Movie Watching Session

Just before the Christmas Holiday, we had a movie session at school for both older and younger kids. The kids and children were so excited about it as they would do something different from traditional schooling. The way how we could do it was just simple. It would be with the help of a laptop and beamer, then the are small details.

Firstly, we did it with younger kids at the teachers' room. We adjusted the beamer and then we arranged the environment for the kids so that they would watch it comfortably and very well. It was also a detail that they were given some small pieces of cartoon like movie ticket and they were showing it to the teacher waiting at the door. While they were watching the movie, Hilde came to the class in Sinterklaas clothes and brought some pop corn. She was sound like "ho ho ho" and tossing up some pop corn. She did it several time and the kids got really excited to catch some pop corn and eat it. Even some were so excited that they started crying. Yet, no problem, everything was under control.

Secondly, it was the turn for older ones. They would watch it at the place where they have their lunch. With some teachers and Luc, we adjusted the beamer and laptop and arranged the environment. They watched a movie taking 1 hour and 40 mins. Although it was a lon one, they had fun a lot. And of course each of them also got a package of pop corn. All in all, both groups really liked it which could be seen esily from their smiling faces while watching.





Sinterklaas and Zwarte Piet

To be honest, I did not know about anything about Sinterklaas and Zwarte Piet before coming to Belgium. Yet, when we got close to december, kids at the classes did more activities related to this tradition. Here, the other way of education took place which I was also learning from the kids.

They said to me that every year at the beginning of December they were celebrating it. They also visited Sinterklaas and Zwarte Piet who gave them very delicious chocolate, cookies and present. The kids were very happy and enthusiastic to see them.

In the classes, we made more activities related to this tradition. Let me also briefly talk about some other activities that they were doing. They were wearing the clothes of Sinterklaas and Zwarte Piet, drawings, colourings and songs related to this tradition. In some activities, we were dealing with them in Turkish and it was a good combination of doing something in the target culture (Flemish) in their mother tongue (Turkish).






Reading Festival

In the process of education, it is very important to make the parents participate in it as education is not something that the teachers will do it themselves at schools. It is a combination of parents, school and environment. In the center of it, the kid stays and everything revolves around him or her.

It is very important to have more languages both at school and at home. Moreover, it is very important to give the sense of respecting his or her mother tongue and culture at home. Thus, better individuals will be educated.

By taking the things mentioned above into consideration, a "Reading Festival" was organized. The aim was to read stories to the kids in the mother tongue and the duty will be done with the help of the enthusiastic parents who would come to the school and read some stories to the kids. Stories in Turkish, Arabic, Macedonian and so on were narrated to the kids.

I also took part in this activity. That was a good exercise for kids and they were also eager to listen something in their mother tongue at school. I told them some stories about animals and "The King who likes only the colour, Purple". To check their comprehension, I asked some questions from time to time. They did fairly well with the books that I read.At the end of the day, all kids and parents were happy with this activity.



Gravensteen

Gravensteen is a castle originating from the middle ages. It was built by Count Philip in the center of Gent as he wanted to show "who the boss is".Today's target is to visit this castle which plays an important role in the history of Gent.

As usual, the kids were really very happy and they were saying to me that we would go to "kasteel" which means castle in Flemish. When I said to them that we would go to "Kale" which also means castle, but in Turkish. They seemed not to have understood it. After a short explanation, they got it, but it was very strange that they did not know that word in their mother tongue.

We walked from one room to the other in the castle. The teachers gave again useful explanation about the pieces which were displayed in the rooms. Moreover, I was also doing this in Turkish to the Turkish kids.We saw some armors, swords, torturing equipments and guillotine. Luckly, not all the kids understood what they were used for. As even the photos and the idea made me shuddered.

The view of the city from the top of the castle was really good. The kids also liked this view and we took several photos there. We also saw some parts outside and the funny thing was the toilets which was situated outside the castle. They really liked these toilets. All in all, today we had a good time at the castle.


Going to the Forest (Mariakerke Park)

One of the most important for the kids is to get to know their environment. By taking this into consideration, we went to the forest with the kids. The aim was that they would learn the vocabulary related to the forest with the help of realia there.

The kids are always excited when they know that they will go somewhere else. When I came to the school, the kids also wanted me to join them. When they heard that I would be also with them, their joyce got doubled.

We went to that place near Mariakerke Church by bus. It was itself a whole responsibility to take care of the kids to bring the bus stop and make them get on the bus. The bus drivers are always very helpful and patient enough for us.

When we arrived at this place, they were so happy. They were listening to their teachers about their explanation to some plants and forest life. I was also helping the Turkish kids with their Turkish versions and explanations. The teachers were also eager to know about the Turkish version of the vocabulary.

The kids gathered some things such as, leaves, cone, acorn, chestnut and so on to use them in the other classroom activities. These activities that the will do in the class will help them to reinforce the vocabulary that they acquired.