Quote of the day:”Performance can happen anywhere there are actors and audiences; low tech and high zest” –George Kohn

This statement is very true.  As Phil mentioned much of our initial teaching will be most likely be in places with little budgets.  We will just have to learn how to adapt and overcome.  Our imagination can never be taken away or undercut by budget cutbacks.  It would be nice to have a proper stage, proper sound equipment yada yada yada, but this just isn’t reality sadly.  For some it is for others it isn’t.  I think that as long as our (us as teachers) enthusiasm is evident to our students, the environment will not make much of a difference to them.

I really like how Phil is giving us a little insight from his side of thing regarding the BCTF labor action.  It seems like things are strewing up for me reading and listening to the radio every day.  Personally I don’t believe this will be over soon.  I know this happens from time to time, but this time I think the issue seems a bit deeper  and has the potential of negatively affecting students.    This could turn into a Poli Sci paper but I’ll stop here.

Popsicle Think:  What a great idea.  What I really dislike about entering a classroom full of children as a guest is that they immediately have the HIGH STATUS as they all know my name but I don’t know theirs.  They love it too.  They will even play games switching their names.   Things become difficult once you start asking questions.  How can I remember who I’ve asked already, or had do a special task,or… there are many reasons.  So her it is.. Popsicle Thing:

Materials:

One cup

One popsicle stick (medical ones used to check throat would be best: wide) per student in class.

Paing

-Dip each stick into the paint and let dry.

-on the the opposite ends of each stick write each students name

-place all sticks with names and paint into cup names down

-Use this as a fair way of calling on volunteers.

-we used it today in class to create 4 groups for our visit to Lakewood school next week.

 

Great Idea.  I will use this from day one of my practicum.  Thanks Phil.

I’m a musician.  I’ve been playing percussion for 15 years now, so I to say the least I really liked the BB One Shoe Blues that we watched in class today.

We spent the majority of our class today discussion and practicing activities we will be doing with Lakewood students next week.  Our group C was given the SlideShow as an activity.  Three people reflect on a tableau of themselves (3 other students who have no idea what picture they are in).  The students in the tableau are to just pick a pose.  The other three are to stand back and describe the picture and what each of them were doing when the picture was taken.  I really liked this activity.

I can’t wait to see these activities in action with students.  Up until now everything has been rather superficial.  This has nothing to do with Phil, it is just the way the system has set us up to learn.  Non of this really sets in properly until applied.  I commend Phil for his enthusiasm and his attention to making this an active class as opposed to lecture lecture lecture.  This really helps.  But still none the less, it won’t be until I use these with students will I feel confident.   So I do look forward to our visit to Lakewook.

I have used a few of the warm-ups in my vistis to both Frank Hobbs and KELSET Elementary in Central Saanich.  The response was awesome.