Healthy Eating Celebration

On Thursday we had a Healthy Eating Celebration with our class!

The week before the students got to pick from a list of fruits and vegetables what they would like to contribute to our class lunch. Each student brought a small contribution of fruit or vegetables to add to the pot!

We made a fruit salad and a big batch of vegetable soup to show how delicious and fun it is to be a healthy eater.

On the day of our celebration each student had a cutting board and lots of food to cut up. We worked hard to cut everything into small pieces. (No student's fingers were hurt in this process!) We had awesome parent helpers who helped to guide the students in all the preparation.

Once the soup was cooked, the whole school smelled wonderful! Students came from all grades to see if they could have some of our food. We told them it was just for 2nd grade! :)

I took lots of fun pictures of our day from the beginning to the end.

Enjoy!

A wonderful parent reading "The Berenstein Bears: No More Junk Food" to the class during snack time.

Students learning how to properly use knives and cut vegetables before we stated!

Cutting up the fruits and vegetables!

Look at those onions! The students did a wonderful job!!

The vegetable soup is heating up on the stove and Emilia decided to make an elephant out of an apple.

 

One of our dads brought in a juicer so we could add orange and lemon juice to the fruit salad. So yummy!

The completed fruit salad and cut up vegetables.

While the soup was cooking we went upstairs and translated the names of fruit and vegetables into German and English including the "der, die, or das" for the German words!

 

The soup is ready and we are all excited to eat!

The girls are hungry and it smells so good :)

Excited to eat the soup and homemade bread!

It tasted so good!

It was so much fun to create a class soup and salad that symbolized our unity, helping one another, and how hard work can produce something absolutely wonderful!

 

 

Teaching über Deutschland

On Thursday and Friday afternoons I have the privilege of teaching the first graders Social Studies!

Ok, I'm going to be honest, this does not always feel like a privilege. In fact, if I'm completely honest, sometimes I dread Thursday and Friday at the end of the day.

Here are some of the reasons why:

• The first grade class has 16 German students who only understand a little English (however, they are getting much better at this point in the year!) and there are 4 English speaking students. Needless to say, discipline and communication are rough.
• I teach them the LAST 1/2 hour or hour of the day at the END of the week.
• I'm exhausted. They're exhausting/exhausted.

We started the year doing an "All About Me" unit and book. Then we moved to "Our Families" followed by "Our Community". And now we are on "Our Country". This means I'm teaching about Germany!

When I first realized this I thought, "Me?! Teach Germany? I've only lived here 6 months. I don't know that much about Germany! There are 4 or 5 other German teachers at our school who are way more qualified and would do a MUCH better job teaching the students about Germany then me. I'm not even German!"

However, the Germany unit started last week and I was running the show. I began to learn more of the important details about Germany and I was determined to help the students celebrate their own country. We made German flags and memorized the order of the colors. We traced a map of Germany and found where we lived. We learned the number of German states, the capital, the three major rivers, and the name of the big forest in southern Germany (The Black Forest!).

Here's a picture of them with their cute German flags!

The students will often correct my pronunciation as I try translate words from English to German for them or say the name of the rivers or our state in German. It is a stretching, but good experience for all of us. =)

While I don't always feel up to the challenge of teaching these students, The Lord strengthens me every time. I know I am building relationships with these students that will give us a head start when they are in second grade next year. And I'm excited to help them learn more about their world! I'm grateful for the patience and energy Jesus gives me each week Thursday and Friday rolls around.

 

High School Retreat!

Last weekend was the High School Retreat in Lenk, Switzerland. I wanted to post earlier about the highlights of weekend, but I am just getting around to it!
The entire high school of Black Forest Academy traveled to a beautiful setting in the alps for a weekend to relax and recharge spiritually. It was a wonderful place to be and to connect with students that I don't interact with on a daily basis. As much as I love my second graders, this was a welcomed change!


The view from where we stayed.

The best part of the trip was bonding with my awesome small group of seven, freshman girls. These girls have families serving in countries around the world. Most of the girls live in the various female dorms of BFA and are miles away from their homes.

This weekend provided the opportunity to connect with my small group in a deeper level. We were challenged by the weekend speaker, encouraged by the worship band, and inspired by hearing from a panel of women speakers about issues such as body image and sexuality.


Gathering for worship and a session.

After each session our small group had time to process what we heard and to share with each other about what we were learning. I am so thankful to continue to learn and grow with these girls and for such a wonderful time together.

I also was able to soak in the beauty of the place and enjoy some down time. Saturday afternoon provided some time to venture with staff friends into the town of Lenk, play some Dutch Blitz, and sip coffee while looking at the breathtaking mountains!

 

I didn't want to leave!

Last weekend was a great chance to relax and connect with some awesome people. However, going back into a full week of school was a bit challenging and draining. I really appreciate your prayers for the next two weeks before our Spring Break. The Lord is reminding me that He truly is faithful and my strength. I am so thankful for the wonderful opportunities God has provided and how He will continue to provide.

Glory to God

My pile of grading started to get higher and higher and I finally found the time to attack a good chunk of it. I began to read through the student's creative writing projects where they had been writing about what it would be like to live next door to a pet who could grant wishes. My student's creativity continues to blow me away and I smiled as I read their ideas about owls, deer, turtles, and cats that could give you candy, someone to do your homework for the rest of your life, or 10,000 free apps on your ipad.
As I filled out the grading rubric and began to add stickers to their papers I began to consider what it would be like to have stickers on all our accomplishments. Many people know that I love stickers. They add that special little touch on student papers or on a fun craft. But what if on all our accomplishments we received a sticker? And what if this sticker was one that pointed to where the credit was really due? What if this sticker said "Glory to God!", "Praise the Lord!", or "Rejoice!"?
I think it would remind us to keep our focus on where our true source of value comes from. The Lord has blessed us with many amazing abilities, interests, and gifts. So often I loose track of who deserves the praise. I can become self-absorbed or proud of my own accomplishments or successes when in fact, the Lord has truly given me the ability and the blessing to be able to do so much.
Sometimes I find that I need that sticker. I need that reminder that it's not about me. It's not about what I can do. It's about what the Lord can do through me. And when the success comes (or even if it doesn't) we must remember to give God the glory. Rejoice! Praise the Lord! He works in us and through us in amazing ways.  

 I think I'll keep using my cute little stickers. My hope is that it reminds my students to give praise to God for the creativity and the awesome gifts God has given them!

 

Theater Week!

There's a lot I could blog about because it's been a little while since I posted! So sorry!

I'll start by sharing with you about this past week which was Theater Week at our school. This means that each grade prepared a short play (or two!) to perform for the whole school. We spent the week practicing and then performed in front of the whole school on Friday.

In second grade we decided to have the German students work on a play in English and the English students work on a play in German. During our normal language arts and partner language time this week we worked on our lines, ideas for costumes, a few props, and how to be a great performer in our play. I worked with our German students on, "The Tortoise and the Hare." It was not easy to keep the students focused on the performance (especially the boys!), but I was proud of the students' success in the end. Working on the play was true to it's message, "slow and steady wins the race!"

Here are a few shots from our Theater Week and Friday performances.

Students dressed up like animals from the forest and excited for the play!

 

Our mouse and our cat!

 


Here are my students performing "The Tortoise and the Hare" on Friday.

 

Hare cannot believe that Tortoise wants to challenge him in a race!

 

The students congratulate Tortoise on the win.

 

The English students worked on the play, "Der Hase und der Igel" meaning "The Rabbit and the Hedgehog". It was such a cute play including some songs sung to traditional German tunes.

 


One of the students started crying right before the play (for various reasons) and so I went in the front with her and tried to act out her part. In the end she was able to say some of her lines. So sad!

 


The English students taking a bow!

 It is so rewarding to hear the students say their lines and perform the plays in their second language. It is amazing how far the students have come from the beginning of the year until now. The students learn so quickly and really try their best to speak in their non-native tongue. Working on a play together was a great way to build their confidence and practice speaking clearly for everyone to hear.

I took this picture for the beautiful view outside. What an awesome day!

 


The fourth grade German students did a play about a field trip to the farm.

 

The fourth grade English students did a shadow play. It was super creative and fun!

At the end of the two second grade plays (both were about races) we all recited Philippians 3:14 in German and English about running the race to the true goal, Jesus Christ. In these cold winter days it is a good reminder to me to keep my eyes focused heavenward. Christ has called me to continue to serve here in Germany with joy and gladness even when I am exhausted or may be missing aspects of a familiar place. I am thankful to have a few days off (this Monday and Tuesday) during the German holiday, in order to recuperate and get back on course when the race gets rocky and tough.
Paul writes:
"I press on to the goal to win the prize for which God has called me Heavenward in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 3:14.

And as Tortoise would say, "As you move from place to place, slow and steady wins the race!"

Snowy Days!

We have had some lovely snowfall here in Germany over the last few weeks. The snow makes recess at little more fun at school as the students build snowmen, play soccer in the snow, or slide down small hills in their snow pants! Everyday the kids get bundled up in all their gear to play in the winter wonderland.This week it is supposed to get warmer and it will be sad to see some of the snow melt away.

I have enjoyed watching the kids marvel at the intricacy of each snowflake and how they come back inside with bright pink cheeks and cold hands!

Here are some fun pictures of student's playing at recess in the snow.





Some first graders loving the snow!

 

Third graders pause in their play for a picture.



Awesome picture of one of my students showing off some acrobatic moves!



Playing with some of my German girls at recess.

 

So thankful to work with wonderful people! Enjoying the snow together during recess duty. :)

 


The kids play fussball (soccer) no matter what the weather is like!

 

mmmmm...snow flakes

 

Photo credit: Amy!

 

The front of our school with handmade snowflakes handing in the windows.

 

Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes.

It is so much fun to enjoy the snow together and to be reminded of the beauty and intricacy of God's creation in each tiny snowflake. Just like each flake, we too are uniquely created and beautifully designed by a marvelous and loving God. Blessings as you enjoy the beauty of God wherever you may be!

A Peak into the Bilingual Classroom

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!!