Characters of Class 4

I realized today that I kinda told you about the general stuff about the school but not much about the characters that are in Class 4. Like I said earlier, this school was founded about 12 years ago by a woman and her husband who are still the administrators. There are grades from KG 1 to class 12. The students are placed by their skill level not their age. I believe there is a 23 year old in class 12. Most of my students are 11 when technically they should be only 9. The school is housed in one whole building and a bridge was built to connect the main building to the one next to it which houses the high school on the top four floors. (the bridge is made out of mettle and plastic but I assure you its sturdy just kinda funny to see a bridge in between two separate buildings owned by two different people) My class is on the sixth floor (there is no elevator :)) So I climb every day about 5 flights at least four times a day. Way to go legs! I currently teach all the subjects except grammar and science. I will pick up grammar on tuesday and then the following sunday pick up grammar. I will then teach for three weeks straight all by myself. By the way, I was able to get enough material for the students to make their own homemade compasses in groups. They loved it! I asked them to find out which way America was from inside the building. Since we were studying the Pony Express we needed to know which way was St. Joseph MO so that we could use it :). Then we learned about a map, the key, compass rose and a sun dial. These types of experience helps in learning to read and being able to connect their experience to the reading and make it personal to their own lives. Otherwise, the story becomes boring and useless. So we actually went way over out time for reading but they were asking such good questions!.
Anyway, my characters. Oh what to say about my class? I chuckle because of how funny they are. I have 25 students in my class, 13 boys and 12 girls. Usually they are mixed in their seating but the parents asked if they could be separated because when they are at this age (according to them) they cannot keep their hormones at bay anymore. So they need to be split boy and girl. I have your normal breakfast club students. The clown of my class is A (call him that to protect him). Today we were reading my book that I wrote and he said, "Miss Rachel, your story is so touching. I cant wait to hear the body of the story!" He said it with a little smirk and glint in his eyes. He says things like "If you were president what would you change about our country?" He also says "Your so cool, Miss Hoerner." Most of the students want to be American and so you will hear them say English slang or idioms and you think where did that come from? Then there is F. She has such a valley girl attitude. She thinks shes all that and a bag of chips. She's funny too. There is A. He is super smart. He gets A+ on everything he does practically. I usually grade his test first because it is easier using that then the answer book. There is also P. He is exactly like my nephew Henry. Oh man, they look alike, talk alike, think alike. He even has some of the same mannerisms. S is like the mother of the students. She is super sweet and kind most of the time, but man can she bite back sometimes. Then there is Sa. She is so shy and quite. She has the quietest voice you will ever hear. I feel like I need to be standing right next to her to hear her. This is just a glimpse and there is so much more about them that I could say.
I will say that the households here are much different that you would think. Almost every home has a maid, cook, driver, a guard for the house and other servants. I am told that the students are very rude to these people. It is because they see these people as not people but something lower than human. These jobs are for people who aren't educated and do not help society. It is hard to imagine how these children in my class who are so sweet and respectful toward me can be so abominable to people at home. Often the father will eat dinner and then the children and then the mother and she only eats if there is any food left. The way that you and I think is completely backwards here. This next week for Moral Ed we are discussing courtesy. Somethings that you would think should be just automatic are things that they have never even considered before. Simple ideas like not yelling at people or being rude to them is so foreign here. One day we are going to compare cultures so I will definitely describe the differences. They will be doing a project where they mus find five people that are not related to them and ask them their name, what they do and what they like to do. This is to get them to talk to people that they might ignore for various reasons so that they realize that they are people just like them with real dreams and desires.

Side Note: Passing gas and burping here is totally accepted. I find that when someone burps at the table or in public, where you would think people would be more discreet, it still shocks me. I think, how rude. But here it is totally normal. It can be entertaining to say the least.

Anyway, you can be praying for these next several weeks for my students and my student teaching full time.

PS Thank you to all who have commented or written me emails about my blog. The encouragement is wonderful and keeps me going! Thank you as well for your prayers. May God bless you always where ever he has you!