Tech Week is wearing me out.
So I planned on going to Pick n'Pay tonight to get some things, but I've been out of the house all day. Someone help me.
In all seriousness, today was pretty good, but very, very full. A regular 10-pound day in a 3-pound bag. The register period today included enrichment, which meant that students were learning their rah-rah's in between other little meetings. I went to a stage crew meeting and saw my stage hands in full lighting for the first time. Side note: I'll probably be at least 20% paint until April.
To start the day, I worked with a Grade 8 class that's reading Buddy, a British young adult novel to Nigel Hinton. It's a great text, and the students really connect with it--there's that whole 80's angle of “children doing fantastic but realistic stuff” as well as a good dose of realism. I think students can appreciate that, and the novel's got plenty of literary elements at work as well. Honestly, it's better written than Other Side of Truth, as far as I read. I participated in some of their chain reading (so far, all the students can keep up with my accent!) and got to ask them some comprehension questions at the end of the period. I wouldn't really count it as teaching, since I participated for such a short time in the class, but I at least didn't sit quietly again today!
Then, again, a long break. I caught up on some journals and read a little more. After I went to another Grade 8 class, which was also reading Buddy, though they were only answering questions from their work packets today. I really liked the way that this class was lead, and there was a good deal of constructed knowledge in the room--much moreso than I've seen in some other classrooms.
After, I joined Mrs. Gibbens for another class period, with Grade 11's who are working through Maccers. They asked me to read aloud for the Porter's part, so... I guess American Shakespeare is pretty exciting? I actually think they just didn't want to read it themselves--it's a pretty complex passage.
The last period of the day was with a teacher I'd observed with earlier, but it was a drama class this time, which I haven't been to yet. Apparently drama is part of their fine arts program rather than English and communications. They call it Creative Arts.
Creative Arts, to my knowledge, is a required course of study that includes art, music and drama. Students attend a semester each of drama and music and a full year of art during their Grade 8 and 9 careers; after the end of year 9, they pick a job preparation/skill-based program and their class distribution changes. So these students are about to be done with drama for the year, which they aren't too happy about.
I think? I need to get confirmation about the whole Creative Arts thing.
Anyway, this Grade 8 drama class is doing set-aside lessons because they're about to be done with their semester. We did some activities, like group crescendos and Telephone, and then they tried to imitate my accent with mixed results.
Alright. Now the fun part: Tech Week. One of the music teachers gave me a lift home so I could change and pick up something for dinner, then I went straight to the theater. It took me about 4~ hours total, but I got the show logo finished! It turned out pretty well. I'd have liked to throw some glitter on it, but I didn't have any clear glitter and it's already been put up, anyway. While I waited for that to dry so I could paint highlights and lowlights, I finished off the prop truck's touchups on the bar side (the grey paint that was used first wasn't mixed properly, so I had to redo the entire front), then I wrangled children and worked on stage crew.
It's going to be a good production. Naturally, considering the impending term-end and the nature of Tech Week itself, the kids are getting a little beaten down, so I'll have to think of something nice to do for them. Maybe I'll get my stage crew some snacks, or I'll make them sun tea. Who knows. They've been working hard, though, so everyone deserves a little treat.
I got home around 10, passed out and here I am on Friday, writing a post.
I'm tired and sore, but Tech Week is almost over and it's all been worth it so far. More later.
Good thing you had a theater teacher at home. BTW sad news on home theater – it looks like the Altamont Living Museum (the theater behind Salem's house) is closing it's doors. Our weekly bluegrass show has quit and with no regular shows there is nothing to generate a steady income so.
On a positive note Your dad and his troupe from Effingham will be attending the FACE production of Blyth Spirit in Effingham Friday night. So theater is still alive in Effingham county -- just not on the west side any more.
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