Lesson 2 - Observation 2: were they naughty or nice?

Lesson 2. We are continuing in the second unit of the textbook, but, without taking much into account what the letters printed may say and teacher is introducing them a very present topic: Halloween, or the Catalan Castanyada, which a lot of them are forgetting since the so-called Statal (I refuse to say American!) progress... Santa Claus (de tota la vida!) and Halloween! Oh yes, I remember how we celebrated that always, all my neighbourhood disguised and children singing:
Ghost so scary
Ghost so white
Don't scare Mary (for example)
On Halloween night. (not Saturday night, that is different, I knew that one of Whigfield, it is fabulous!)

Well so, the kids began to get out of control (una miqueta) because they were sooooo excited about the party they must be celebrating now, or starting at least... The teacher asked them to bring some photos or stick them in the diary (sort of, as it literally means, periodical or weekly compilations of the activities they have done or that should have done). We spent the most part of the class learning the vocabulary of Halloween (witch, skeleton, pumpkin, jack-o-lantern, which is my favourite, etc.). And well, they were mostly working in groups because, furthermore, they were only 11 in class (I love it too) and it was faster and better for them too to work like that. I think they really enjoyed the session, as they already knew a lot about that (they memorise those things they love best, you see). They formed the groups simply by working with the person they had closer, so that they didn't waste a lot of time thinking of who do I like best to work with? Ai, ell no que és un xerraire i malfaener!

It called my attention the way the teacher put the series of activies together: Treat or trick, això de què us sona?; So, let's talk about vocabulary now, one word each... And, well, as Marta presented the topic of the day, she kept using comparisons with Harry Potter, she tried to inject some humour in class and I remember she gesticulated a lot, clapped her hands and so on.

She had an organisation plan, that was the following:

>>1. Giving the diaries back so that they could continue completing them with all the activities and the extra activities they can show in there;
>>2. Explanation the vocab (as I said before and before and before before...) while using a poster with all the terms very-beautifully drawn;
>>3. Singing poems about Halloween and remembering (for ones) or learning (for others) vocabulary based on the songs and completing with the extra information they could already have from Harry Potter or other Halloween parties where they could have been before;
>>4. They had some time left to paint 2 pictures they had chosen from the ones Marta had brought for them and they had to write (without any spelling mistake!) all the vocabulary they could use to describe the picture.

In any case, to be 11 in class wasn't that paradise I had imagine --No, no, no! Oh my God, they were sooooo amused, agitated, animated that it was difficult that the first on the left heard the first on the right. Be quiet everybody!; A partir d'ara qui no atenga se'n va fora; Mireu a la pissarra per favor... But I think children love her, there are always smiles appearing (from both parts, the teacher loves them too) and they are always interacting with a short distance but enough and the one that I find necessary for them because they feel protected but with a touch of respect at the same time, so, it is all good!

There was something in the air... you know, the same topics, immigration, adaptation and acceptance that were dealed with on class. This all started because someone said referring to somebody of the US, and, the teacher, they handed it to her on a plate, explained there are plenty of countries in America, apart from the US. And she asked them: Which, for instance? Colombia, Mexico, Argentina, Costa Rica, Bolivia, Uruguay, etc etc and leaving your own country is very hard, then you come here and you start your life but...
Hombre, ¡claro! answered a girl that looooooooves speaking, that's really her hobby I would say. And well, that was nice to hear and that they understood, but then, like always, they needed to add something and began to list all the people from school they knew they came from other countries... blah! By the way Marta asked who was now always on TV and was from the US. And they knew! These children, with all the new technologies they get to know more than us at their age! That was it, there is not a lot more to say --that I want to teach them something, maybe. And they too I think, they do want to teach, loads to they have!

Have a good weekend!