My teaching week is over. I have gotten soft being out of the classroom for so long. I only had 6 kids in the class but the classroom management made me tired in just three hours every day. After my experience I am left with a lot of questions-like: How much learning can happen when teachers are constantly dealing with student management issues? Now I can chalk some of the work involved to the fact that I have students from 2nd to 5th grade. One of the younger students was fairly oblivious to any other student's needs while two others were siblings and very vocal and not shy. I had two students who were a teacher's dream and then my own child who was jut plain old a pain in the rear for the week. We finally came to a truce with clearly laid out expectations with promised consequences (Dad will come and pick you up if you do not behave yourself). I did not manage this until today though!
Add this to the fact that the materials I intended to use were not very engaging for the students and I stayed one day ahead of them trying to keep them interested...The big hit of the week--weapons baby :) We went down to the computer lab a couple of days where they played physics games on the computer (http://www.physicsgames.net) and then when I noticed that they all loved roly poly cannon I decided to make catapaults. My first intention was windmill machines but the windmills did not work very well and they were not even very interested (I followed through and made them finish but only one or two students were impressed with their windmill machines). The catapaults were very popular. They had paper throwing fights, I let them launch one rock at the fence to get it out of their system and they launched for two days and still wanted to go out again at the end of the day today. The second most popular activity was quiet ball (you get a skoosh ball, ask the students to spread out and they must remain silent while they throw the ball around to each other. I am the judge and you can go out if you talk, throw the ball in an uncatchable way or do not catch the ball when it is thrown nicely. they asked to play that game all day long!!!
Two other popular activities were making helicopters out of very small paper cups (cut propellor like appendages up the sides of the cup and launch them over a box fan laid on its side across two tables (you must have air flow). another popular activity was the straw building competition-with 100 straws, 24 inches of masking tape, and a partner how tall of a structure can you build?
Diet wise things have been pretty crappy. Between TOM, going back on my birth control and teaching i have not eaten properly (too many carbs not enough protein) My weight went back up to 243 this morning. I am sure much of it is water but I need to do some more exercise and go back to my nightly protein drinks to go back on the straight and arrow.
I got a call from the surgeons office-I scheduled my 1 year evaluation appointment for the research study I am taking part in. I consider the surgery a success but of course like everyone else I wish I had lost more :) but 66 pounds is a heck of a lot better than I have ever done in a year and I am pleased as punch that I am in a size 18 down from a snug size 26.
Living with a lapband after seeing goal is just as much work as getting there. This blog chronicles my journey to qualify for band surgery, my work to goal weight and now living with the band long term. Weight will always be an issue but there is a whole lot of living to be done.
1 comment:
You're right about non-teaching work taking over - teachers complain a lot about that in Britain. Planning the next lesson is fine, but I understand they have to spend a lot of time filling out forms to plot their plans, give strategy details, etc, then do the de-programming afterwards - for each lesson. And there's loads of other stuff they have to submit too. It's terribly demotivating for teachers, and the lowered morale is bounced right back into the classroom and affects the pupils. Crazy, isn't it?
Caroline
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