Day #5...it's getting harder to look alive! Ok, so as much fun as I am having learning about everything...it's about time for a breather. These days are extremely long and I've just about reached my information absorption cap. With that said, I learned a lot today about changing my teaching methods to ensure a classroom where I am respected by my students and their parents. For example, in the US, it is seen as a positive thing to allow student discussion, or use strategies like think/pair/share. In many cultures, students will lose respect for you if you are not the only one talking the whole time. What?!?! I am all about getting out the info and then letting the kids do the rest. I am a big believer in the kids being the ones who learn from working hard; not me...if you are not a teacher, that might not make sense...but the saying goes, if you don't have a voice at the end of the day and you are exhausted, then you did all the work and the kids didn't do enough. Anyway, kind of eye opening for me that there are many things that will need tweaking. It's all part of the learning experience though, and I need to start realizing the way I am used to things being done is NOT going to be the same. I just need to keep repeating that over and over in my head. At the end of the day, I was able to fit in a nice run which helped relieve some of my tension and then the girls and I set up a movie on a projector in one of the classrooms we are sleeping in (aren't we crafty already??? :). It was a nice end to a long day. One more day, and then a break...very excited!