warmed me to think that everyone had such an enjoyable experience that plans are in the works to come back and continue our relationship with KIPP, with NW Halifax, with the Landers, and with the students of the surrounding towns of Gaston.
Thank you to everyone in our group - I learned so much from all of you and felt so close in such a short time. Thank you to the Landers for actually being more hospitable and generous than I ever thought was possible. Thank you to Pat Wu for being an inspiration to work hard and be nice.
-Elma
And, without further delay - here is our team journal :-)
Sunday, January 24, 2010
K is for kids who made us laugh.
One of the most memorable things about my 10 days in Gaston is all the funny things that the kids that we worked with said. On the first day of Holly's class, she was explaining a story about a 20-something girl who was telling her father that she was marrying her 60-something professor. Some of the kids in the class shouted, "get it!" and "she must get good grades!" In one of Brian's classes a kid asked, "can I bring in magnesium metal tomorrow?" to which Brian responded, "what does that do?" The kid responds, "oh, it just explodes..." On the day that I got to teach Ms. Hatchell's environmental science class, a kid came up to me after class and said, "Ms. Le, do you play sports? because your calves are really big!" (To which I responded, no, they're just fat. :)) Getting to work with the students of KIPP and GCP was definitely one of the highlights of the trip.
I is for I love the Landers.
The Landers were the best! They opened their beautiful lake home to us and from the start were very accommodating. When we posed the question, "chocolate or vanilla?" at dinnertime to sneakily attempt to find out what kind of cake Rachel would like for her birthday, she ended up buying chocolate and vanilla items for us the following day! We always came home to little surprises like that. I can honestly say that we all felt at home and that being in their home added a lot to the trip.
P is for persistent teachers who work from dawn to dusk to dawn again.
The teachers at KIPP were the most inspiring part of the trip for me. They come in well before school starts at 8 am and stay well past 5 pm. By the time they get home, they are too tired to do much more than pass out over a pile of papers (or so I imagine). It is really great to know that some of the hardest working people in the country are in the trenches everyday, working to improve the educational experience for the future leaders of the world.
P is for the participants.
I could not have imagined a better group! We all meshed really well and had such a fun time (when we were not teaching or napping). Among many, many games of catch phrase, taboo, apples to apples, jenga, hot seat, cranium, and oh, yes, mafia, we had a good time. Oh, and I can't forget the loud sing alongs we had in the car/the makeshift karaoke basement. :)
G is for Gaston.
I can't say that I could ever move to a rural town, but I can say that I loved the "road ends 1 mile" signs, the Hardee's in the middle of town and the Piggly Wiggly. The nice thing about being in a small town is that everyone knows each other so everyone works together. When some of us began to teach during intersession, we would drive to school together and I felt just like the teachers at school, bagged lunches in hand, setting out on another important day. I really like the sense of support that the teachers give and receive from one another. It makes the school really special.
A is for Arturo and his Arturisms.
You would have to ask Matt for more info on this, but in a nut shell, Arturo taught us about the importance of communication and the human factor (both of which are fan-tast-ic). I'm sure Arturo still has much to teach us! (And many more questions to ask us since his is a very curious person...)
S is for spell silicone backwards.
Brian: "N." ... Matt: "Are you stupid?!"
I love how Cranium brings out the love in people!
(s is also for sending love.)
T is for trip leaders, Clare and Elma.
CLARE AND ELMA ARE THE BEST! :) They planned such an awesome trip where there was never a dull moment. It would not have been the same without Clare's morning face and Elma's relentless energy. Not to mention our thought-provoking communities and list of house rules (don't eat all the cookies and if you're here, be here). A big thank you to you guys :)
O is for "Oh my gosh, there are cockroach eggs everywhere."
Working on the Habitat house was one of the most memorable times on the trip. I was personally horrified at the idea of working on the house. On the outside it looked perfectly normal but on the inside, it was completely different. Most people who know me know that I am a neat freak and that I love all animals in the world but I don't count bugs. I feel the opposite of love towards bugs. And the house was not in shortage of them. Besides the fact that I was walking into two of my biggest physical fears, it honestly broke my heart to see the inside of this house, to see pictures of children who used to call it their home and to think that people everywhere, on a daily basis live in these awful conditions. I really hope that the family is doing better and that the next family that moves into the house has a happy future. I really think what Habitat does is awesome.
N is for nap time.
The Lander's house and the benchmark room's floor are the best places to nap. I have been known to take a 4 hour nap on the couch before.
And now for just random things that make me laugh:
"I have no voice." - Christine, upon receiving a paper slip that says, "You are homeless. You have no voice."
Elma grabbing girls during Cranium to act out "chick magnet".
Brian and Arturo jumping into the freezing cold lake.
Katie's issue with clapping/coordination.
Dance parties in the vans.
And every game of mafia.
It was my favorite AB trip so far. :) And I learned a lot. Including how hard teachers work and how willing students can be in a subject that intrigues them. On one of the days that I taught environmental science, I asked my students a series of questions, such as "what makes a good teacher? what makes a good student? why aren't students always good students?" They let me know that they have the ability but are not always self-motivated to learn. They do believe, however, that an inspired, engaging and personable teacher can sometimes push them to do so. This trip really makes me want to teach even more next year.
Thank you to everyone for making this trip what it was!
Lien
I is for I love the Landers.
The Landers were the best! They opened their beautiful lake home to us and from the start were very accommodating. When we posed the question, "chocolate or vanilla?" at dinnertime to sneakily attempt to find out what kind of cake Rachel would like for her birthday, she ended up buying chocolate and vanilla items for us the following day! We always came home to little surprises like that. I can honestly say that we all felt at home and that being in their home added a lot to the trip.
P is for persistent teachers who work from dawn to dusk to dawn again.
The teachers at KIPP were the most inspiring part of the trip for me. They come in well before school starts at 8 am and stay well past 5 pm. By the time they get home, they are too tired to do much more than pass out over a pile of papers (or so I imagine). It is really great to know that some of the hardest working people in the country are in the trenches everyday, working to improve the educational experience for the future leaders of the world.
P is for the participants.
I could not have imagined a better group! We all meshed really well and had such a fun time (when we were not teaching or napping). Among many, many games of catch phrase, taboo, apples to apples, jenga, hot seat, cranium, and oh, yes, mafia, we had a good time. Oh, and I can't forget the loud sing alongs we had in the car/the makeshift karaoke basement. :)
G is for Gaston.
I can't say that I could ever move to a rural town, but I can say that I loved the "road ends 1 mile" signs, the Hardee's in the middle of town and the Piggly Wiggly. The nice thing about being in a small town is that everyone knows each other so everyone works together. When some of us began to teach during intersession, we would drive to school together and I felt just like the teachers at school, bagged lunches in hand, setting out on another important day. I really like the sense of support that the teachers give and receive from one another. It makes the school really special.
A is for Arturo and his Arturisms.
You would have to ask Matt for more info on this, but in a nut shell, Arturo taught us about the importance of communication and the human factor (both of which are fan-tast-ic). I'm sure Arturo still has much to teach us! (And many more questions to ask us since his is a very curious person...)
S is for spell silicone backwards.
Brian: "N." ... Matt: "Are you stupid?!"
I love how Cranium brings out the love in people!
(s is also for sending love.)
T is for trip leaders, Clare and Elma.
CLARE AND ELMA ARE THE BEST! :) They planned such an awesome trip where there was never a dull moment. It would not have been the same without Clare's morning face and Elma's relentless energy. Not to mention our thought-provoking communities and list of house rules (don't eat all the cookies and if you're here, be here). A big thank you to you guys :)
O is for "Oh my gosh, there are cockroach eggs everywhere."
Working on the Habitat house was one of the most memorable times on the trip. I was personally horrified at the idea of working on the house. On the outside it looked perfectly normal but on the inside, it was completely different. Most people who know me know that I am a neat freak and that I love all animals in the world but I don't count bugs. I feel the opposite of love towards bugs. And the house was not in shortage of them. Besides the fact that I was walking into two of my biggest physical fears, it honestly broke my heart to see the inside of this house, to see pictures of children who used to call it their home and to think that people everywhere, on a daily basis live in these awful conditions. I really hope that the family is doing better and that the next family that moves into the house has a happy future. I really think what Habitat does is awesome.
N is for nap time.
The Lander's house and the benchmark room's floor are the best places to nap. I have been known to take a 4 hour nap on the couch before.
And now for just random things that make me laugh:
"I have no voice." - Christine, upon receiving a paper slip that says, "You are homeless. You have no voice."
Elma grabbing girls during Cranium to act out "chick magnet".
Brian and Arturo jumping into the freezing cold lake.
Katie's issue with clapping/coordination.
Dance parties in the vans.
And every game of mafia.
It was my favorite AB trip so far. :) And I learned a lot. Including how hard teachers work and how willing students can be in a subject that intrigues them. On one of the days that I taught environmental science, I asked my students a series of questions, such as "what makes a good teacher? what makes a good student? why aren't students always good students?" They let me know that they have the ability but are not always self-motivated to learn. They do believe, however, that an inspired, engaging and personable teacher can sometimes push them to do so. This trip really makes me want to teach even more next year.
Thank you to everyone for making this trip what it was!
Lien
Heaven seems a little close with a house next to a lake...
When I first came to Mr. and Mrs. Lander's house and read that little plaque that hangs on the kitchen, I didn't know what it meant. In fact, I didn't know what to expect out of this trip...
* Was it going to be a good time?
* Would I get along with everyone or, for that matter, were we all going to get along with each other?
* Was our lodging be able to accommodate us all and be comfortable for our needs?
* What about logistics that were out of our hands? Food? Showers? Sleeping arrangements...
These and many other questions wondered my mind even as I was driving to Gaston last week; however, as this trip comes to an end and we spend our last day in the High School, Middle school, and the students, I've came a little closer to understanding that plaque that still hangs on the kitchen and I read everyday.
The reality is, what isn't there to like about this town? Everyone is so respectful and welcoming; the students greet you when you walk down the halls and are not afraid to spark new conversations laughing along our silly jokes and games. The middle school is very well structured and I felt that the students get a solid-built foundation that will be with them for the rest of their lives. They're treated with respect, integrity, and honest teachers that truly care about their work and education. Never have I seen such dedication from educators towards students and after speaking with a majority of them, it's almost like they NEVER give up! It's amazing how much stamina and desire every single teacher has towards every single student's success and ability to perform. The first week that we were here we did a lot of tracking, grading, but also interacted with a lot of these kids that can make you laugh every sigle minute of the day. Over the weekend I had some of the most fun I've had in a while... We BBQ, watched football games, played Jenga (Xtreme Edition), played Cranium, and just talked about everything we could talk about.
The high school was a little different but yet so rewarding. I taught "Sports and Life skills" with Matt and it was such a great experience. Initially, we didn't know what to do during those 3 days. Should be teach materials during all the class? Make a powerpoint presentation? play sports with the class? talk about college or just watch a movie? Well, in reality we did all those things! The first day we introduced ourselves and got to know each student and as soon as they knew we were going to play Football in the Gym they were really excited and liked the idea. During the other days we covered a lot of different topics and subjects, we showed them a video of Jimmy V and Randy Pausch and discussed them accordingly. Furthermore, we talked about college, the recruitment process, and how important it is to focus on a goal and do whatever it takes to get there. Matt and I really tried to make the class as enjoyable as possible while expressing a very realistic approach to college and how different it is from High School. Overall, I really cherish the times we spent in class talking about their futures as well as the time we spent being their team mates on the court. We provided them with our emails to keep in touch or to have some of their answers about colleges or universities answered and I truly hope some of them take the initiative to do so.
This trip meant a lot to me and I'm sad to be back in Maryland, but at the same time truly blessed to have experienced the last days of my Winter break with such wonderful participants while meeting new people from all over the place.
Arturo Chang
* Was it going to be a good time?
* Would I get along with everyone or, for that matter, were we all going to get along with each other?
* Was our lodging be able to accommodate us all and be comfortable for our needs?
* What about logistics that were out of our hands? Food? Showers? Sleeping arrangements...
These and many other questions wondered my mind even as I was driving to Gaston last week; however, as this trip comes to an end and we spend our last day in the High School, Middle school, and the students, I've came a little closer to understanding that plaque that still hangs on the kitchen and I read everyday.
The reality is, what isn't there to like about this town? Everyone is so respectful and welcoming; the students greet you when you walk down the halls and are not afraid to spark new conversations laughing along our silly jokes and games. The middle school is very well structured and I felt that the students get a solid-built foundation that will be with them for the rest of their lives. They're treated with respect, integrity, and honest teachers that truly care about their work and education. Never have I seen such dedication from educators towards students and after speaking with a majority of them, it's almost like they NEVER give up! It's amazing how much stamina and desire every single teacher has towards every single student's success and ability to perform. The first week that we were here we did a lot of tracking, grading, but also interacted with a lot of these kids that can make you laugh every sigle minute of the day. Over the weekend I had some of the most fun I've had in a while... We BBQ, watched football games, played Jenga (Xtreme Edition), played Cranium, and just talked about everything we could talk about.
The high school was a little different but yet so rewarding. I taught "Sports and Life skills" with Matt and it was such a great experience. Initially, we didn't know what to do during those 3 days. Should be teach materials during all the class? Make a powerpoint presentation? play sports with the class? talk about college or just watch a movie? Well, in reality we did all those things! The first day we introduced ourselves and got to know each student and as soon as they knew we were going to play Football in the Gym they were really excited and liked the idea. During the other days we covered a lot of different topics and subjects, we showed them a video of Jimmy V and Randy Pausch and discussed them accordingly. Furthermore, we talked about college, the recruitment process, and how important it is to focus on a goal and do whatever it takes to get there. Matt and I really tried to make the class as enjoyable as possible while expressing a very realistic approach to college and how different it is from High School. Overall, I really cherish the times we spent in class talking about their futures as well as the time we spent being their team mates on the court. We provided them with our emails to keep in touch or to have some of their answers about colleges or universities answered and I truly hope some of them take the initiative to do so.
This trip meant a lot to me and I'm sad to be back in Maryland, but at the same time truly blessed to have experienced the last days of my Winter break with such wonderful participants while meeting new people from all over the place.
Arturo Chang
Home Again, Home Again But Still Looking South
Last night I was so sleep deprived I fell asleep hours before what is usually considered socially acceptable for a Saturday night on a college campus. And unfortunately I was in Gaston long enough to have set my internal clock to wake up at 6:30am...
It is certainly nice to be home, yet I miss watching the sunrise over the lake, Christine's humor, the students excited faces, and so many more little things that made this trip to Gaston amazing. We ended our week at the school with 6th grade Pride Time, where we got to know some students even better and had them make costumes out of toilet paper, letting them essentially play for the last half an hour of their Friday while still working on skills such as team work and communication. It was an excellent note to end on, but it also made leaving that much harder. After having such a long week of teaching, waking up at hours some of us aren't used to (Clare), and dealing with disciple issues in the high school, it was wonderful to be able to relax and enjoy getting to know some of the amazing middle school students.
This was my fifth Alternative Break trip I have taken through the University of Maryland, and my last. A number of people told me not to return to an issue and location that I had already experienced, to branch out to learn about a new issue and experience a new culture. But going on this trip again was the best choice I could have made. I was so lucky to love the issue, location, and both trip leaders- I knew the trip would be amazing this year before Clare and Elma even started planning, and it WAS. I could not have asked to end my AB experience on a higher note, with a more energetic, caring, and thoughtful group of students all falling in love with a school Clare, Elma and I had fallen in love with over the past year.
I also want to say that I am glad that everyone on the trip did not fall blindly in love with the school, but rather loved it while they critiqued it. For the most part we listened to what the high school principal had to say about warning us against thinking that KIPP is the solution. KIPP is a charter school but what we need to fix are the public schools; we can be on the KIPP bandwagon until we find something better, something that aims to solve the issue of education on a wider scale. While we all agree that the middle school is something more than special, something that can give you chills when you realize the implications of what they are accomplishing and how much the students get out of the unique culture they have established, we need to keep in mind that there are hundreds of thousands of students that aren't at KIPP. These students need a solution too, and replicating the culture of KIPP in every school may not be realistic. However, the students in the area surrounding Gaston are truly lucky to have the chance to attend this school, and years down the line it pays off in the form of an influx of college acceptance letters and scholarship money.
This trip was not only about rural education and charter schools, but also about the lives of teachers. Through out our service activities we learned about how hard of a job it really is, how long tracking REALLY takes, how much time lesson planning for three days takes, and how important it is to step into a classroom energetic and prepared. Some of us struggled to keep our students interested, and some were conflicted about being upset at the disrespect a few students showed while remembering ourselves as acting the same way in high school. One of my own students came up to me on my last day of teaching intercession and apologized for her classmates. She said she thinks some of the other students acted the way that they did since as college students we are so close to their age, we could almost be a brother or a sister. However, she wanted me to know that because of our age she respected us even more, saying that it takes a lot to go down there, and teach (for many of us- for the first time), noting that she knew it was an experience that was likely more difficult for us than some of the other (older, more experienced) intercession teachers. Hearing that meant a lot to me, and I know the other UMD students I passed the message on to appreciated it too. The job of a teacher is certainly something all of us walked away with a deeper understanding of and a greater sense of respect for.
Thank you to all the teachers who talked with us about their experience at GCP, let us invade their personal space, and bought us delicious cookie cake. Thank you Rachel and Jim for letting us stay in your AMAZING home, and a special thank you to the students for greeting us every day with a smile. (We're already talking about driving down for the 5k race, over the summer, and/or for a fund-raising basketball game.)
It was 10 days I can guarantee none of us will forget.
-Sophie
It is certainly nice to be home, yet I miss watching the sunrise over the lake, Christine's humor, the students excited faces, and so many more little things that made this trip to Gaston amazing. We ended our week at the school with 6th grade Pride Time, where we got to know some students even better and had them make costumes out of toilet paper, letting them essentially play for the last half an hour of their Friday while still working on skills such as team work and communication. It was an excellent note to end on, but it also made leaving that much harder. After having such a long week of teaching, waking up at hours some of us aren't used to (Clare), and dealing with disciple issues in the high school, it was wonderful to be able to relax and enjoy getting to know some of the amazing middle school students.
This was my fifth Alternative Break trip I have taken through the University of Maryland, and my last. A number of people told me not to return to an issue and location that I had already experienced, to branch out to learn about a new issue and experience a new culture. But going on this trip again was the best choice I could have made. I was so lucky to love the issue, location, and both trip leaders- I knew the trip would be amazing this year before Clare and Elma even started planning, and it WAS. I could not have asked to end my AB experience on a higher note, with a more energetic, caring, and thoughtful group of students all falling in love with a school Clare, Elma and I had fallen in love with over the past year.
I also want to say that I am glad that everyone on the trip did not fall blindly in love with the school, but rather loved it while they critiqued it. For the most part we listened to what the high school principal had to say about warning us against thinking that KIPP is the solution. KIPP is a charter school but what we need to fix are the public schools; we can be on the KIPP bandwagon until we find something better, something that aims to solve the issue of education on a wider scale. While we all agree that the middle school is something more than special, something that can give you chills when you realize the implications of what they are accomplishing and how much the students get out of the unique culture they have established, we need to keep in mind that there are hundreds of thousands of students that aren't at KIPP. These students need a solution too, and replicating the culture of KIPP in every school may not be realistic. However, the students in the area surrounding Gaston are truly lucky to have the chance to attend this school, and years down the line it pays off in the form of an influx of college acceptance letters and scholarship money.
This trip was not only about rural education and charter schools, but also about the lives of teachers. Through out our service activities we learned about how hard of a job it really is, how long tracking REALLY takes, how much time lesson planning for three days takes, and how important it is to step into a classroom energetic and prepared. Some of us struggled to keep our students interested, and some were conflicted about being upset at the disrespect a few students showed while remembering ourselves as acting the same way in high school. One of my own students came up to me on my last day of teaching intercession and apologized for her classmates. She said she thinks some of the other students acted the way that they did since as college students we are so close to their age, we could almost be a brother or a sister. However, she wanted me to know that because of our age she respected us even more, saying that it takes a lot to go down there, and teach (for many of us- for the first time), noting that she knew it was an experience that was likely more difficult for us than some of the other (older, more experienced) intercession teachers. Hearing that meant a lot to me, and I know the other UMD students I passed the message on to appreciated it too. The job of a teacher is certainly something all of us walked away with a deeper understanding of and a greater sense of respect for.
Thank you to all the teachers who talked with us about their experience at GCP, let us invade their personal space, and bought us delicious cookie cake. Thank you Rachel and Jim for letting us stay in your AMAZING home, and a special thank you to the students for greeting us every day with a smile. (We're already talking about driving down for the 5k race, over the summer, and/or for a fund-raising basketball game.)
It was 10 days I can guarantee none of us will forget.
-Sophie
Friday, January 22, 2010
Another Long Day At KIPP but We Came Home to Some Yummy Turkey
So once again our day started off early at around 6:30. Or at least it did for me because I know Clare Bear is not a morning girl and tends to oversleep. Besides that once arriving to Kipp, Katie and I walked into Ms.Sullivan’s class to help her with her first morning lesson. She specified on the importance of number placement. Although the lesson was simple (well since it was 5th grade math) the lesson was fun because I got to go around the classroom and help students answer questions they had and guide them in how to solve problems. What I have learned that Ms. Sullivan stresses a lot is that we don’t want to be telling them the answer but helping them find new ways in how they can figure it out themselves.
After the first period class i decided to go to the high school and see how Cristine was doing with teaching her class about the history of AIDS and HIV. In the first five minutes of class, I knew i'd be really interested in her lesson. Christine is truly a good teacher in my opinion because she puts a lot of energy when speaking to her students and I know from experience that she puts a lot of work into her lessons. But anyways, the entire lesson was absolutely fantastic. She covered everything from what symptoms are prominent from the virus to how it was spread in the US. The students were really engaged in the conversation and many volunteered to raise their hands to ask questions. They were very well behaved, especially compared to other days.
Other than going to other people's classes, I graded some of the 5th grade kids science homework. At the end of the day everyone was exhausted and thanks to Rachel and Jim, we came home to some delicious turkey. We then played Catch Phrase and that got really intense. Around eight we attempted to go to Java Junction to sing karaoke. However, they were closed but fortunately the teachers invited us over to hang out. We played pool, did karaoke, and played video games. Then we returned to Rachel and Jim's to relax the rest of the night. Time is running out and soon we will be returning to College Park. I'm very excited but at the same time very sad :(
Lissett (Jersey Girl)
After the first period class i decided to go to the high school and see how Cristine was doing with teaching her class about the history of AIDS and HIV. In the first five minutes of class, I knew i'd be really interested in her lesson. Christine is truly a good teacher in my opinion because she puts a lot of energy when speaking to her students and I know from experience that she puts a lot of work into her lessons. But anyways, the entire lesson was absolutely fantastic. She covered everything from what symptoms are prominent from the virus to how it was spread in the US. The students were really engaged in the conversation and many volunteered to raise their hands to ask questions. They were very well behaved, especially compared to other days.
Other than going to other people's classes, I graded some of the 5th grade kids science homework. At the end of the day everyone was exhausted and thanks to Rachel and Jim, we came home to some delicious turkey. We then played Catch Phrase and that got really intense. Around eight we attempted to go to Java Junction to sing karaoke. However, they were closed but fortunately the teachers invited us over to hang out. We played pool, did karaoke, and played video games. Then we returned to Rachel and Jim's to relax the rest of the night. Time is running out and soon we will be returning to College Park. I'm very excited but at the same time very sad :(
Lissett (Jersey Girl)
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