Monday, July 5, 2010

http://www.flickr.com/photos/10448568@N03/sets/72157624281734085/

Who would have every thought I would find a little part time job within a week of arriving? I met someone on a forum (when I was frantically trying to get my zillions of questions answered before coming) that knew a lady who runs an educational service. She gave her my name and she called last night needing a pre algebra teacher for an hour a day for a couple of weeks. Sounded like fun. So I accepted. Now I am trying to develop lesson plans for this little class, modeled after our amazing Dr. Schaefer. All the hours and miles we logged, walking and talking together has resulted in my having to rethink how math is taught and all the changes that have taken place in math education in the past 10 years. I think this will be fun. Of course, I am thinking how I can integrate it into technology, not knowing if there will computers at this place or not.
Had three of the most adorable pre 7th graders in my little class (kind of like Sylvan learning center, I guess). They picked up on things very quickly. After class, THEY tried teaching me some Spanish. I didn’t pick up on the Spanish anywhere as quickly as they did the math. I think this will be fun to do while I am waiting for school to begin. But one kid told me “Wow, I never understood the logic behind THAT before, now I do”. Dr. Schaefer, those walks paid off in more than just exercise. Who would have thought that I was getting educated in teaching math while walking?