podmom

yes you got it aubie wan

So since I was with podad on the drive to DC I looked up vintage rock for the drive. Listened to one of my favs that happens to be named after me

from the Allman Brothers....amazing guitar no singing....if you think you have never heard it you might recognize it.... I guarantee you will enjoy this >

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oESxyRqkI2o

Ekua

Oh I loved it. Super relaxing!

I seriously need to start listening to more music.

podmom

I'm glad you liked it Ekua and I'm glad to see you

these last two days have been so relaxing just being home and doing a bit of this and that and playing on FF

Playing guitar a wee bit myself that is hard stuff with an alternating base note ( I learned one with an alternating base note way back in the day)

The Allman Brothers are in my top 5 list of bands

Ekua

You play guitar?! That's awesome! I've tried it but didn't get very far! Strumming is hard...

I'd never heard of them until now!

I've been full time teaching this week so crazy busy and exhausted. Will be here more next week

podmom

More than the strumming is the pressing down on the strings part with the other hand...on a steal string ( not classical which has softer strings) guitar it hurts you have to build up calluses.

Wow The Allman Brothers are huge but probably not as much in the UK. As huge in the US as Clapton is in both the US and the UK. At least I'm thinking Clapton would be huge in the UK since he is from there and might be the best guitar player ever. He is my generation though so he might be unknown to you too .

I figured you were crazy busy with school how is it going?

keep up the good work!

aubie_ocean

Cool you play guitar podmom!! My brother use to play when we all lived together, and he would play the same song over and over again.

Yeah I'm swamped here at work to Ekua! It's exhausting. I just pass out when i get home.

Ekua

Yes I know Clapton Im not that young!

It's my last day with the primary 2 tomorrow! (6/7 years). I've had a lot of responsibility this time, including full days, which has been great but exhausting. I've spent hours laminating and making games which are used once and that's it But I've enjoyed it the kids are lovely (apart from one who throws pencils, spits and hits. He's a challenge). I have a few weeks off then I'm in primary 6 which I'm not really looking forward too. Going to be so tough!

podmom

I hope you have a really nice calm break Ekua! What age is next? Primary 6? 11 yr olds?


aubie I hope you have a restful weekend after your hard week

I had a restful week and will have a busy weekend ....going really early tomorrow morning so I can watch the baby while Liz has some appt.

I'll spend the night cause daddy will be away tomorrow night for work.

3 days is as long as I like to be away from them anyway

aubie_ocean

As I said in the other thread Ekua, I don't know how you can find different ways to entertain and teach kids at the same time.
That must be really exhausting but of course also really fun!! Does your school give you ideas for games or do you have to make them up?
Same with you podmom, how do you keep the grandkids distracted?

Ekua

PodmomPrimary 6 are around 10/11....tough crowd! Not as easy to ply with stickers and 'secret student of the day,' awards!

Aubie there's tons of resources online and the school follows a council set literacy and numeracy programme but there's only so many ways you can teach adding to 10 in a fun and creative way! And there was a huge ability level in the class which made planning hard. Sometimes I'd have to plan 8 different activities just for a 40 min lesson.

podmom

I think lesson planning might be the hardest part of teaching...at least in the first years I'm imagining that after a few years one has stuff complied and it gets easier

Very exhausting job teaching but lovely too

I remember during my student teaching year ( I was with a 6th grade...11 yr olds in an inner city ish school) I made money ( I called them some kind of bucks and I think I drew my picture in the middle ) and I had the kids earn their bucks by good behavior....doing work well and on time, participating during lessons etc.... they collected their bucks and could "buy" either not doing a homework assignment or could sit back and relax during a lesson. I can't remember if I had actual rewards like candy but I think not. I do remember they would show them off to other kids at recess and they really got into it. I don't know if school would allow that these days

the only other activity I remember doing that year was turning a social studies chapter into a TV news show and I was able to get some equipment ...maybe a microphone or something. That went over really well with the kids and my advisor. It would be so easy to do now. You could actually film them on your phone and I'm guessing you have those smart boards that are in school now. You could let the kids watch themselves.

aubie It's a challenge..entertaining kids. The baby is easier....accept I'm always on the floor....hard on the old body we just cruise around the different toys ( stations really) we feed the baby in the high chair....oh and there are 2 little bunnies on the window sill there so we feed them...then we crawl over to big sisters barbies area and at the moment shove as many barbies in the Barbie car as we can ( I help a lot) and of course we put barbies purse on her arm...many times. At this age (15 months or so ) much in and out kind of stuff. Or we play chase...and she finds that hysterical . Lots of tickling and peek a booing too Older kids are harder. Tommy is still pretty easy.....anything physical. ( 5 yrold boy) lately we are playing with a balloon....kind of like tennis...keep it off the ground and in the other guys "court" AnnLee is the hardest she hates to play any kind of game she just does imaginary play which is a problem. Kids her age play games at school during inside recess and she hates that sometimes I get it together to get stuff for a craft but the older ones are played out with that unless it can be very different than what has been done. The best one I ever found on pinterest a couple of years ago...it was getting a ton of baking soda...spreading it out in a pretty big baking dish like a 13X9 one...then mixing vinegar and food coloring in some little dishes...I found big eye droppers....then the kids ( each had their own pan of course) use the droppers to drip the different colors into the white powder stuff and it bubbles up in an exciting way..that was a winner for many times...now I can't do it because the baby would go berserk wanting to do it and she is way from that kind of activity as of yet.

anyway that was way TMI

Ekua

Podmom that reward thing you did sounds great!! That's definitely something I could do with the kids. Most schools are pretty good about letting you implement your own positive behvaiour/rewards type systems. Although no, you wouldn't be allowed to give out chocolate or anything like that these days! My little primary two kids loved stickers and I did a secret student of the day thing, where they got to pick a wee prize from my secret box (things like erasers, pens that smelled like fruit, colouring books etc).

The older ones I think i'm going to do a popcorn jar....tell them they have 6 weeks to get it filled with kernels and we'll have a popcorn and movie on my last day....we'll see!

Lesson planning is a nightmare....especially now with all the extra you have to do.....all the policy makers who have never been teachers or been in a public school and have absolutely no clue...

podmom

Ekua those ideas you have are wonderful!!! I want a popcorn day too You are a natural born teacher!!!

Uggg I could never teach now :O I would kill the parents first the kids I think I might be able to handle...maybe?

aubie_ocean

yeah i know teachers here and they have a hard time making sure to make things entertaining but also within school policies. I think it's a lot stricter now for teachers compared to before. My coworkers tell me what their kids are doing in school now and it's so different from when I was a kid.

aubie_ocean

yeah i know teachers here and they have a hard time making sure to make things entertaining but also within school policies. I think it's a lot stricter now for teachers compared to before. My coworkers tell me what their kids are doing in school now and it's so different from when I was a kid.