It's been quite some time since we've posted any news. With all that's been going on in our communities, I'm sure keeping up with the Kepplers hasn't been a top priority. We feel for everyone and wish we were there to help. You're in our hearts and on our minds. For those needing a distraction, I'm back to telling stories.
I started the school year by filling in for a 2nd grade teacher- setting up her classroom and teaching the first four weeks. When signing on for the job, I didn't realize just how much fun it would be and the bonds I'd form in such a short amount of time. The experience gave me greater insight and appreciation into the workings of the school, students, staff and best of all- I was able to be with my kids and husband all under the same roof! It was such a great beginning for all of us.
My class- while on the small side with only 18 students, was the most diverse group I have ever taught. Students represented 15 different countries (yes- 15!), from places such as Palestine, Poland, Czech Republic, Iran, Korea, Japan, Ezra Bajan, Bolivia, Spain, America, England, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Sweden, Egypt...yes, the list goes on. I had two students who spoke no English, 7 with very limited, a handful with a few years under their belts, and a few others who were native English speakers. Such varying learning needs, which certainly sharpened my saw for differentiating and sheltering instruction. Sometimes it felt like a game of shirades....combining A LOT of visuals to help teach concepts and trying to talk less (sometimes that's hard for me). Google images was my new best friend as well as sentence stems and gesturing. I also took two levels of training for IB, which involved inquiry-based methods. All valuable experiences to deepen my understanding of how kids learn best. I must say I grew quite attached to my kiddos in a short amount of time.
I will miss being called everything from "Teacher" to "Mrs. Kep-oo-lar". My little Mohammad Ali (yes, that's his real name) came from Ezra Bajan speaking absolutely no English. He arrived a week into the school year. On his first day he came up to me while teaching, stood in front of me and pointed down towards his shoe indicating I needed to tie it. Obviously there were some vast cultural differences from his prior school experience with the role of the teacher. Humm...I thought...looks like he'll need some velcro for those shoes.
Such a colorful spread- some students were used to reading right to left, others were accustomed to Kanji or Arabic (very different in terms of letter formation), voice levels also varied significantly. But, like any class, kids are adaptable. They have the same needs and desires: to be recognized, loved, and cared for in order to learn.
Here are some photos of my "lovelies" yes, that's what I called them. They taught me a lot in a short amount of time.