Week 3

Rhythms and Routines

This week I finally began to feel like I was getting into a good rhythm and routine. I completely took over the planning and teaching for the 7th-grade Pre-Algebra class at Whitman. The twenty-three 7th-graders have a lot of energy, but I have thoroughly enjoyed planning lessons for them and getting to know them better! They are not afraid to give feedback and work really hard! I also got to explore some new areas of Amman this week which I thoroughly enjoyed. I also enjoyed going on walks outside and getting some needed rest after a long week. Transitioning to a new culture and country is difficult, but it feels good to finally be getting into a rhythm and building relationships with others.

Adventures in Amman!

On Saturday afternoon, a friend and I went to downtown Amman to explore a part of the city that I have not seen yet. We started at a restored Roman Amphitheatre which sits in the middle of a busy part of town. It was cool to climb around in the stands and see the surrounding area from the top! From there we walked up to the Amman Citadel. We ended up not going into the actual site to explore, but it was cool to see it from the outside and see the city from the top of the hill.

Model Car Scale Drawings!


We are wrapping up a unit on ratios and proportions in pre-algebra so I wanted to do a fun activity in which students could use their newly learned skills! With the help of a previous mentor teacher, I created a project in which students took measurements of a toy car and then used proportions to create a scale drawing of their car. I was extremely impressed with some of the artists in my class and the quality of work they turned in! It was a fun way to get to know some of the students and see some of their other talents highlighted in a mathematics context. I am looking forward to continuing to build my routine and getting into a better rhythm of planning and teaching.

Thanks for checking out my blog this week and keeping up with my trip! Be sure to check out my other posts if you have not yet to see what else I have been up to in Jordan!

Highlights

  1. Going into downtown Amman and exploring some of the historical sites such as The Amman Citadel and the Roman Amphitheatre.

  2. It was quite fun to take charge of the 7th-grade pre-algebra class and implement a fun project that I created. It was also nice to begin developing my own style and routine for teaching mathematics.

  3. One of the benefits of going to an international school is being able to work with kids from a variety of backgrounds and cultures. It is always fun to see what these cultures bring to the classroom and school community. Every week a Korean family at Whitman sells Korean food for lunch at the school. This week I ordered beef Kimbap which was absolutely delicious!