Half Little Chick

     We chose Me and my partner Dania a story for grade four to use it designing  our lesson. The story title is "Little Half Chick" it teaches students a moral lesson which is the importance of helping others, and when you help people you are going to find someone that is going to help you when you are facing a problem.

     First of all we used the Padlet to ask the students pre_reading question, where they can read, comment and like their friends answers. Then we added the link of the story for them to listen to it. After that we used the Forms to design a reading comprehension activity using different types of questions. Moreover we put for them a link for story elements and conflict to read and then they are going to download a document to complete the graphic organizer about the story elements. 

     Here we come two our objective where the students have to write their own story and design a poster for it before acting it out for their classmates. I love working on Webquest because it make the work easier and you have a lot of opportunities to make your lesson creative. 

My Struggle..

     As you know from my previous posts that I am teaching Syrians, grade one. Any one who I meet and told them that I am teaching Syrians, that said what an easy job, they do not know what I am facing in the classroom and what is the big struggle.

    The struggle is that I am teaching different ages in one class. I have from age six until age 12. I have students that were in the kindergarten the year before, and students who never entered school before. It is really hard to deal with them. Should I teach them the A B Cs or to teach them something higher in level. By the way, I am not using the book because it is a disaster. Now I am using short stories from Pinterest with easy vocab words. The letter that is highly used in the story i highlight it with some new words, easy questions, and they are really enjoying it. I hope that I am doing a good job because I am doing my best to teach them, and their is no one in the school to help me, no coordinator, and the teachers are not cooperative at all. 

My First Day as a Teacher

     Yesterday I was talking with my friend about my first day as a teacher in the school, and I decided to share with you something funny.

     First day teaching when I entered the school I felt that I am a stranger because I don't know anyone their. I searched for the schedule to find where is the section that I must go to. By the way I teach pm shift, Syrian students, grade one. To continue, I went and stood beside the classroom waiting for the students to come, because they were having break. The students began to come, and while I was standing a student come and she made by her hand a gesture that said that I should lower my heard. I lowered my head and she said:"Where is the teacher, when is he going to come", not only her said but also several students. I was like whattttttttt, I am the teacher, I am waiting you inside the classroom and you asked where is the teacher. Maybe because I short they did not think that I am going to be their teacher. Moreover when I entered the classroom and closed the door, I started laughing without any reason, and I was thinking of opening the door and run.

     I will never forget this girl that told me that, and everyday when I see her I smile. 

Teacher's day

    Today is teacher's day. I did not think for one day that I am going to be teacher. When I was in high school I wanted to be clothes designer, or anything that is related to painting and everything that is related to it. When i went to the university to register, my dream become to fade. I don't want to be a graphic designer nor interior, although you need to have drawing skill, but most of the work is done on the computer and it is far so much from my interest. 
   
     I choose Teaching English, because they told me that your are going to find a work. I went to the administration  for several times to change it, but every time I changed my mind and went back to my class. But now everything change. I love my major with its difficulties. I learned and still learning new things about teaching and how to be a good teacher. Moreover, now I ma teaching grade one students, and I am enjoying my job so much. My instructor Dr. Rasha Halat supports and motivate us a lot, and she is a great model for a great teacher, and I wish someday I could become like her. 

    because today it is our big day, happy teacher's day for all my teacher that taught in the school, for my instructors and classmates in the university, my colleagues at school, and for every teacher around the world.  

   

ADHD Workshop with Doctor Huda Chaaban

     I think everyone of my classmates knew about the workshop about ADHD with Dr. Huda Chaaban before two weeks, and i had the opportunity to attend the two amazing days. So i want to tell you what happened in these two days because some of you want to attend it but they couldn't.

    Dr. Huda Chaaban is mesmerizing. She attracted everyone in the auditorium by her lecture. During the two days she did not sit for one minute, she kept moving around the room. She started by asking us what we know about children that have ADHD, and then she told what it is and its  symptoms. She stressed on the importance of knowing a lot of things about those children and to put ourselves in their place. They have problem behavioral problem, they lack the ability of self control and social problems. Also they have problems with communicating with other , where they can not choose their vocabulary to express their ideas and they have practical inability to use language. Moreover they have learning problems in reading, writing and math, where they lack the motivation to develop learning skills and have low self-esteem, loss of self-confident and loss of motivation..

     After our workshop in my university, she has another one the next day, and i really wish i could attend it, even though she is going to say the same information.



   

With the best three doctors

Workshop Team

Webinar Journal

    Yesterday I attended a webinar that is "12 keys to high quality early childhood Inclusion" and the speaker was Kathren  Wahl.
   
     First of all she introduced her self briefly and thanked everyone for attending her webinars, then she said that we should connect our prior knowledge with what we are learning to today, and absolutely she is right because sometimes we need to change, modify or add to the prior knowledge we have to use it in certain situation because our communities are changing.

      Secondly, she defined inclusion briefly by telling us that it is when children are all in the same class setting and work on the same curriculum, so that they feel that they belong to the group. When students feel that they belong to a certain group, they are going to build a positive relationships among with their peers and teacher, so they will relax regulate and engage in the learning process.

      According to me this is true because not only students, each individual needs to feel that he/she belongs to be happy and productive in his/her community. Moreover she said that not only normal children who benefit from inclusion, but also children with disabilities, all parents, adults who works with children and communities. To add, she stressed the importance of inclusion for children with disabilities, and mentioned that we should see them as a child first, and their special need comes next. These children are going to imitate their friends, become more independent and self-reliant.

      Finally, she ended the webinar by saying that we need to have inclusive classroom to students with and without disabilities, to visualize their needs and take into account the differences among students.