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Every year I get to the end of RE classes in May/June and say to myself, "Oh, thank goodness that's done. I think I should take next year off and just relax." And invariably, by the time August rolls around and the DRE asks for volunteers, I sign right up again. *shakes head* Well, it's not really all that big a committment, not the way we have the teaching teams set up -- an hour and a half on twelve to fourteen days a year -- and by this point, I am certain I am not going to scar any children for life. Mostly I just dislike mornings. *wry*
Anyway, this year I am part of a five-person team, though in effect we are a four-person team because Naomi is only teaching through December and will be replaced by Rene in January; Scott, Molly, and I will be teaching all the way through. The class is a combined K-2 group. That's a weird age spread, since kindergarteners and second graders don't have all that much in common, but it was forced on us by demographics. In other words, we have about five kids in kindergarten, five kids in second grade... and at least twelve in first grade. There is no good way to split that into reasonable class sizes. So we had seventeen kids jammed into a fairly small room this morning, and my god, they were wiggly. They were also pretty amenable to direction, all things considered, for which I am endlessly grateful.
This being the first day, we didn't have a lesson as such, just a bunch of introductory and logistical issues to get through. So we made nametags, went around the circle introducing ourselves and saying hi to each other, and collaboratively wrote a classroom covenant (i.e., the basic rules for the year). We also had the RE staff musician in our lesson this week, which I did not know would happen until I arrived at church and the DRE rather apologetically told me Judy would be there with her guitar. But that was okay; we just cut the icebreaker games and sang three songs instead. It works out.
Now I need to remember to write up my teaching schedule so PM knows which Sundays I am absolutely not available in the morning, and which days she can yank me in to work in case of emergencies.
Anyway, this year I am part of a five-person team, though in effect we are a four-person team because Naomi is only teaching through December and will be replaced by Rene in January; Scott, Molly, and I will be teaching all the way through. The class is a combined K-2 group. That's a weird age spread, since kindergarteners and second graders don't have all that much in common, but it was forced on us by demographics. In other words, we have about five kids in kindergarten, five kids in second grade... and at least twelve in first grade. There is no good way to split that into reasonable class sizes. So we had seventeen kids jammed into a fairly small room this morning, and my god, they were wiggly. They were also pretty amenable to direction, all things considered, for which I am endlessly grateful.
This being the first day, we didn't have a lesson as such, just a bunch of introductory and logistical issues to get through. So we made nametags, went around the circle introducing ourselves and saying hi to each other, and collaboratively wrote a classroom covenant (i.e., the basic rules for the year). We also had the RE staff musician in our lesson this week, which I did not know would happen until I arrived at church and the DRE rather apologetically told me Judy would be there with her guitar. But that was okay; we just cut the icebreaker games and sang three songs instead. It works out.
Now I need to remember to write up my teaching schedule so PM knows which Sundays I am absolutely not available in the morning, and which days she can yank me in to work in case of emergencies.
