I had a bit of a reality check this week when some of my lessons didn't quite go to plan. I am finding that adjusting to teaching adults is taking some time. At times I have assumed that they have skills when in reality they haven't used those skills in quite some years and they are a little rusty. So adjusting lessons to allow extra time for these things has been important. Managed to get one of my classes onto Google Docs. Really glad there weren't too many log in problems. They were writing a creative writing piece for me and I can see they were really getting into it. Some of them had written pages and came back during extra time to keep working on it! I decided while they were writing I should have a go to. I just wrote a short section. The picture I gave them was....
She gasped with excitement and shouted over the noise of the helicopter. "The islands in the sky are real!"
Here is my first crack at it. Still needs some work....
Through the grey mist the sun streaked through the haze and the trees glistened as though covered in jewels. Rocky outcrops covered the island and goats grazed on coarse grasses barely noticing her arrival. Fleeting shadows darted between the rocks and they quickly melted back to where they came. The vines covered the trees in the lower canopy of the island and the jungle below was green and dense. As the helicopter hovered she took in the strange surrounds. After the helicopter had left she was alone, excited and yet full of wonder and intrigue at such beauty. In the quiet of the moment she listened to the strange and eerie birds calls, water falls and insects. The scent was sweet and damp reminding her of an early morning deep in the jungle. The floating island was steady and one would have easily thought they were on an island back home. Now the islands had been found the Legend of Hsi Shu Wu had to be true too and the treasure beyond compare was now in her reach.......
Have had some more interest in my business and may have some potential work running training session for TAFE teachers in the future. Hoping to get my logo in a few weeks and then I can really get things moving. I can then get the website going. Can then start doing some consulting whilst I finish getting my courses accredited by the Teachers Institute. Have also had some primary school teachers approach me for training. Not sure about this one but will get back to them soon.
This week I need to really find some strategies to help some of my students gain confidence in creative writing. I also need to work on my class websites and have them ready to go as I am hoping to get my login at TAFE this week. I feel as though I am detached from the umbilical chord having no access to the internet at work!
Some of my favorite sites for the week are:
Visual literacy and film techniques:
Nice Scoopit on Imagination exploration:
Some thought provoking ideas for critical thinking:
Hope you have a great week ahead.
Until next week,
K
Kathryn, I am loving reading your blog every week and hearing about where you are at. You are embracing the challenges of TAFE and adult learners so well. I am sure that your new students are excited to have you as their teacher :)
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