Learning with the walls

One thing that I have learned the most in teaching for the 2nd year, is how effective it is to use the classroom walls to "anchor" the students learning. How I wish I used more of this concept last year! I guess that it is both a blessing and a curse to continue learning - you get to grow in knowledge, but then you regret not knowing it earlier. Reading one of my favorite websites, http://www.jmeacham.com/, I grew inspired to begin my year with empty walls. While this is usually a foreign concept for most teachers, it allows for the students to build the walls with their own learning! I sincerely feel that each of my students could walk around and describe the purpose and use for most of the material on the walls. They almost feel like they put it up there, as if they are personally close and connected to the text. What a neat perspective to see from a teacher's point of view!

Getting the room ready before the first day of school. If you remember from last year, I was blessed to move to a bigger room :).

This wall has grown so much since the beginning of the year! If you notice with the tree as the landmark in the other picture, the walls were empty before. The rack has our hanging poems and shared readings that we have created together. The roads and houses that you see is our "Word family neighborhood". Every week we learn a few word families (-ake, -at) and will create the house together. When we put it in the neighborhood, we all chant together "We are family!" The tree is our "Poe-tree" with tongue twisters that we created the first couple weeks of school. Near the ceiling are the phonograms that we learn each week. We use the phonics dance to help us get movin' as we learn how to read! The students LOVE to watch this wall grow.

My new C.A.F.E. wall this year. Each column stands for categories to focus on to create a more balanced reading program (C - comprehension, A - accuracy, F - fluency, and E - expanded vocabulary). I use this during my reading workshop to introduce new strategies to use independently.

A more close up picture of some of the posted strategies. I am so taken back at how much my students actually understand this chart and the strategies.

One of our Math word walls that will get changed out with new vocabulary. Using a laser pointer, we frequently reference it during Math lessons. Especially for all of those English language learners, having the vocabulary posted has been so helpful!

Our "Interesting Word Wall" where we put all of the big vocabulary that we find in our Read-Alouds. I try to introduce big words like "strategy, stamina, and even schema" into my lessons. After we talk about it, one student will illustrate the word and then we put it on the word wall! Since we reference it enough, the students actually use these words in their own speech! So cute!

Some examples:

1. "Mrs. Evans, I think I am building stamina for school. The day is going by much faster!"
2. "Schema's what you know! What you see, what you hear, what you smell, what you taste, and what you feel!"
3. "I can use my schema as a strategy to help me read the words. I just have to remember the words that are already stored in my head."
   

(I am not even stretching or polishing these quotes from my students....they are the raw material straight from their adorable mouths)

When we were making predictions before and after our reading, I copied a few books that I had not read to the class yet. As they walked around taking note of the book's clues (title and front cover picture), they wrote down there predictions. Now they have so much fun looking for those books in our library to see if they are actually true!

When I was teaching them how to choose a "Just-right" book, I taught it to them with the demonstration of a biker riding either up or down a hill. I took this idea out from a book, but the illustrations are perfect to get the point across for a book that is "too hard", "too easy", and then "just-right". They still reference it now...even weeks after it has been taught!

As you can see, I was actually able to upload pictures this time! The trick you might wonder? Two things: Coffee shop's internet + compressed pictures. A few extra steps, but I can finally connect with the real world again!

Kindred Spirits

As I sit here with happy tears in my eyes, I can't help but think of my dearest of kindred spirits......my sisters. There is a connection there that feels a deep longing to be physically close to them, to hug them, laugh with them, and cuddle......oh goodness....I need to stop before I get emotional. I don't love the place that I put myself in, now only "hearing" about the special news instead of getting to actually "be there" when awesome stuff happens. But this blog post is not supposed to be about how much I miss them, but is to share a story of how someone allowed me to taste a bit of this joy once again.

A little over a week ago, I was contacted through Skype by Kelsey's boyfriend Tim. He asked me if I wanted to help be a part of this scavenger hunt that he had planned for Kelsey that upcoming Friday. All excited, I got prepared and ready to receive my phone call from Kelsey that Saturday morning (my time) at around 5:00am to give her the special clue for her next destination. The following things were left for even ME to discover when I received her call that morning:

1. My sister Cassie was in the car with her! What an overwhelming/emotional wave of excitement bursting through the phone lines.
2. She had already been on the scavenger hunt since 12:00 that afternoon - traveling all over Lynchburg.
3. I was able to be her last clue which led her to the place where they had their first kiss.....AND.........
4. To all of our surprises, Tim was waiting there on one knee asking her hand in marriage!

I don't think that I have ever felt so overjoyed, honored, and emotional. Just to hear my sister Cassie on the other line going "Wait, it's Tim....wait, he's on one knee.....wait, she said yes!!!" All I heard was screaming, and all they heard from me was sobbing. What a beautiful moment. Simply beautiful.

Tim on the other hand, got HUGE brownie points. I am so impressed that he knew my sister enough to have each of her siblings (even the ones in China) included in his proposal. Thank you again Tim for allowing me to be a part of your special day! Many blessings to you both. So...I guess I don't always have to just get the phone call a day later when things happen....I get to be on the phone when they are happening! What a privilege.

Pictureless blog

So I have finally realized that if I want to do this blog thing.....it is going to have to be pictureless for a bit. While we have the vpn, our uploading speed is RIDICULOUSLY slow (a.k.a. one picture per hour)...."way too agonizing for facebook" I thought to myself, "but maybe okay for the blog." Yet the waiting around has caused some unsightly emotions come out from sitting still for 3 hours for just one blog post! All in all.....it will have to be pictureless until the uploading decides to be kind to me.

2nd year of teaching...what a joy.

The first six weeks of classroom routines are up and running, and everything (pretty much) is running smoothly! Oh what a joy it is to begin a year with more confidence, a map of the year in mind, and a better handle on language expectations. I feel as though my life has gone through many seasons upon coming to China. It reminds me of "Desert song" by Hillsong....going through the fire, battle, desert, and then the harvest. With the challenges set before me with the sheer number of students in my class last year, and then the lack of language ability nearly drowned me...I surely felt like I was fighting for my sanity and joy. Yet this year, it is as though my life is in the harvest, and I am reaping the fruits of His sovereign promises that plan to prosper us and not to harm us.

Many things have changed for the better this year: We now have an English program for 1st grade to help support those who need basic vocabulary and speaking/listening skills.....(I wish I had that last year). Due to the effects of this program, the 13 first grade students enrolled for this year turned into 6 in the ES class and 7 in mine! Woah! At first, I was unsure what I was going to do going from a quiver-full last year to only 7. As time went on, I was overwhelmed with the blessing of a small class....not only is it much easier to manage, but I genuinely feel like I am able to create an individualized intervention plan (if needed) for each child in my classroom. Over the summer I researched a lot of new techniques to create more effective reading/writing instruction. With a smaller class, I am able to play around and experiment with this new framework for my teaching. Using the reading/writing workshop method, more time is allotted for actual independent reading and writing.....I actually have students saying "Mrs. Evans, writing is my favorite time of the day!" (no exaggeration). I have had many tearful moments of joy by the growth I have already been able to see this year. I can't wait to share more stories of how adorable my students are.

I have been trying to upload pictures, but for some reason the vpn is not working....I'll give it a try in a little bit.

"When life gives you lemons, make lemonade"

We have passed the one year mark! As we sat on the beaches of Dalian, we couldn't help but reminisce about what our life looked like exactly one year before that day. Scrambling around adding the last minute touches for the wedding, packing up and saying our goodbyes as we were soon heading off to China, and then paving the way to start our first year of teaching! While I could take this entire post to open up all of the ways that He has led (and shielded) us through this year, I will instead just share our lastest memory. A memory that truly captures how we made it through this year as a strong team, best friends, more in love than July 18th of last year. This entire year, we strove to find the positive in things...whether we were battling students who didn't speak English, ourselves who didn't speak Chinese, or just plain homesickness. The quote "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade" comes back in my head often as I think about what our life here would be if we had lived it half-empty. It's so easy to just grumble and complain about everything that doesn't make sense and "Isn't fair". So....back to this memory I was going to share with you:

It was Saturday night and Dave and I had just arrived in Dalian anxious/excited to celebrate our first anniversary together. We stepped into the hotel room to find a dingy room with two seperate beds! What in the world??!!? What a let down after traveling for four hours all built up with expectation for this wonderful weekend (Apparently the pictures on the internet had not been updated in years). After taking a few deep breaths, Dave pipes up and goes "If they won't give us one bed, we'll make one bed ourselves!". Curious to see how he is going to make this work, I documented his successful efforts : )

Lucky for us, after we subtly expressed our disappointment to the hotel manager, they gave us a king-sized suite for the next night (at the same cost)!

*A quick note, this post went up right after a back to back trip with my parents coming to visit us. I will post some of our favorite memories soon, or you can look at a majority of the pictures through Facebook. Love you all!

"Oh those China adventures..."

So it's been a while since I last posted, but I thought I would reminisce a little bit (only a couple months back) about some great "China moments" thus far. While there ARE memories that top or surpass the ones I have here, I only wanted to post the ones that we were actually able to capture on camera. They will most likely make you feel emotions of "Oh my, what in the world?" or "wow, how conventional!". At least that's what we thought...


#1 - A typical way to transport stuff (a.k.a. junk, trash, etc.)

#2 Who said that only hamsters and "Bubble boy" could ride in one of these? I had to fight the urge not to join the 5 year olds and make myself look like a fool.

#3 Funny story: First, Dave and I rode a bike down to go pick up this desk we bought from a friend. Did you hear the part "rode A bike"? Just one bike. We have seen all of the other Chinese women just sit side saddle on the back and thought it was a piece of cake. That was until we hit a puddle with a hidden pothole and both of us landed with a thud and then a splash...yep, right in the puddle. We ended up walking/waddling the rest of the way. Once we bought the desk, it was then that we realized it would not fit into a taxi. We had an interesting time practicing our Chinese while we asked a random guy with a bike/rickshaw to carry me and the desk back to our place (only 5 min away). I am so glad that we actually had our camera with us that time!

#4 - One of my numerous outings to the furniture market. This time I was with a good friend practicing our "bartering techniques" when getting a carpet for my classroom. We go there so often we have worked up quite the friendly relationship with the people there. I thought I would post it here to display a significant amount of my shopping adventures.

#5 Privacy is obviously not a top priority here in China. In the middle of the hustle and bustle of the silk market in Beijing, they pull a little sheet for us to change behind. At first I just looked at them and laughed like "Are you serious?". But apparently they were. After a while, you get used to the staring and just become painfully aware that about 20 strangers just saw your underwear.

#6 You could go ice skating OR look like a little granny and skid the whole way......I

chose to look elderly while my husband pushed me around. Wow, I hope that is not a look into the future or anything.

#7 Normal people cross over the river by taking the bridge. The Evans' decide to literally bike over the frozen river. It's worth it if you are willing to sacrifice looking sane to the rest of your friends.

We hope you enjoyed a tidbit about our little China adventures. More to come!

Mystery word.

For those of you out there who enjoyed figuring out the mystery word, here is another one!

R O M E T C P U

Hope you have fun with it! Let me know if you need a hint...