Second visit and time to get down to work on our Big Plans song.
I refreshed our version of Down By The Bay, and the kids had some good recall of the words, motions and reactions, but, as we went through the song, I realized how scattered these kids are. (pandemic?) A mix of too quiet, too bouncy, too unfocused, while still doing some good work. So it goes with a after-school program, I guess.
Since we have to come up with some verses on several jobs suggested last week, we picked up on truck driver, teacher and actor. Again, what once was a fairly productive process, the focus and verbal responses were all over the place. This puts it in my hands to come up with more of the content and rhymes. The kids get caught up in the rhymes and less on creating sentences and story arc. This was a tough session, and not as much play as last week.
- A cup of coffee and I head for my semi-truck.
Fill up with soccer balls at the warehouse, just to make a buck
I could do this forever cause I’m a lifer,
I think that I’ll be a truck driver.
- I have a classroom at Wm Penn with girls and boys,
Math Spanish, Reading, ; there’s so much noise.
Summertime you’ll see me down the shore; I’m a beacher.
I think that I’ll be a teacher (Sit Down!)
- At our talent show, I’m going to do my act.
A very dramatic scene, and that’s a fact.
When I grow up, I’ll read the script on the page,
I’ll think that I’ll be an actor on the stage. (Take a bow)
After our sweat shop session, I loosened things up with my scarf routine, and it was a great way to finish out the day. I’m glad we’re in the central library area, carpeted and nice open space. And, we are the people left in the building.
We covered our faces with the scarves and then came up with facial emotions. We then explore “writing” with the scarves, letters, names, etc. It’s a great swirl of colors. I then do Jelly in the Dish, with the kids launching their scarves at the end of the verse, and then trade scarves with each other. Controlled chaos with a visual payoff that is quite psychedelic, frankly.
I was pretty spent after today’s session. One more session next week and then an assembly. We’ll never be ready for the assembly and I’ll have to carry the load, but I can do that.