By way of a literacy warm up the other day we all sat around in a circle and told a story.
There were not many rules to this game:
1. No names of people in the room are allowed
2. No more than 3 sentences spoken
3. The final sentence should be left half finished.
It was a step of faith on my part, I have not tried this with any group or class before. I was pleasently surprised. First with the ideas flowing and also the sense that the story made in the end. I found it a great warm up activity, particularly if you disperse the ‘not so imaginative’ students around the circle.
I would love it if you could play….
"Once upon a time, in a land not so far away, there lived a wollot, whose name was Fringle. Now Fringle lived in a small cave on the edge of a vast forest. There was nothing Fringle enjoyed more than…."
I began my first day at my new school today. Every Wednesday I will be working with some students in need of assistance with their writing. They are a great lot and I had a fun day, but that is not why I am posting.
At lunchtime today some Japanese students from the International Pacific College turned up at school and blessed, and blasted, us on the Taiko. These were fantastically talented students who had been playing for between one and four years. There was a audible ‘Wow!” from the audience when the answer to “How often do you practise th be that good?” came back- “Twice a week, for 3 hours.”
These students are dedicated and talented. What a treat. I managed to take a few pictures and a short video (60 seconds) before my memory card was full- doh!
Sorry I couldn’t share more with you, enjoy.
I have had one of those really special days. I was asked to relieve today in a class that had 7 new entrant children. Seven, seven, let me count them…..1,2,3,4,5,6,7.
Now I have never in my life taught new entrants but I have to say that with the combination of the students nd the planning left for me I really enjoyed the experience. There are so many more learning and experiential opportunities open to you if you have a really small number of students. Today, for example, the afternoon was filled with whole school singing, a drumming demonstation finishing off with free-time in the pool. They loved it. I was clock watching the whole time they were in the pool, not really sure of how long it would take for them to change back again and thinking also I would have to pull them kicking and screaming from the pool. That is not what happened. What actually occurred was after 10 minutes a couple of the 7 got out of their own accord. Then another 3 and the final 2 had to be asked once at the 15 minute mark. No moaning or complaining. While we were sat there waiting for the last few to get changed I asked one; “How often do you get to do this?” and he says’Everyday”. Wow! No wonder they were happy to get out after a few minutes. They KNOW their next opportunity is tomorrow.
It made me think of the power of little and often as a behavior management tool.
Congratulations Illminster Intermediate for being the Grade 6-8 winner of the Interwrite Makeover Contest with “Digital Child”
And well done to all the NZers particularly who took the time to cast their vote.
Download Video: Posted by interwrite at TeacherTube.com.
How do students see an ideal school? – one that will get them ready for the future? Whatr is their vision of a great school or classroom?
One where the children play together, the teachers do other kinds of things together. I wish that there was a spa in the classroom for the teachers to relax in. The playground is open to our classroom:- very classroom gets their own playground. The whole school has lunch before morning tea. We have a skate bowl at school. Middle syndicate has fun playing sports. You have to go to a different class to do different stuff. Have our own disco. We can ride our bikes. Lunch orders for lunch AND play. A big pool for everyone to swim in. Getting free lunch. Heaps of computers in our classrooms- to find stuff out. Every class to have an IWB to play games on. I think we should have a basketball stadium and our own Xbox at your place. We should have fizzes and lollies at school.
-It appears to me that my students are wanting ’school’ to prepare them for a job at Googleplex! And why not?
What can the school do to help you get ready for the future?
Help us with our learning: maths, spelling and reading. Help us to get to University. Insist on no junk food. To help us choose what we want to do in the future. Help me save money for the future.
-Wish the school would help me save too! Isn’t it interesting that ‘insisting on no junk food’ is up there with ‘get to University.
-Perhaps the answers to these questions reveal a lot more about my school and my teaching style than it does about the students par se.
