So, I had them draw Kermit the Frog in the opening scene of the Muppet Movie. I knew I had the lyrics of The Rainbow Connection printed out for a reading activity, but before we got there (knowing that field journals / nature notebooks was the larger target), I began the class with a sketch. Knowing that modeling is the best practice, as they drew in their notebooks, I went to the white board. Far from perfect, but definitely detectable as Kermit playing his banjo, no?
The entire evening was a transition of notebooks to scientific field notes for elementary school students. I doubt they'll find music-making frogs unless they are hearing Grannie Annie's in the mood, not tonight, shut-up kids from local lakes and ponds. Next week, they read Ann E. Burg's poetic biography of Rachel Carson and I let them know that elementary teachers need to cover math, language, history, science, physical education, and health all in one day. It's not bad practice to think of literacy across all contents (hence the notebooks, or field journals).
If they are brave, they can get outdoors and sketch a focus on their thinking like I modeled from yesterday's blog, and a time on Walnut Beach in a pair of skis.
I'm also rather downtrodden, because on Sunday, I missed the Run with Refugees 5K in New Haven for the first time since 2012. I paid, had friends sign up, too, but even with the delay, the roads weren't passable to head that way by 12 pm. I had to miss it and I'm seeing pictures and upset with myself (especially in this political climate) not to find a way. Perhaps my convalescence with The Great Whatever yesterday on the water in snow was part of my healing/forgiving process.
Human beings deserve the love, support, guidance, and help from fellow human beings. That resonates at my core.
But of course I went with frogs last night. Rainbow connections. A discussion of dreamers, lovers, and hope. Then we moved to framing Force of Nature for next week class: environmentalism, nature journaling, women in science, advocacy, and literacy. The model text for the semester (and a phenomenal book in Ann E. Burg tradition).
This morning, I need to leave my house by 6:45 a.m. to be in schools until 2:30 p.m. only to teach until 7 p.m. and return home to sleep before doing it all over again. I knew this week would be bad so I have scheduled visits home to care for the dog. I hate myself when the days are this loaded and I'm feeling my age. It's not healthy to keep such a pace.
But I keep thinking about doodling. Learning. Being metacognitive about educative lesson plans. Also hoping that teachers choose to teach for a better world, despite the aggravating policing of teaching in the south (with runs the danger of heading to other locations of the United States). So, last night began with doodling and I would say 18/18 did a decent job. I knew the sketched Kermit, even though they whined and acted like, "What is this fool having us do now?"
And I also learned that the ADHD translation in French is TADA. A French teacher told me this and she said, "A Crandall class is always TADA!" I thanked her for sharing this and promised I'd steal it from this point on.
TADA! A Tuesday morning post.
