Starting back to school last week after about 2 weeks off was a bit of a shock. I think in those two weeks off from school I forgot how much work and energy it takes to care for 23 seven and eight year olds. The first day back was filled with runny noses, hurt fingers, stuck coat zippers, whiney voices, and many students who forgot how to sit still and follow directions! We all needed lots of reminders of what to expect in second grade. Myself included!
The other shock of coming back to school was listening, thinking, and speaking in both German and English throughout the day. I teach all of my classes in English, however because we are a bilingual classroom we do many things in both English and German. After spending two weeks in America, I had to make a quick adjustment!!
It is amazing to watch the students learn in two languages and to see them improve throughout the year. This environment also helps me to improve my German language skills! At times, I am reminded of how truly unique this setting is and I smile at the interactions and communication that take place in my classroom.
Here are some examples:
1. Students working together
I really like to put the students in mixed groups of native English and native German speakers. I love to observe as the students figure out which language to speak to each other and how to communicate! Sometimes the language switches from sentence to sentence or even word to word. The students love to translate for one another when necessary and are eager to help. Students can really be the best teachers!!
2. The struggle to understand
We have been studying lots of different kinds of animals in science class. One day while we were writing about animals a German boy came up to me and said, "Ms. Nicholson, how do you spell... how do you spell... the animal with this: (and he places his hand in a fist with a finger sticking up on top of his head like a horn)".
I thought to myself, "He's getting really creative and must be writing about a unicorn!" I replied "A unicorn?"
"No, no, no! Like this!" He says and acts out the animal with the horn again.
"Is it like a horse?" I asked.
"Um, sort of. No. It is..." He continues to act out the animal while motioning it's particularly large size. Then he says, "Er hat zwei Hörner!!" (It has 2 horns!)
Then, I knew!
"OOOOO! A RHINOCEROS!!" I answered!
We both had huge smiles as we figured out the mystery animal.
The next challenge: helping him to spell it!
3. Putting it all together
The students in our class often have to switch quickly from learning or speaking in German and English and then back again. They are able to switch in their brains many times throughout our day depending on what subject is being taught or who they are speaking to.
It was after lunch one day and a German girl had to stay in from recess for behavior reasons and was reorganizing some of the books in our classroom library. I was finishing my own lunch at my desks and working on checking a few papers in the short time before the students came back from recess. As I sat, ate, and graded, I listened to this student talk to herself while she sorted the books. She went back and forth from German to English and English to German talking to herself about the books she was putting away!
How funny to hear the bilingual self-talk even when no one is watching!
4. The benefits
On the first day back from break I asked my German students if they spoke any English over break. I was blown away by their responses! We went around the circle and the students told me about ways that they are able to use their English to help others. A couple students had guests or visitors they met during their Christmas break that only spoke English. They were one of the only ones in their family able to help communicate or translate.
Other students shared how they tell their parents what they learn in English class. One girl really likes to help her brother. Another boy used his English to make a new friend that he met over Christmas break. Many of the students shared that when their parents do not know very much English, they are able to help them.
What a joy to hear the many ways that they practice and use their English to help others!
5. Sometimes we get stuck!
Everyday before we start English class with the German students I have them do the following motions. First, we open our brains, then we take out our German, we put in our English, and then we close our brains. From that point on we do our very best to only speak in English!
I started class with a song one day and forgot to do this routine. We had not switched our brains! I continued with the lesson in English not realizing this and stopped when I heard a boy speaking in German.
"Did I hear you speaking in German?" I asked him.
"Yes, Ms. Nicholson." He replied. "I can not speak in English because my German is still in my brain!"
Oh, what fun we have!!
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