# data[].attributes.body
From 9.30 to 11

Children were ending their breakfast, and it took my attention how each one wash their cup, and clean their space, put everything on their bags in order as the teacher told them it was time to start the class.

She made them sit on the floor and sing a song to be silent. Then she puts her magic glasses to see if everyone is behaving good and turns the TV on. They watch a video “Te cuento del camino lo que vi” Then, they all sit on their tables again. The teacher gives each one a sheet of paper with a road on it and asks them to draw what they saw in the video. And place tins with colors in each table. The title is “El camino” they are asked to write their names and surnames.

Again, the teacher handles this group so good, making seems everything easy. She walks around the tables, reminding children what they saw on the video. As they are drawing, the teacher shows me the bathroom with traffic lights (green or red) to see if it is occupied, that was genius, she also shows me a carpet with her lesson plans.

Finally, she places all the drawings on a table for everyone to see and gives them free time to play in the classroom. I say good bye to them because I have to go to work.

What aspects of the lesson do you consider successful? The teacher group leading from one activity to another, the way she sings the song to be quiet, and puts her magic glasses. She made them use their memory and imagination to draw and also write their names and title.

# data[].attributes.body
Hello everyone, to begin with must say I couldn´t be happier with my kinder teacher, Natali and the 20 kids in this 5-year-old classroom. They all receive me with a very warm welcome, even the principal, Jorgelina. I was pretty nervous and try not to show. The teacher gave me her desk so I could observe and take notes of everything. Must tell English is not a subject in this kindergarten.

On this observation, my first impression of the classroom was “Organized and clean” “colorful and warm”. There are 4 tables with 5 chairs each. Everyone has a fix place carefully decided by Natali. There is a corner with games, bricks, toys, and a mini kitchen to play. Another section of the room with pillows to sit on the floor. From the roof there were traffic signs hanging on. Also, the teacher has a section very well organized with boxes containing colors, sheets, pencils with each kid name on it. One box has wooden stars with their names.

# data[].attributes.body
From 9.30 to 11am.

Almost exactly like my first observation, after children finish their breakfast, the teacher calls children and ask them to form a circle on the floor. Each kid grabs a pillow and sits. I observe a firm routine here. She tells me the classes always begin forming a circle, sitting on the floor. She sings another song to make silence, and pay attention. She is going to read them a story about pedestrian traffic light called “El hombre del semáforo”, in the middle of the circle, she places a man and a traffic light for the children to see. The teacher asks them if they are familiar with the picture, all want to speak, so the teacher tell them to raise their hands. One kid says he saw it in Cordoba, other in Buenos Aires. Then all children hear to the teacher reading in silence as they watch the figures. After the story each kid puts their pillow in a shelf and sits in their place. Again, the teacher gives children a sheet of paper and asks them to draw what they hear in the story. She places the figures of the traffic light and the boy in the desk for all children to see.

What do you find useful of this lesson that will help you plan the next one?

In this lesson I learn that when telling a story, it is great to create an environment, as the teacher place the figures for all to see as she was reading.

Again, to finish the class, the teacher congratulates children for their beautiful drawings and place the sheets on a table for all to see. I ask her to take a photo and after that, as in observation 1, she gave them free time to play in the classroom. This was the end of my 2nd observation.

# data[].attributes.body
From 10 to 11am.

Include a photo of a moment in the lesson, or a task student did, a picture from the board or any other lesson component you would like to share, and describe it.

I try to take pictures as the classes were going on, but the institution did not allow anyone to take photos of the children, so I take pictures from the blackboard and from drawings to show you haw beautiful children have work.

In my last observation, as the flag day is coming, the teacher asked families to send bills of 10 pesos, these bills contain a portrait of Belgrano. The class begins with all children sitting on their pillows on the floor, in front of the desk. The teacher pastes an image of Manuel Belgrano and asks them if they know who is he? All start to yell!! Yeeees!!! It is Manuel Belgranoooo. Then the teacher asks another question, do you know his entire name? then…silence. So, the teacher pastes a second sheet of paper containing the entire name of Manuel Belgrano and margin each name with a finger she says it completely: Manuel Jose Joaquin del Corazón de Jesus. And asks: How many names does he have? And rises 8 fingers, some of them say EIGHT.

So, she asks one of them, can you point to 8 in the number ruler?  And she marks it. Finally, she asks them: do you know where did he born? No one know, so she pastes the last paper, a map of Argentina in which Buenos Aires is highlighted and some children scream Buenos Aires!!!!

Next, the teacher asks children to sit in their tables, and again gives them a sheet of paper, the assignment is to draw a portrait of Manuel Belgrano, only his face. They will prepare an exposition for next week to show their parents. In the end I help the teacher to place all the portraits in one table for all to see. Now I know most of them, their names and how they behave. It is a well-organized group; they are 20 but work so well I cannot wait to prepare my own classes. As their teacher Natali will be working with animals in august; I have my theme to plan my classes.

# data[].attributes.body
During my first assistantship I was glued to the teacher, observing her and trying to help her as much as possible. At he same time still observing the group and their routines and behave.

Children were asked to draw themselves in a blue or white sheet, so I cut the papers and give each a different colour, then from a box, the teacher an I distribute a black fiber to each student. They were asked to write their names too. Most of them could make it without help.

At the end of the activity, I help the teacher to put all the pircters together and form a flag. We hang it for everyone to see.

# data[].attributes.body
On the secons assitantship, still preparing materials for an exposition for the flag day, the teacher Natali, let me read the childrens a short story about Manuel Belgrano and his family. I was so excited. I ask the kids to sit on a circle on the floor, they were curious because I was a different person than the teacher, so they pay me a lot of attention and I started to read them in a paused and sweet voice.

Then the teacher and I form 2 groups and write with the children about Manuel Belgrano´s mother and father. I helped them writting the mother´s name MARIA JOSEFA GONZALEZ. I wrote it on the blackboard and some of them brote the name, other two made the picture of her and one boy wrote SU MAMA. At the end of the activity, again, the teacher and I hang the family line from the ceiling for all children to see. they were so proud!

# data[].attributes.body
The last assistanship was the most beautiful, because the families were invited to see all their childrens productions for the Flag Day. This day I went earlier to prepare and assist the teacher. we prepare souvenirs for each family in one table and put blue garlands to represent Parana River around the souvenirs. The families came to the exposition and the teacher presents me and told them I was going to give some English classes to their children. As I live in this Kinder town, I know mostly of the families, so it was a happy moment for all. And this was my last assistantship.

# data[].attributes.body
My first class was unforgettable experience!

How did the students react to your teaching, to the activities and the materials? How did they react to the lesson?

Children get involved to my activities from the very beginning. Firstly, as I was disguised as a witch, the environment was great. Both activities were, I consider a success. To start with, the hello song involving all of them, then the first activity presenting my magic cauldron of colors, where children experience with them. The second was even better when the play begun, and balloons start to float and children say the colour names.

To sum up, a complete fun success!

An issue to consider for next class is timing. I´ve made both activities too fast, as I was accelerated, and end class ten minutes earlier than supposed.

# data[].attributes.body
Today, august 22 was my second class. I felt pretty anxious because this time I have to film myself, one of my sons tape me. 😊

I started with my hello song, all children participate and start to sing along with me.

What teaching strategies did you use? Which ones were effective? Why / why not?

My strategy was to divide the class in two groups with two synchrony activities. This result extremely good. As both group listens to both activities explanations and get deeply involved, resulting again in a beautiful experience to all, children and I.

Magic theme and being disguised also result a good technique to capture their attention and environment.

This time I made a 50 minutes class, ten minutes more! I have to work on timing!

# data[].attributes.body
This is their teacher, Natalí, a great mentor and companion in this adventure!

# data[].attributes.body
Today I have the most chaotic but beautiful class. To start with I present myself as Tapita Witch, my every class character, and introduce some parts of the face with a rhythmic song invented by me. Then I draw my pet, Paul on the blackboard and we draw his face parts, nose, ears, mouth, etc.

The second activity, I ask them to prepare food for my witch friends coming to dinner home. So children start to prepare dishes for me with eyes, ears and hairs! It was a fun mess. My favourite class til now!

Regards!

# data[].attributes.body
For this 4th class I´ve prepared two team games. In the first one, children have to put different parts of the face in wall posters from different animals like rabbi, or elephant. Thet have to form a line and run to the wall to paste them. In the second one, they have to grab from a pile of face parts on the floor, naming each one and put them in the correct box marked with the picture, for instance ear. This activities were very fun, a little messy but children commited and participate actively, learn and name the parts of the face and their colours. Even act like some of the animals and produce their sounds. A very fun class!

Regards, Lucía

# data[].attributes.body
My fifth practicum class had unexpected but well resolved issues. This class was supposed to happen in the sum, but technicians were repairing something, so I improvise and ask children to go outside. The reading was beautiful, the tale was Winnie the Witch. They love it and participate a lot, laugh and name their feeling, the changing colours from Wilbur. The sun made the cover of my tale shine, it was magical.

For the second activity, as I couldn´t go to the sum TV, I sang the song from Winnie, and mate them all sing it , dance and touch their toes, their tail, etc.

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Here is the last picture with Natalí; the teacher and Jorgelina; the principal.

# data[].attributes.body
The last class, I felt overwhelmed! A mix of happiness for finishing my practicum classes and sadness to say goodbye to all these beautiful people. The class went fluid and beautiful, we review the tale, talk about the tale and sing Winnie´s song, then to end, children painted Wilbur the cat with many colors. Children made everything right, playing, singing, showing me love and affection. I did not want to say good bye. We took many pictures, have thousands of hugs and then I left. I will never forget this group, their teacher and Jorgelina, their principal.Hope English to be a subject in kinder soon!