Fall 1999 Semester
Adams Spanish Immersion Elementary School
Raquel (Kelly) Casper’s first grade class

Students:
Andrea, Taylor, Benjamin, Caleb, Pilar, Jesus, Elizabeth, Arianna, Graham, Ashley, Carla, Gena, Frederick, Catrina, Hector, Samantha, Timothy, Noah, Antonio, Rebecca

Two sets of groups
Four groupings of five desks-animals-perros, dinosaurios, gatos, leones
Four color named working groups-anaranjado, azul, verde, rojo

Visit on 9-24-99
9:30 am Mrs. Casper drilling on vowel consonant combinations: ma, me, mi, mo, mu. I sit at desk with a group. Each student has five cards with the consonant combinations. First they drill individually one and two set combinations then with a partner.

There is a shutdown drill planned. The announcement, “Mr. Green, if you are in the building will you please come to the office,” is made over the intercom. We lock the door, pull the shades, turn off the lights, and huddle against the wall quietly for five minutes as administrators come to make sure all the doors are locked and everyone is quiet. Some of the students are laughing a little or pretending to cry. After the drill one girl said to a boy, “That’s not funny to pretend to cry.”

9:52 am continuing ma… drill. Graham and Caleb have not yet mastered their letters. While putting the cards away, some think that they can put the paper clip back on their set of five, but none are able to actually do so. Arianna is typical when she said, “I know how to put a paper clip on,” and after a minute of trying, “Can you do it?”

10:50 am lunch. Going to lunch, Ben was holding the door for every one, Gena said to Jesus, “You’re the last one,” so Jesus turns off the lights. Ben said, “Hey, I was gonna do that.” He turns the lights back on, turns them off, and then closes the door.
11:45 am back from lunch and recess. Library time. Librarian reads “Deep in the Forest” by Brinton Turkle, written in English, but he translates it into Spanish. Students watch sitting on a rug. Afterwards they select a book to check out and take home for their parents to read to them, or at least that’s the plan notes Mrs. Casper. A few students haven’t returned the book they borrowed last time so cannot checkout another one. In the hall on the way back Ben’s shoes are untied. He says that he can’t do it. A girl says that she can and offers to do it for him. By the time they get back to the room the offer has been forgotten and Ben’s shoes remain untied.

12:07 Back in room, Mrs. Casper calls the students to sit quietly on the floor. She says, “Gracias Taylor. Gracias Pilar. Gracias …” to get everybody to do it.

12:12 The students copy in lined books, “24 Septiembre de 1999.” A few cannot copy it completely, write a few letters flipped. Most do it well.

12:30 I finished the ma … drill with the last group.

1:05 I left.

10-1-99

9:30 am I arrive. Mrs. Casper is not here today. The sub has not shown up. Assistant Principal is giving students a picture of a blank face with a hat. They must color the hat blue. Photocopied worksheet, part of the hat is missing. One student not sure what to do about the missing part of the line. I fill in the line. Another student asks me to do it for him too. Other students were able to fill it in with no problem.

Words on board: oso, tengo, un, mama, yo, me,
Students make sentences, example: Yo amo a mama.

Teachers Aide Lydia elicits from students words that have mo in them, example: molino
Caleb still having problems with ma, he said me. Then move on to sa, se, si, so, su.

Students in group, go over alphabet chart. First name of letter, then sound, then word.

Sing a song “Buenos dias” to tune of Frere Jacques.
Music on cassette recorder, all students sing and dance to it. There are actions to go with words like “sol”
Good body-mind connection. Students participate very energetically.
Then all students sit down.

Students receive booklets with a “pollito” bird shaped cover. There are student made paper birds hanging from the ceiling(use of student created art in room). Task is to write two sentences about birds from black board in book. Ariana was doing her math in a different notebook. As I sat down at her groups table she said, “I don’t like men teachers because there was one I didn’t like.” I said, “That’s too bad. I’m sorry to hear that.” I told her to put that notebook away and write the sentences, as she was not on task. She said, “Yeah,” and kept doing the math. I told her again, again with no response. I put her math notebook in her desk, put the birdnotebook in front of her and told her to write her name on it and then write the sentences. She put her pencil in the desk, looked really angry and stared straight away. I said, “Write your name on the paper.” She said, “I don’t have a pencil.” I opened her desk and pointed to the many pencils there and said, “Take one of those pencils and write your name.” She closed the desk and stared straight ahead. I didn’t say anything else. About a minute later another teacher came by and asked her why she wasn’t doing anything. I told her what had happened. She took Ariana out into the hallway for a few minutes. When she came back she had been crying.

Hector Lopez has drawn a picture of a blue bird in his notebook, but has not written anything. He asks, “Can you help me?” We go to the board. He writes the first E of El pollito backwards. I point this out to him. He runs and gets the bathroom pass and is in the bathroom for five minutes. When he comes back I walk him through writing word by word, “El pollito va a jugar.” He copies what I write in his paper. He can do it.

10:38 Spelling test. Folders are put up to block student’s view of other’s papers. Many students do very poorly, a few do quite well.

For the spelling test Ariana throws her paper on the floor. I pick it up and give it back to her. She puts it on a chair. Male teacher gives it to her.

There are berry crates with small bottles with meal worms in them on each group’s table. Each student has  a meal worm they take care of.  One student shows me that his is pupating. It is something that they “own.”

12:00 Library. Mr. Reads book about animales del la grancas.
One student has chosen one, other students guess what it is. Timothy says, “Likes to eat grass.” Mr. Asks for it in Spanish.

Back in class, other male teacher with a guitar, teaches students a song about autumn. Refrain has “la, la, la, la, ….” Students sing it and dance, jumping around in circles. Three students don’t do it.

12:40 2 sided worksheet, numbers and drawing fruits in trees.

12:58 Frederick has a small nick on his right pinky, the other teacher and I can’t find a bandaid in Mrs. Casper’s desk, so she sends me to her class to get one from her desk.

1:00 As I’m leaving Ariana is making a wand by sticking magic marker into each other.

10-8-99

9:41 Students in group, Mrs. Casper leading in chant “Hola, hola, coca cola” with actions. Good body-brain connection. Then another song with actions, “Naranja dulce”. Then “Ronda de las hojas” about the falling of the leaves. The different verses are written in different colors, green, red, orange, brown, yellow(doesn’t show up well). Also actions to different verses. For next song students stand in circle and hold hands, but Ariana doesn’t want to hold Graham’s hand.

9:51 Students sit down in front of room. Teacher elicits words beginning with different sounds: ch-chocolate, chico, chimena, chaketa, chicle, chivo, chaugleta, chile. Students raise hands to answer. Teacher has picture flash cards with the words. Teacher then moves into review of Bb, Xx, Nn, Ss, Vv, Ll, Yy, Oo, Zz. There is a different hand action for each letter. Then vowels e, i. Teacher kept rubber band for flash cards around wrist-very practical.

9:59 Students back to desks, two students must put jackets away. Tim says, “Antonio is putting his finger in  my ear.” Teacher looks at Antonio sternly. Then Teacher combines letter sounds, “S cola i disa” with two syllables. Flip chart: s* syllables are written in red, others blue.
sa si su so se
masa oso es
su esa susi
seis mesa asea
ese asi usua
Mama usa su mesa.
Susi se asea.
Esa osa usa mi masa.
Ese oso es asi.

At bottom is picture of sol – sun.

Move on to T with picture of Tambor at bottom
ti tu te to ta
toma tia patio
moto auto Tito
patito tela tuyo
Tito toma su moto.
Tomas asea el patio.
Mi tia Tati toma te.
Tomasa ata a ese patito.

Til 10:05
10:06 Book about zoo with worksheets. El leopardo Students must write animal names next to picture. Teacher goes through all the answers before the students get the worksheets. Students who did not finish another worksheet must do it before they begin the new one. Two girls argue about what the teacher said, “If you didn’t finish that then you go to your desk.” “No, she didn’t.”

10:30 I work with small group with small syllable cards: sa se so su si First alone then with partners they create two and three syllable words.

11:45 Class goes to library. Librarian reads them a story and then they select a new book. Two children are playing with the rabbit through the cage.

12:12 Coming back Antonio and Hector argue over holding the door open. Students sit in front of calendar board. Teacher brings them up close in rows(classroom management technique). Chart of days. Class chants: “Lunes, martes, miercoles !tres!
Jueves viernes sabado !seis!
Domingo siete !Que fiesta es!”

Class sings days of week to tune of Frere Jacques.
Samantha places an 8 in an apple picture for Friday and writes 8 de octobre on dry erase sheet on blackboard
Ayer fue jueves,  hoy es viernes, manana sera sabado, days of week on velcro. Student has to chose right cards. Graham takes three tries to do it. Timothy does it well but runs back to place, Teacher calls him back and makes him walk back.(Instant correction-good)

Teacher has plastic straws with rubber bands to count groups of ten and units(I think I will use nuts and bolts and washers.)

Teacher has students’ names on popsickle sticks in coffee can for random selection of names. Noah and Ashley must put pictures of dimes and pennies on board with magnets to make 24 cents.
12:24
Math flash cards with pictures: 2+2 skateboard, 3+3 wheels, 4+4 spider, 5+5 gloves, 6+6 doughnuts, 7=7 weeks, 8+8 octopus, 9+9 semitruck
First the teacher practices math cards in group, everyone can say answer, then test stage-bocas ceradas Teacher calls on students who raise hands, and reprimands students who answer without being called on.
Teacher uses pocket board with 0-100 cards that teacher can pull out to put as answer. Teacher often reminds students to raise their hands to answer.
12:30 Move on to clock time, each student has own made paperplate clock. Teacher demands certain time, students move it.
In math students have choice to start at page 18 or 26 then go on to page 37. Students must draw 3 or 5 objects in a circle of yarn. Some do good. Caleb is mirroring 4, 5, 7 and 9 and writing 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5. Tim and Caleb poke eachother with sharpened pencils and both say, “He started it.” Teacher talks to them.

10-15-99

11:45 Library. Librarian reads a book about family. Asks, “How many people are in a family?” Students answer 5, 3, 1. L answers, “I believe you could have a family with less than 5  or 3 people. I believe you could have a family with 2 people.”

Hector is poking a girl in the back. She is hitting him back with her elbow. I ask Hector to move to a different spot. He says, “Noooo!” I say, “Get up and sit over there and do it right now!” He does.

Gena, Graham, and Arianna haven’t brought their books back so they can’t check out a new one. Taylor has the task of giving red tags of plastic to students to exchange for a new book. I talk to Gena. She reads me “Meet the Molesons” very well. She says that she can read since she was five. Arianna says, “I can’t read.” Librarian has page for the class with barcodes by names to scan checkout books. Students take a slip home with them.

In hall outside of library two possibly fifth grade girls are talking. One says, “He showed me his fist and said, ‘Do you want a knuckle sandwich?’” The other said, “Some people were scared of just talking to me.” Arianna comes back to the end of the line to get a library book. I escort her back to the room. All the students are pushing and shoving to put their library books in their bags. Some get hurt. They say, “Stop pushing!” Graham asks me to help him put his lunch box back in the back pack, “It’s too hard,” he says.

12:11 In room on overhead is a picture of a dinosaur. Students have worksheet with a space for a picture and lines below. They need to draw a picture of a dinosaur and write three sentences: Mi dinosaurio es ____, come______, tiene_______.

12:30 I lead small groups in glueing ten beans on popsickle sticks. Samantha puts 8 – 13 beans on her sticks. She can count to 13, but can’t count in groups of ten.

10-29-99

9:20 I arrive in class. Teacher is leading repetition of song about pumpkin “Calabasa deliciosa” emphasizing stress and intonation with clapping motions at the syllables. Students do it too. Another good body motor connection. Students have orange colored books with a picture and two words on each page. Hanging birds replaced with student made construction paper weaved pumpkins. 5 birds are still hanging. There is a big paper pumpkin on the blackboard.

Teacher has me make paper books, 5 with 6 sheets for advanced students, 15 with 5 sheets.
9:37 Spelling test. Teacher makes extra sure that students have their name on paper. Teacher makes it very easy. 1st word amigo, teacher pronounces each sound A – M – I – G – O , tengo Teacher sings song tengo tengo, for grande Ben is saying “Ge, ge, ge, ge” to himself and looking at alphabet chart.

9:56 large group in corner sings “Cinco calabazas”
syllable flip chart picture of leon at bottom
lo le li la lu
la el mula
lee lame malo
lola lima sola
Esa lima es mia.
La mula lame la sal.
Lola asea el suelo.
Mimi lee sola.

Picture flash cards with l words
Teacher asks “como la calabaza est?” and writes students’ answers on big pumpkin paper.
Teacher reads book “Calabazas, calabazas.”
Teacher aide Lydia comes in and teacher talks to her, Antonio sings “Cinco calabazas” to himself.

10:26 Students get worksheet with 6 pictures. Sequencing task. Students will cut them out and put them in order on paper. Seed, plant, flower, little pumpkin on vine, pumpkin, jack-o-lantern. Antonio is singing “Cinco calabazas” as he colors the pictures.

I work in small groups with picture word card matches: plant, collect, grind, pat, eat, say goodbye, making tortillas. Another sequencing task.

On wall outside of classroom are student works: mi color favorito, hands traced out with color graph, bats, and leaf paint pressings.

11:43 Standing in hall to go to library teacher says, “5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0, hands to side, mouths closed.”
11:46 Hector taps me in back then hides behind column.
11:48 Librarian reads an English book, translating it to Spanish.

11-5-99

9:05 Some students in class. Teacher gives Noah a note on construction paper apple to take home.
Vegetables on blackboard. Teacher sends me to make 20 copies of worksheet. When I get back Arianna tells me, “My mother just bought me pencils yesterday.” Students work on vegetable worksheet, color and write words on pictures. Some students do well and know what the vegetables are. Others know only a few. I think it would be much better to have the actual vegetables there for the children to see, touch, and taste.

9:25 call to attention. Farm animals now hang from the pumpkins, no birds are still up, baskets with meal worms no longer on desks. Graham is sitting by computer away from his group, teacher later tells me it is because he gets distracted too easily. Large group at front of room. Buenos Dias Amigos, Buenos Dias Senora Casper, play Buenos Dias song on cassette. Students sit and some do actions.
Teacher has flash cards with words. Whole group says outloud. Then letters of alphabet mixed up. Tim puts his hood up. Teacher looks at him and motions to take it off. He does.
Flash cards pictures of n words, students clap in syllable position, then with f words.

Then na, ne, ni, no, nu flip chart. Nido(nest) at bottom.
Students are too loud so teacher is quiet, raises n cola u teacher uses hand actions for vowels.
Teacher passes out books to students. Book on cassette. Animals with instruments going to orchestra. Learn animals and instruments. Last page picture of orchestra instruments and their sounds.
Worksheet, squares with parts of words that make up orchestra instruments. If students have finished their cucu book they can do it. Students work on cucu books and worksheet while teacher tests individual students on reading with story about teddy bear, picture of bear on sheet. Teacher has photocopied sheet of text for each student and makes notes about areas where students need improvement. I go home and get some instruments to show students. In half class groups I show them to the students and let them touch and play the instruments: guitar, tenor guitar, violin, guiro, tamborine, drum, cymbals.

11:45 I look at iMac to figure out some games.
Africa Trail-like Oregon trail but biking across Africa, too much reading for 1st grade
Amazon Trail-ditto but boating up Amazon to deliver medicine to tribe.
Body Scope-Anatomy
Dinopark Tycoon-Simcity like zoo development
My Own Stories-word processing

12:17 class back from library and takes spelling test

Odell Down Under-be a reef fish, survive and learn about reef fish
Story Book Weaver-word processing
Supermunchers-reading vocabulary
Tanagram-math, geometry
Tesselmania-math, geometry
Troggle Trouble Math-arithmetic, could be okay for 1st grade
USA Geography
Wagon Train
World Geography

11-19-99

9:30 Songs, one about fishes with actions for fish and whales, one “Soy una pizza” (Patricia heard the same song in French at French immersion school)
9:40 letter syllable practice, da, de, di, do, du with words and sentences, then fu, fo, fi, fa, fe.
Hector is looking down, teacher taps him on the head to get back attention. Teacher calls Gena forward to group. Arianna laying on floor, teacher tells to get up.
9:47 flash cards with d and f and other words. Mar, teacher puts card down and asks, “Como escrive mar?” Ben goes to board to write “mar”. Who can write familia (was a recent unit) Graham(left handed) students clap for Graham. Noviembre-Taylor, peces-Katrina, usa-Hector. Hector has moved back from spot at front, teacher looks at him, points to his empty spot with stern look. He returns, teacher smiles at him. Caleb sings “soy una pizza” teacher looks at him. He stops. Arianna writes dime but then erases it.
9:53 flash cards with pictures but no words-oven, thread, eggs, icecream, students say words and clap for each syllable.
9:55 Reading, pass out books “Que hay en el mar?” students follow along with cassette. Teacher asks, “Que hay en el mar?”
10:00 worksheet on fishes.
10:10 to 10:30 I stay with Noah, Tim, Gena and Ashley while rest of class goes to library and introduce then to Odell Down Under reef fish game.
10:30 I work with five students who have not yet finished sand castle worksheet: puzzle picture of castle to glue and three sentences to write. These students can not write a sentence on their own. Teacher must give them word by word and even letter by letter instructions even though the example is right in front of them.
10:45 I introduce my family, wife and two daughters to class, use poster. Students sing us two songs.
12:00 Students make turkeys out of construction paper. Two students must share one piece of brown paper and use model to trace out body shape. Some students just can’t stay on task. Tracing develops fine motor skills necessary for writing. Sequencing of tasks, tail made yesterday out of coffee filter. Will be a thank you gift for the fifth graders.
12:50 Lydia does calendar. I put sandcastle papers in students mailboxes, teacher does small groups with numbers.

12-3-99

Five students doing fish worksheet at recess because they hadn’t finished it yet. Samantha can only stay on task when teacher is right over her.
A fourth grade girl spits in front of a boy as they jostle for position in the line to go in from recess.
12:15 I do a juggling show for the class. Afterwards the students can play with some of the equipment.
12:45 I work in small groups with laminated circle sheets, students put pumpkin seeds in circles in groups of 2, 4, 5, 10 and count by those numbers. Some students can do it well, others not at all.

12-10-99

9:00 Make Christmas trees out of construction paper, string and glue. Students who finish earlier have time to work with books on tape and math with slates. I help glue the string on. Teacher doesn’t call the trees “arbor de navidad” just arbor, although students have a worksheet with a menorah on one side and a Star of David on the other and they sing a song called “Las velitas de Hanukah” with a menorah and dreidel on the lyric sheet. Still there are no crosses on the trees. When the trees are dry I help hang them on the cords from the ceiling.
10:00 spelling test. Lydia has a group in the hall with different words. At end of word list is a sentence using the words from the list, but many students don’t realize that they are the same words.
Large alphabet chart on wall has cards with words under the letters.

The mealworms and beetles are all dead in the tray with the dried up apples.
10:15 I take Katrina to the office to check her fever. She doesn’t have one but will lay down in the office for awhile.
10:19 Students singing Hanuka song from cassette, it has a Jewish sounding accompaniment.
Then song “Pimpon” all students have lyric sheet in their folders, but many cannot follow along.
10:25 All students get books “Todos mi Juguetes” and follow along with cassette. Teacher leads discussion of story with good acting.
10:40 Worksheets about book.
Library and lunch.
12:00 I thank class, teacher and give them cookies.