Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Sunday, August 24, 2008
The Simple Woman`s Daybook
FOR TODAY... Monday, August 25
Outside My Window... The neighbours cut down a field of tall grasses (taller than your head) so I can see them as they walk to work, carrying their machetes, or play soccer.
I am thinking... Mi hammimas me askim Mary Ann "yu go long Sios?" because she got to tell us her testimony about how she had Malaria for two years, was very sik long het na bel pas, na em singout strong "Nick" and Nick came to tell her about the gospel. No more roads for her is what she says. Only one pella rot, na bilong Jesus.
I am thankful for... meri worker bilong me, Mary Ann, na Vincencia, poro bilong me tru. It is nice to have new friends.
From the kitchen... The smell of the rice and banana bread we will kaikai long break, at ten kilok
I am wearing... A blue skirt that used to be a dress (ask Neal sometime) and a navy top.
I am creating... a legacy here, I trust.
I am going... mi go teach long school long 10 kilok.
I am reading... stuff about New Zealand for our new unit.
I am hoping... to stay healthy while in PNG
I am hearing... the sound of a coconut broom sweeping away the grass and dirt long haus bilong mi.
Around the house... those crows with the beady red eyes that kind of sound like Archie Bunker's wife, now that Neal mentions it.
One of my favorite things... good music
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: to still go ask Damaris to make me a meri blouse. I am nervous as my pisin just isn't what I want it to be.
Here is picture thought I am sharing...
http://thesimplewoman.blogspot.com/
Outside My Window... The neighbours cut down a field of tall grasses (taller than your head) so I can see them as they walk to work, carrying their machetes, or play soccer.
I am thinking... Mi hammimas me askim Mary Ann "yu go long Sios?" because she got to tell us her testimony about how she had Malaria for two years, was very sik long het na bel pas, na em singout strong "Nick" and Nick came to tell her about the gospel. No more roads for her is what she says. Only one pella rot, na bilong Jesus.
I am thankful for... meri worker bilong me, Mary Ann, na Vincencia, poro bilong me tru. It is nice to have new friends.
From the kitchen... The smell of the rice and banana bread we will kaikai long break, at ten kilok
I am wearing... A blue skirt that used to be a dress (ask Neal sometime) and a navy top.
I am creating... a legacy here, I trust.
I am going... mi go teach long school long 10 kilok.
I am reading... stuff about New Zealand for our new unit.
I am hoping... to stay healthy while in PNG
I am hearing... the sound of a coconut broom sweeping away the grass and dirt long haus bilong mi.
Around the house... those crows with the beady red eyes that kind of sound like Archie Bunker's wife, now that Neal mentions it.
One of my favorite things... good music
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: to still go ask Damaris to make me a meri blouse. I am nervous as my pisin just isn't what I want it to be.
Here is picture thought I am sharing...
http://thesimplewoman.blogspot.com/
my course load
thought it might be of interest to some of you, you know, to be in on what curriculum I am using at the school here.
Map 3 is split grade 7/8
Sonlight, Eastern Hemisphere, Core 5
~ we finished Pacific Islands and Australia and are beginning New Zealand Monday
we obviously knew a lot about the Pacific Islands!
Spelling (ugh) I am supposed to use Abeka with them. I am refusing. Instead, I check their journals once a week and correct spelling, insisting they make a list of mispelled words. I am going to test them every couple of weeks.
I would like to figure out how to use Spelling Power.
Vocabulary. I do not like the words Sonlight picks out of the Readers or Read Alouds. I feel that many of them are based on the native language of the group of people currently being studied and are hard to pronounce and even more difficult to use in regular speaking so I need to come up with a cool word for the day and write it on the board and encourage the students to use it as often as possibe that day (without getting irritating, of course). This will also give me some sanity.
Language. I do not care for the grammar that Sonlight has for its worksheets so I am using Easy Grammar and I really truly like this program. I highly recommend it even though we have only just begun implementing it, really. It is easy to follow and simple to comprehend. We have memorized 53 prepositions (they earned a Solo for that) and have moved on to recognizing prepositional phrases, all without tears.
Creative Writing. Man, my kids can write! I enjoyed the Sonlight suggestion to write about a piece of toast. As I have time, I would like to post all eleven pieces I heard from this class. It was good stuff. I thought the lesson was well thought out and really asked the right questions to get my students thinking about, well ... toast. Their writing speaks for itself.
Music. Ok, once upon a time, b and I actually thought maybe the Lord was calling us to teach music to our homeschool co-op. I won't speak for her, since her talents know no bounds, but as for me? totally suck. I hate this class. We are trying to learn Jennifer Knapp's Sing Alleluia ... a duet with Mac Powell. The class thinks I play too slowly. whatever.
Map 4/5 is split grades 9-12
Spelling. not gunna do it. don't care what they say. Iffen the don't knowed it yet, it ain't gonna come.
Vocabulary. ok. I decided to, instead, give them an SAT question of the day since the person who put together my curriclum thinks spelling is part of the SAT. One of my students said it isn't. Me no save.
Learn to Write the Novel Way, the crux of my learning for them. I think it is going well so far, but I sure wish it was just homeschooling. I utilize Writer's Inc as much as possible and really love this book. I want to buy one for myself.
Neal has taken over the Art since I was going batty trying to fit it all in while also figuring out how to simply cook in this country. Not an easy task in the beginning, let me assure you.
tasol!
Map 3 is split grade 7/8
Sonlight, Eastern Hemisphere, Core 5
~ we finished Pacific Islands and Australia and are beginning New Zealand Monday
we obviously knew a lot about the Pacific Islands!
Spelling (ugh) I am supposed to use Abeka with them. I am refusing. Instead, I check their journals once a week and correct spelling, insisting they make a list of mispelled words. I am going to test them every couple of weeks.
I would like to figure out how to use Spelling Power.
Vocabulary. I do not like the words Sonlight picks out of the Readers or Read Alouds. I feel that many of them are based on the native language of the group of people currently being studied and are hard to pronounce and even more difficult to use in regular speaking so I need to come up with a cool word for the day and write it on the board and encourage the students to use it as often as possibe that day (without getting irritating, of course). This will also give me some sanity.
Language. I do not care for the grammar that Sonlight has for its worksheets so I am using Easy Grammar and I really truly like this program. I highly recommend it even though we have only just begun implementing it, really. It is easy to follow and simple to comprehend. We have memorized 53 prepositions (they earned a Solo for that) and have moved on to recognizing prepositional phrases, all without tears.
Creative Writing. Man, my kids can write! I enjoyed the Sonlight suggestion to write about a piece of toast. As I have time, I would like to post all eleven pieces I heard from this class. It was good stuff. I thought the lesson was well thought out and really asked the right questions to get my students thinking about, well ... toast. Their writing speaks for itself.
Music. Ok, once upon a time, b and I actually thought maybe the Lord was calling us to teach music to our homeschool co-op. I won't speak for her, since her talents know no bounds, but as for me? totally suck. I hate this class. We are trying to learn Jennifer Knapp's Sing Alleluia ... a duet with Mac Powell. The class thinks I play too slowly. whatever.
Map 4/5 is split grades 9-12
Spelling. not gunna do it. don't care what they say. Iffen the don't knowed it yet, it ain't gonna come.
Vocabulary. ok. I decided to, instead, give them an SAT question of the day since the person who put together my curriclum thinks spelling is part of the SAT. One of my students said it isn't. Me no save.
Learn to Write the Novel Way, the crux of my learning for them. I think it is going well so far, but I sure wish it was just homeschooling. I utilize Writer's Inc as much as possible and really love this book. I want to buy one for myself.
Neal has taken over the Art since I was going batty trying to fit it all in while also figuring out how to simply cook in this country. Not an easy task in the beginning, let me assure you.
tasol!
Saturday, August 16, 2008
The Simple Woman's Daybook
FOR TODAY... Monday, August 18
Outside My Window... two of three mountains clearly visible, telling me it shouldn't rain this morning; flowers I have yet to identify.
I am thinking... I am glad I slept in this morning as internet is working well while the others are all at church (and no I don't feel guilty. I had a horrible sleep two nights in a row)
I am thankful for... Nationals who always take the time. Today mama bilong Gabby makem me greased rice. Em good pella teacher, tru.
From the kitchen... Likely another cockroach or a hoard of ants but I am ten feet away and so claiming that ignorance is bliss.
I am wearing... striped pj bottoms that are actually long enough and a couple of tank tops. I haven't gotten dressed yet. I will be wearing a traditional meri blouse and laplap long youmi go walkabout.
I am creating... a novel. Can you believe it? I told my High School students that I was going to participate right along side them with Learn to Write the Novel Way. I think I am insane.
I am going... to shower when finished this.
I am reading... The Cay by Theodore Taylor, Torches of Joy by , Red Sand, Blue Sky by Cathy Applegate, The Jacaranda Dictionary and Grammar of Melanesian Pidgin, A New Course in Tok Pisin, Families on the Move by Marian Knell and 17 proposals for my novel class.
I am hoping... to learn Tok Pisin well so I can communicate with the Nationals all around me.
I am hearing... coconut oil palms gently swaying in the breeze. Sometimes I think it is rain; the leaves are so large. I also hear the occasional Willy Wagtail. Soon it will be the sound of my parent's voices as we try our first Digicel call.
Around the house... Cicadas singing strongly, the hum of an overhead aircraft, National children yelling to each other, the whir of the ceiling fans ... it is all about sounds for me today.
One of my favorite things... Being surrounded
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: Daily Malaria prophylaxis, marking a myriad of assignments, teaching my students in a good, old-fashioned one room schoolhouse/homeschool way and loving every minute of it. Going to have a special meri blouse made "Moning, Dawnmaris ... emi alright you makim one pella meri blouse bilong me?"
Here is picture thought I am sharing... this option isn't working for me at the moment ... and it isn't Monday quite yet, just so you know.
http://thesimplewoman.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
it's been a long time coming
I have been trying in vain to get on the internet since arriving in PNG. You don't realize how "Western" you really are until you suddenly find yourself catapulted back about twenty years, technologically speaking. Ok, so I exaggurate but I really and truly did not realize how joined at the hip I was to my computer until I just plain couldn't access its delights. That is kind of sad. I most certainly will not be able to blog daily, hopefully weekly though.
I want to get in as much as I can in this post in case it is some time before the opportunity arises again. Bear with me.
What do I love?
the sounds: crickets, frogs, cicadas, birds (especially Willy Wag-tails), and the wind that constantly blows through the coconut palms.
What do I hate?: sand flies. go away already ... my legs have been chewed up enough thank you very much. And bacon that tastes like fish. Ewww.
My favourite foods so far?: popo, kaukau, alpa, mouli, pinap and Tang. I know, I know. If your dishwasher isn't running as well as it once did, pour a packet of Tang in the soap dispenser and let it run. Whatever. You come live here and tell me that when the sweat is rolling down your body, a glass of cold Tang doesn't hit the spot.
My work meri starts coming here this week. Me likim work meri go long house belong me. I am still working on my pisin studies and am not finding much time to do this. Neal has been visiting and going to talk at the gate but I am teaching full time right now and so I will have to learn as much as I can when I can. Liklik liklik (little by little). Julie will help me cook and clean and I will happily pay her for her help. I will also make her a light lunch and some coffee. Mental note: learn how to make coffee before Thursday. Me tingting : em lik Tang?
What am I teaching?: Map 3 (grades 7 and 8) Sonlight Eastern Hemisphere (core 5) Language Arts (what I choose out of that), the Readers, the Read Alouds and the History part.
Daily Grams and Easy Grammar (what I choose out of those)
Music (Lord, help me!)
Art ~ gave this to Neal :)
Map 4/5 (grades 9-12) Learn to Write the Novel Way
Music
Core students, of whom there are 5, with varying learning disabiities
Analogies
Spelling
Vocabulary
I ditched the formal Spelling (so sorry Abeka) in favour of the Beechick approach. I will collect their journals each week and mark them for spelling and vocabulary errors that creep up often. This will become their personal spelling/vocabulary list to work on. Learn to Write the Novel Way has enough of this built right in and I personally fail to see how learning spelling words one never uses in regular speech helps one overcome a lack of confidence. I am at least trying this method practically for our first term. I also told my High School students to view me as less a teacher, more a coach. I reminded them they should all know how to use a Dictionary also. They are really nervous about writing a novel but I am confident that God will show them they can do it if they put their minds to it. We need a proposal for Friday.
I also told them I would attempt this right alongside them, so I would know how to empathize and also how much work it takes to complete.
what.was.I.thinking.
emi allright. em now.
yes, it's been a long time coming, but well worth the wait.
I want to get in as much as I can in this post in case it is some time before the opportunity arises again. Bear with me.
What do I love?
the sounds: crickets, frogs, cicadas, birds (especially Willy Wag-tails), and the wind that constantly blows through the coconut palms.
What do I hate?: sand flies. go away already ... my legs have been chewed up enough thank you very much. And bacon that tastes like fish. Ewww.
My favourite foods so far?: popo, kaukau, alpa, mouli, pinap and Tang. I know, I know. If your dishwasher isn't running as well as it once did, pour a packet of Tang in the soap dispenser and let it run. Whatever. You come live here and tell me that when the sweat is rolling down your body, a glass of cold Tang doesn't hit the spot.
My work meri starts coming here this week. Me likim work meri go long house belong me. I am still working on my pisin studies and am not finding much time to do this. Neal has been visiting and going to talk at the gate but I am teaching full time right now and so I will have to learn as much as I can when I can. Liklik liklik (little by little). Julie will help me cook and clean and I will happily pay her for her help. I will also make her a light lunch and some coffee. Mental note: learn how to make coffee before Thursday. Me tingting : em lik Tang?
What am I teaching?: Map 3 (grades 7 and 8) Sonlight Eastern Hemisphere (core 5) Language Arts (what I choose out of that), the Readers, the Read Alouds and the History part.
Daily Grams and Easy Grammar (what I choose out of those)
Music (Lord, help me!)
Art ~ gave this to Neal :)
Map 4/5 (grades 9-12) Learn to Write the Novel Way
Music
Core students, of whom there are 5, with varying learning disabiities
Analogies
Spelling
Vocabulary
I ditched the formal Spelling (so sorry Abeka) in favour of the Beechick approach. I will collect their journals each week and mark them for spelling and vocabulary errors that creep up often. This will become their personal spelling/vocabulary list to work on. Learn to Write the Novel Way has enough of this built right in and I personally fail to see how learning spelling words one never uses in regular speech helps one overcome a lack of confidence. I am at least trying this method practically for our first term. I also told my High School students to view me as less a teacher, more a coach. I reminded them they should all know how to use a Dictionary also. They are really nervous about writing a novel but I am confident that God will show them they can do it if they put their minds to it. We need a proposal for Friday.
I also told them I would attempt this right alongside them, so I would know how to empathize and also how much work it takes to complete.
what.was.I.thinking.
emi allright. em now.
yes, it's been a long time coming, but well worth the wait.
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