Hiccups and CO2

Friday Vlogsperimentation

Still learning. Still making mistakes. Still having fun!

Byeee!!!

Snow and rainbows

Today showed me how very differently one class could respond to a particular L.O. lesson than another. Where the Gr.X C-class nearly yawned the class into Oz, the A- and E-classes loved every detail! Where the first class was decidedly bored out of their skulls the moment they walked in the door – the other classes snapped out of it the moment I started the lesson. They enjoyed what I had prepared for them, and participated to such an extent that the lesson felt less like a class and more like a lively discussion among friends. It was amazing.

Your preparation as well as the kids make all the difference. The classes who put something of themselves into the lesson, got something more in return. This mix of energy allowed me to pour my whole self into the moment and emerge with my learners, energized and ready to move on at the end of the period (which flew by in no time).

I have yet to figure out why the first class differed so greatly from the other two, and what I could do to bring their spark out in the former group.

...

After school I went to buy my colleague a milkshake for his birthday (which he didn't want celebrated elaborately). Three of us jumped in a car, drove in the icy rain to the mall, and celebrated with sweets while surrounded by snow capped mountains. From the pay-point, I took the following photograph:

All was right with the world.

I also made him this little video as a birthday present :0)

Annoyed

Annoyed annoyed annoyed
I am viciously annoyed.
Ticked off, miffed,
agitated and
oh
so very
vexed!

Some of you will remember that I had presented a lesson on "Poetry for Enjoyment" when Prof. Beets came to critique me. The lesson served as a bridge between the movie "Dead Poets Society" and the Grade 11 Prepared Reading task, which made up their oral assignment for the term. After the D-day lesson, I presented this lesson to my Mentor's other Gr.11 class to their surprised delight.

It's a fun lesson, carefully crafted to achieve the "unthinkable" – making poetry so much fun, that you'd want to delve into it at home, in your own time, and love it.

Following my two presentations in my Mentor's classes, she suggested that the other Gr.11 English teachers consider having me present this lesson after they're classes have watched the movie. A suggestion which seems to've been received quite well, judging by the bookings I received. Of course I had to make room for these lessons in my L.O.-schedule, but I figured it was worth it for me, for the learners, and for the love of poetry!

Today saw me presenting this lesson to 11B, with both their teacher and the Department Head in the classroom. The light wasn't ideal for the overhead projector, but the lesson went down without a hitch. The learners seemed to love it, and their teacher said how enjoyable he found it. The Department Head, whose classes are up tomorrow and the day after, was however not as enthusiastic about the poem I used at the end of my lesson to drive it all home. She asked that I change it to one of the Gr.12 EFAL poems she had on a DVD.

This is the poem I have been using all this while as an exercise in performing a reading:

I'm sure you can imagine the hilarity (enjoyment) that ensued once learners were given the text to this poem and told they had two minutes to prepare a fun way of reading it, and then reading it in front of the whole class. Right there. (Yes, I'm incorrigible – with purpose.)

The plaintiff flat-out refused that part of the lesson.
These are the poems I've been asked to substitute it with:

Guy Butler – A Prayer for All My Countrymen
Roy Campbell – The Serf
John Donne – Death Be Not Proud
Charles Eglington – Cheetah
John Milton – On His Blindness
Oswald Mtshali – The birth of Shaka
William Shakespeare – Sonnet 116
Karl Shapiro – Auto Wreck
Stephen Spender – An Elementary School Classroom in a Slum
W.D. Snodgrass – Mementos, 1

WTF? Let's switch out a light-hearted, nonsensical and funny little poem for something more... well, either high-browed convoluted-ness or death and misery. Great.

Of course these poems are all fantastic works of art – in the same way a Rembrandt is fantastic. They're also just as much fun...

I'll have to make a plan.

Saturday Fun-day tester

An experiment in vlogging:

International Schools Rugby and Big Band Brilliance

Today was a day packed to the brim with excitement and activities. Not to mention work.


SARU had selected our school to host several international rugby matches that were televised and broadcast throughout the rugby-universe. And everyone got a chance to take part! Even if you were part of the Under 14 D rugby team, and played waaaaay at the back on the secondary fields – you were a part of everything, and the excitement that filled the air was intoxicating.

Even one such as myself, who barely knows what a rugby match looks like, could enjoy the day quite vigorously. Which I did. Starting with early morning security detail, to watching the sun rise over the snow-capped mountains, to supporting the U14Ds and all my kids playing before the main games. I don't know how many of them recognized their student English/LO-teacher pacing up and down the fields – but seeing the faces of those who did light up made my heart swell.

Similarly, at the Orchestra's Winter Concert earlier tonight, it was such a pleasure to see kids shining in their passions, and living for what they do. I had such a great time watching them play, listening to the gorgeous music they made, and just being a part of their Big Night!

I'm growing quite attached to these kids.

The Big Brag

Today was all about building school spirit – gees – which pretty much translated to kids in red costumes bursting in controlled chaos. Fun most of the time, but pretty draining. Especially the day before the Big Rugby. Which will be followed by the Orchestra's winter concert that very evening.

All of which needed to be prepared for today. Of course I helped everywhere I could, and some places where I couldn't... old habits die hard.

Best news of the week though: the kids whom I helped with preparation for their English Language term paper all passed with improved grades! Yay!!!

To celebrate, here's a short clip of some Geesvang:

I spent most of the day preparing the school hall for Saturday evening's concert - which promises to be big fun!

Winter Ball

Quite a lot went down today, but I'm simply too tired to do this entry right. Reason being that we had to chaperone at the Winter Ball tonight.

What day is it anyway?

WANT!!!

Video: Sweet Brown's Greatest Hits

Almost everybody, everywhere has been throwing the line "ain't nobody got time for that" around like there's no tomorrow. Having been oblivious to such phenomenons (I was late with Gangam Style too), I never really got it.

Until now...

Weekend review: Joburg hail storm

Joburg hail storm: Watch this incredible footage of the intense hail storm that hit Johannesburg over the weekend.

Fun music video: Gangnam Style

I'm pretty sure most of you have heard/seen/otherwize experienced the Gangnam Style phenomenon.
For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about - welcome to what's been playing in my head since Friday:



Dress classy,
Dance cheesy!

Compliments for Strangers

thetrevorproject:

Thanks Davey Wavey for putting a smile on more than a few people’s faces with this random act of kindness.

WHAT ARE WE WAITING FOR - DANNY ROSE

Uploaded by DanRoManagement on Mar 27, 2012

"This is my marriage proposal video to the love of my life. I cant imagine anyone telling us we cannot get married! The song is available on iTunes and 100% of the profits will goto marriage equality. Please enjoy and share and comment!"

http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/what-are-we-waiting-for-single/id512975897

Guess what I've been working on?

watch it. watch it again.

and watch it in full screen,

with the volume way up...

if you're going to drive - don't drink. AT ALL.

and if you see your "tipsy" friend taking his/her keys and heading for the door - take their keys, get them home safely, worry about the vehicle when everyone's sober. (an acquaintance of mine gave his buddy his bike's keys back, who proceeded to smash into someone else.)

THINK

before you

DRINK

before you

D(R)I(V)E

World AIDS Day 2010 - The Ribbon/Cucumber Timelapse

Be safe.

"It Gets Better" — Love, Pixar

True Colors: it gets better

turn up the volume

and view this in full screen

thank you to the Gay Men's Chorus of LA!

Joel Burns reaches out

... and I hope many more will stand up for the cause of love and acceptance.

If your child, or a child you know of, is self-identiefied or even perceived to be lgbti - PLEASE reach out to him/her in love and acceptance. Even if you do not understand it yourself - does that matter when you're saving a life?

And if your child, or a child you know of, is bullying others - PLEASE take action, and save another life - as well as his/her soul. Being - or believing to be the cause of another's death, is also life-threatening and soul destroying.

Lastly, let us all take a moment to remember where children get their ideas from: We are culpable. We are responsible. We form their opinions, their attitudes and beliefs - and however indirectly, we guide their actions.

Did my silence/rashness contribute to someone's feeling of hopelessness?

Did my invisibility contribute to a suicide?

Did yours?