Week 13

Finally a new week has become... I really want this week to be better than the previous one.  By the way this is the thirteenth week for my project. It seems really long!!!!!!  But it's not really just thirteen weeks since I have started this project, because there were some weeks when we didn't have school.
This week was really better. So I can say that my wish came true. :D In this week, I met Monica and we worked for a little bit. I didn't teach her anything new, we just worked on the old things.  But I have worked with Mariela like three days! Which is really good.  I have been playing with her tennis and I taught her some phrases that relate to the game. Such like: Are you ready? I am always ready. That was not good. Look! Oh my God!  Look how ugly is that girl! Look how beautiful is that. Amazing! You are beautiful.....
That was really fun, we enjoyed playing and working on Arabic. I am always proud of Mariela! She learn really well ...
To be continued ........

Week 12

This week was the week number twelve.  This week passed with only one new thing!  I could not work with Monica at all, because I had another business to take care of after school - which was more important- in the day that she was free.  But even though I gave the flashcards to Mariela, and during my PE class, I reviewed the phrases with her and I taught her a few new phrases. But even though I do not think that is enough, and I need to work more. But I have no idea how...
My project is going really slow, and I have to do something to keep it up.  But I honestly have no idea what to do!!  Especially that I have no control over what is going on with both girls, from practice and some life situations.  Anybody has any idea that can help me?? Please comment below if you do. Thank you.

Week 11

It have been eleventh weeks since I have started my 20 Percent Project. . They are eleven weeks!! It seems really long, but I feel that it wasn't that long... This week was one of the shortest weeks for me in the school year.  On Monday there was no school, and on Thursday and Friday I was gone in a trip so I didn't have the chance to work after school.  Beside that on Tuesday and Wednesday Monica and Mariela couldn't work with me.
but the good news that I gave Monica the flash cards and she found them really useful!  And she said that they helped her to memorize them even better.  The next week I will absolutely work with Mariela, and I will make flash cards for her.
At the same time, I will do flsh cards for the alphabet.  Hopefully everything will be well done by May.

Week 10

The first semester is over, and a new semester came. This week is the second week of the second semester but the tenth week since I have started my project.  This week was shorter than other weeks because we did not have school on Monday.  during this week  I could not work with Mariela for some reason, but I worked with Monica, but for only short time.
Now I know what is the hard part that Monica is struggling with and stands in her way to speak Arabic, Which is that she can't say all what she learned from her memory and most of the phrases she doesn't know what they mean if she does not have the list in front of her so she can read them.  Because in the list, the phrases are in Arabic and in English.  I made the flash cards but I did not give them to any of the girls yet.  But now I think that Monica needs the flash cards so hopefully that will help her know the phrases better than when she reads them from the list.
I kinda of having the same thing when it comes to memorize words, but to be honest I am better than my students.  For example, I took French before and I did memorize phrases very well, also I know some phrases in Japanese that my uncle's wife taught me.  Actually she did the same that I am doing with my students but the difference is that she taught me only once about twenty phrases and I practiced them by my self. Beside that I can count to ten in Japanese.  And the good thing that I still remember some of them after more than 4 years!!  Also I learned some phrases in Turkish by myself, while I have watched Turkish series that are translated to Arabic!!  That might be the reason that I don't think that learning some phrases in a new language is very hard.
Now it's February 13,14, and I have decided to finish working on the phrases within the next couple weeks.  Then I will teach them the alphabet and the numbers.  And the rest of the days, I might teach them some random words.

Week 9

After couple weeks of break, we came back to continue on working on my project.  This is the ninth week since I have started my project. That was a long break and then we had the finals and to be honest I haven't work on my project throughout this time.  I have taught Monica all the phrases that I taught to Mariela and even  a few more. Monica learn fast, but Mariela memories better.  But the good thing that I see Monica more in the school and so many times we talk in Arabic using the phrases that she have learned.  At the same time, I have noticed that Monica forget easily.  So without practicing she lose what she learned. But Mariela still remember everything even though we haven't work after a long time ago.
I always try to keep my students willing to learn and adding some fun for the weekly lesson.  Also as I like it when someone encourage me, I am encouraging both girls to learn.  I have talked to Mariela and she wants to continue on working with me on my project.  So I am thinking of plan for a day where I meet both girls together, especially that they almost know the same phrases.  Now I just want to keep on track with Mariela, and keep working with Monica to make her memories what she have learned so that she can use them easier.  I have also made the flash cards and I will give it to both girls this week.  Beside that I will try my best to make both girls memorize everything really well by the end of this month so that I can teach them the alphabet during March and in April and May we will be working on other simple words and sentences.

Week 8

This is the eighth week.  I am not satisfied about last week because it just passed and we didn't do any improvement.  So I am not going to allow this week to pass like the last one. Therefore I decided to start trying and applying my ideas of new ways for teaching.  Also I start to ask people around me if they have any ideas I can do.  They liked my idea but till now none of them has different ones...!

Even though I am not really good at drawing, but I will try my best to made cartoon drawings which might be easier than any other characters.  However it does not need to be perfect just a symbol so it can help her memories the phrases better than the table.  And will see what will happen.
I made the drawings and honestly I found it harder than what I thought before. I will try to make a better ones in the future. My drawings are hilarious.
This week I started to teach a new girl .. her name is Monica.  We are friends in the same English class,  She is really willing to learn Arabic.  Even she has a soccer practice after school but she do her best to find time so that we can stay after school.  Beside that I am reviewing everything with her everyday. She learned really fast.  I am proud of my new student.
Now absolutely we start from the begin with the basics. And I will talk to Mariela about how to do new things.

Week 7

It's seven weeks since I have started my project.  I have been working every week at something new, but I start to feel that I should have done more than that.  But I believe that teaching and also learning a new language takes time.
Teaching Mariela become harder, more complicated, and we are unable to work like before after school. Because she moved to a new house in Garden Grove, and she go by bus.  Therefore she can not stay or she will miss the bus.
Honestly I don't know why I keep having troubles in doing my project!!  Like in the first I made my project to teach a Gardenia but she moved from the class, then I planed to work with Naima and also we couldn't because she can't stay while she has a practice for soccer.  And now Mariela can't stay!!  I feel mad a little bit, worry, and hopeless...
This week I didn't work on something new, I just saw her around in school we said a few sentences in Arabic but I am sure that is not enough.  So I have been thinking of finding a way that will let me work with her and keep going in practicing Arabic or we will be just wasting time.  I start to feel that she is not willing to learn like before, and we don't have enough time to finish what I have planned to do.  But still we didn't do anything different than my project plan.
I want a way that will make teaching Arabic to Mariela more fun and likable, so that she will keep willing to learn new things in Arabic.  So I thought about making some drawings of people who are talking and write the conversations, in which when she go over them she can memories better.