Eleven year olds don't scare me, but Maths? Now that is different.

Okay, so I started school on Tuesday (first day with pupils).  I have met my Form Tutor class, similar to a home room.  These nineteen students range in all levels S1-S6 (Secondary 1, age 11-Secondary 6, age 18).  I see them every morning for attendance, announcements, and some chatting for about ten minutes.  So far, they have given me some really good advice about buying warm clothes, walking on the left side of the hall, and what is the best time to queue up for the canteen.

So life it the same at the beginning of school in any country:  we had an unplanned fire drill and no one knew exactly where to go.  But my Form Tutor class found me and together we found the right place!  Then we stood out in the sun and discussed how much homework they had from that second day.

But everywhere is not Scotland.

While we discussed homework, it started to rain, a lot.  Then we all got soaked.  We may have been outside for a total of 15-20 minutes.  Is this what they mean when they say the weather is changeable?  I think that they may have been a bit surprised by my maniacal laughter.  But really, when water is running down your back and into your underwear, what else can you do?

My schedule, scratch that, my timetable is pretty confusing.  I have 16 different classes that I meet over 23 class periods.  There are 6 periods a day.  Each of my 16 classes can be found on one of the three floors of the Scandinavian-designed school.  As I traverse the hall ways, I am cheered by walls of windows to maximize the flow of light into the corridors.  It is quite pleasant.  I have classes across the following different course subjects:  English, Science, French, Geography, and Maths.  This is less pleasant.  I am trying to refamiliarize my ear to French.  English, Science and Geography do not phase me.  My role in most classes is to help students stay on task, repeat or clarify directions one-on-one, encourage careful note taking, and to help the teacher with the vast level of differentiation in each class.  In one class, there were six groups each with a separate task.  Talk about having a flexible mind--I felt as if mine was wrung dry after that class.  :)

Perhaps my biggest task will be to help write lessons for two S1 students who are very low in Maths--perhaps even at the elementary level as far as skills go.  We are working on basic numeracy skills:  counting, adding, subtracting, time, etc.  Today, I spent about an hour making a two-sided work sheet with a total of 20 problems on it.  I am striving to make the work visually accessible, somewhat appealing in look, skill appropriate, and with simple directions.  This is a far cry from my typically, text/fact-heavy IB curriculum extension material.  

I am not worried about this new curricular challenge (after all, I wanted a new experience), I am just a bit flummoxed about where to begin.

Serious request, if anyone has suggestions about good Maths Websites or lesson plans, I would welcome the assistance and inspiration!

I have survived most of the week.  As my mentor said, if we make it to Friday with no complaints, we are in great shape.  Woo Hoo!  Here is to a complaint-free Friday!

Au revoir!