My Brilliant New Students

I haven't blogged in a while. Work has been extremely stressful with the class changes and schedule changes... I sunk into a funk for a minute or two, but I think I'm pulling through... Expect multiple updates in the near future :)

I have new students. I wasn't excited about it, but they're amazing. I now teach the two highest levels at LCI. These kids are so smart, it blows my mind. Now, instead of teaching my afternoon classes about the months of the year and how to spell "donkey," I'm teaching voice and vivid details and declarative and interrogatory sentences and LOVING IT!

Today, in my afternoon class, we were discussing the nature of friendship, and how it can take many forms. We had also discussed poetry, and different kinds of poems. I decided to give them 5-7 minutes to write at least a 12-line poem, in any form, about friendship. The results were astounding. I decided I had to share them with all of you...

The following are excerpts from poems about friendship written in under 7 minutes by 10-11 year olds (in their second language):

"She brags until I say
'What a show off;
You brag too much
Just say the word you need
to say.'
Just don't have a mouth full of brags.
But remember this word
in case of something:
'You are my friend, my best friend...'"

Friend is
who worry
and sad
and happy
with me.

Friend is
person that
know each
others' mind

Friend can't
change with
a jewelry
or a treasure.

This one I just had to take a photo of - it was too awesome:


And finally, from my smart-ass genius in the class (with whom I can have lengthy discussions about all things Harry Potter):

"Dragon Friendship"
A dragon sees another
They really like each other
they have some fun
they become dumb
but they always stick together

Together they fly
They always float by
and burn up some grass
eat up some lambs

Together they go
to get a nacho
but they always stick together.

Aren't you blown away too?!?! I'm really looking forward to getting more and more out of them. My head supervisor was also extremely impressed, and wants to post them on the lobby display board!! All this because I needed to kill a couple minutes! :)

That's all I've got for today - I need to finish watching the first episode of this latest season of Grey's Anatomy :)

But first - check out this cool effect my camera does: I can make the moon sparkle!


And we had a b-day yesterday in Kindergarten... Here is my class, all big and old as a 7-2 class now. And that's Philip in the middle, top row. You'll hear lots more about him soon. Philip, the cause of my tension headache...



Love you all!!