It's all about the Students

Students are the reason I teach.  All the planning, all the meetings, all the difficulties in this profession seem to wane once the kids show up. 

I have 104 rambunctious, polite, and eager students that I get to see every day for 45 minutes each class.  I teach four classes of 26 students each, and that time just flies by!  Being used to 90 minute block classes where I see the students every other day, this change in time requires some calibration in my teaching strategies, but I think I like it.  Every day my schedule is different.  These students have 11 classes in their schedule; some they see every day, some they see a few times a week.  They receive instruction in English for Science, Social Studies, Language Arts/English, and Music.  They receive instruction in Spanish for History of Mexico, Civics, Geography, Math, Spanish, PE, and Art.  I don’t know how the students keep track of their schedules, but they do!  In addition to the 11 classes, students also have an Optitiva (Elective) the last period of the day on Thursdays.  I get to teach the kids how to play Ultimate Frisbee for my Optitiva.  Originally, the principal wanted me to run a book club, but when she heard I knew how to play Ultimate, she told me I could do that and they’d just get rid of the book club.  SCORE! 

Like all 6th graders, one of the biggest difficulties so far has been opening lockers.  Despite being given directions in Spanish and English, being shown multiple times, and being given visual aids, some students still cannot open their lockers.  But this is one of the many reasons I love 6th graders.  At the beginning of the year, I always wonder if these kids will ever be successful.  Everything is a struggle, and they seem so young and incapable of accomplishing everything I set before them, but they eventually figure it out.  I think that 6th graders show the most growth in middle school in terms of social/emotional growth.  Given enough scaffolding, these kids become more independent and capable of success on their own.

Female teachers go by their first names here, so I am “Miss Kari”.  This isn’t a sign of disrespect, it’s just how teachers are addressed here.  Every once in a while I refer to myself as Ms. Kiser—that’s who I’ve been for the past five years.  It will take a while for me to adjust.  I will say it’s pretty darn cute when the kids say my name though.  Because of Spanish pronunciation, my name sounds like “Mees Car-ee”, or sometimes they call me “Tea-chair” if they have forgotten my name.  Out in the halls, students greet me all the time.  Some have already taken to giving me hugs—another adjustment I’m going to have to make, it’s ok to hug the kids.  It’s going to take me a while to get all of their names, yet I have all the American/Canadian kids’ names memorized.  I suppose it helps that there’s only three of them in all of 6th grade… 

I’m excited to see how this year is going to progress.  I definitely still need your prayers and encouragements, and because of those I’m feeling better about my time here.  Thank you!