Time flies in China just like it does at home!

So yes, I have been delinquent in posting, but I also can't believe how fast the last few months of the school year have gone.  I suppose that it doesn't matter where you are - being busy is being busy.

After winter break I spent a month teaching grade 2.  It was a crazy/wonderful/mind-boggling/stressful/fun experience, particularly since I lost my voice after about a week....made me realize just how much I rely on my teacher voice!  The class gained 5 new students - 4 of them being of various ESL levels.  I'm starting to think that the best way to teach ESL involves being able to speak the student's native language...particularly when the student has almost no English.

After my stint in grade 2 I began spending 3 blocks a day with the ESL students in grade 3/4. It was like my own mini-class (8-11 students) and we had a lot of fun.  I also taught grade 6 math, to different groups of students depending on the unit and the primary advanced reading group (mostly grade 2's with one Canadian kindergartener).

Highlights of the spring also included:

• the grade 5/6 fundraising extravaganza (book, juice and noodle sales as well as a fun fair afternoon) to benefit the Japanese tsunami victims
• accompanying the grade 9 class on an overnight trip to Shenyang 
• subbing in all of the classes, pre-k to grade 9

Now that my first year is done I can firmly say that I love teaching and can handle China, but I can't wait to go back to Canada for the summer!