Actually it began on 14 August but the first two weeks are mostly routine-building and setting expectations, not rules. I wasn't sure what to expect but I looked forward to seeing just what these little people were all about. They came in with smiles and happy, but I just thought it was because it was the start of the school year. Every grade/age group starts out that way but things change after a few weeks and 2nd graders are no exception. What I have discovered in the first 2+ weeks is they are similar to the older students I have taught and wonderfully different.
First, I have to understand that just cannot do as much work as the 3rd and 4th and 6th graders can do. This has been a great discovery because I felt at times that all I was doing with older students was assigning work that I was going to have to begrudgingly grade, probably at home.
This leads to my second observation; with less to assign I am able to get everything graded at school by Friday and sent home. I always wondered how K-2 teachers were always able to send work home so often, viola mystery solved.
Finally, they are still learning to read and they still love to do it. They are not reluctant readers and will try to read any book that I have in the room. If they can't read it, they pick something else, the same thing adults do. They recommend books to each other, again, the same thing adults do.
The most interesting thing so far is that they love to wash their hands, they aren't scared about H1N1, the administration is taking care of that thank you. I think they just seem to like to sight, sound and feel of the soap and water on their hands, but I don't really care why they like to, I'm just happy they are washing them.
