changes

At school things are changing. Obviously as things are always changing and especially since the school is still new and we’ve just hired 3 new teachers and moved so many around and created the new classes…we’ve found that our kindergarten teacher Esther has only ever taught older children and while she is open to the learning centers way of teaching she doesn’t really get it and the class gets more and more didactic if Dorothy isn’t in with her. Our first/second grade teacher Gift is getting worried for when I leave as he will then have both classes and as I’ve explained some of my challenges when I had both, he’s not really looking forward to it. so the powers that be are trying to decide what to do and how to maybe move people around so that things are all covered and it is best for the school and the kids.

The 3 year old teacher (Rebecca) and 4 year old teacher (Patience) have been asked to observe and try out the kindergarten class. they do a great job in their classes and it will be a shame to move them, it will be easier to move them and get a new teacher in one of their classes than to get a new kindergarten teacher altogether (is the thinking that I hear happening). Esther has been observing me in my class with the thought that she could move to be the 1st/2nd assistant. I was asked many times if that would be ok with me and I don’t mind at all. she seems to be good with the kids at this age and has no problem asking questions of how I do things and where I get my ideas and curriculum and who will make copies if I’m gone. I think that it might work. She observed Thursday and Friday and each day after sending the kids home she grilled me with what I do and when exactly and where my schedule was. I had to tell her that I didn’t have a schedule—everything I did was a rough estimate of what needed to get through. We need a schedule and everything has to be on it. (I have no idea how to put everything on a schedule) but I told her I would try. When we get back from midterm break (next week) I think she will teach some of the subjects but she doesn’t want to take the whole day just yet. We’ll see how it goes after break.