ÿþ<html> <head> <title>Happy Marian - Year 1</title></head> <body vlink="#ffffff" alink="#0000ff" link="#ffff99" bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#ffcc00" background="/pix/bgcross.jpg"> &nbsp; <p style="text-align: center;"><strong><span style="font-size: x-large; font-family: comic sans ms,sans-serif;">Happy Marian - Year 1</span></strong></p> <span style="font-size: medium; font-family: comic sans ms,sans-serif;">When I first got to Taiwan I had three interviews lined up, one of the jobs I was pretty sure I'd take. When the school turned out to be a lying agent I was left without many options. It was the middle of the semester and there weren't many jobs open then. I realized early I wasn't cut out for kindergartens so I was looking for something with older kids or adults. I finally got lucky and found a good job with a private 'cram school' or after school school. The name of my school is Happy Marian (ë_jjt—ž‰[). It's a franchise chain school. I've had some problems there (like once getting fired) but for the most part everything has been well. I am in my second year now.</span> <span style="font-size: medium; font-family: comic sans ms,sans-serif;"> These are some pictures I took of my students in the first year. They are all wonderful kids and make me laugh everyday. I really love teaching them more than I ever thought I would.</span> <table style="width: 100%;" border="1" align="center"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="50%"><img src="HMfood.jpg" border="0" alt="" width="409" height="255" /></td> <td width="50%"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">Every morning I have to fix the food for the kids before they arrive. I also have to clean the floor, write a report, and listen to whatever the boss is complaining about that day.</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="50%"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">After lunch and before class the students have nap time. They do the best they can in the oversize chairs the school has given us. I've had some who will tip themselves over. </span> <span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">This boy was one of my favorites. I let him sit up front and he would often just sit and talk to me. He was very intelligent and learned quickly. He still comes up and talks to me now when he sees me at school.</span></td> <td width="50%"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><img src="HMsleep.jpg" border="0" alt="" width="335" height="214" /></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="50%"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><img src="HMclass.jpg" border="0" alt="" width="356" height="179" /></span></td> <td width="50%"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">My students had at work (because I told them to be for the picture). They are unusually still here.</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="50%"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">While the students are working, I walk around checking their work. If they make a mistake I try to point it out to them and explain their mistake.</span></td> <td width="50%"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><img src="HMweiwei2.jpg" border="0" alt="" width="319" height="287" /></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="50%"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><img src="HMpaul.jpg" border="0" alt="" width="329" height="218" /></span></td> <td width="50%"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">For their weekly Writing class, I sit down with them and go through everything they wrote and point out all the mistakes. This takes a long time and usually takes almost two class times. </span> <span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">This boy and his brother were always trouble-makers. This one I about got straightened out, but his brother was impossible.</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="50%"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><img class="aligncenter" style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://www.burningjoy.net/taiwan/HMletter.jpg" border="0" alt="" align="bottom" /> </span> <span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"> Here students use their bodies to spell words. I think this is supposed to be an 'L'</span></td> <td width="50%"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><img class="aligncenter" style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://www.burningjoy.net/taiwan/HMread.jpg" border="0" alt="" align="bottom" /> </span> <span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">I often have them play learning games to make things more interesting. Here they each have a number and will roll a die. Who's ever number comes up will read one sentence.</span> <span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"> </span></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="50%"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><img src="HMsentences.jpg" border="0" alt="" width="402" height="140" /></span></td> <td width="50%"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">The best way I've found to control them is to make them write sentences when they do anything to annoy me. They have a bad habit of interrupting me and talking out of turn. I have a list of 30 sentences on the whiteboard and, after giving them a warning, if they continue to misbehave they have to write 10 "I will not...." sentences. I got the idea from the beginning of 'The Simpsons.'</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="50%"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">One of their favorite classes is our Project class, or as they called it "making something class." Each week they make something. Sometimes it's something simple, other days complex. When I get the proper materials from the office it goes well, the other 90% of the time I have to be creative. </span> <span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">The girl in blue was my naughtiest. She craved attention and often interrupted class. I had to move her to the back of the class and this helped the problem.</span></td> <td width="50%"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><img src="HMpaint.jpg" border="0" alt="" width="463" height="291" /></span></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="50%"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><img src="HMproject.jpg" border="0" alt="" width="420" height="280" /></span></td> <td width="50%"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">This is an old picture from when we still had tables. These were much to small and I finally begged them some proper desks. In this project they are making a winter scene with construction paper houses and white paint and cotton for snow.</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="50%"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;">This is a tambourine they made. This little girl is the youngest because she was moved up from P1 (1st grade). She had trouble at first, but went on to the top of the class. Her spoken English was behind the others (due mostly to shyness) but she learned the grammar rules quickly.</span></td> <td width="50%"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><img src="HMweiwei.jpg" border="0" alt="" width="298" height="286" /></span></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p> <a href="hm5.html"><span style="font-size: medium;">Go on to Happy Marian - Year 5</span></a> &nbsp; <p> <a href="advtaiwan.html">Return to Adventures in Taiwan </a> <p> <a href="http://www.burningjoy.net/photo-album/">Return to Photo Page</a> <p> <a href="http://www.burningjoy.net">Return to Home</a> &nbsp; </body> </html>