I
could have used the time putting on layers of gooey paper-mache to plan
lessons. I could have used the day to review the mid-exam or start on Unit 11: Endangered Animals. I could have just
handed the students lollipops to make sure that all got some. I could have
played “pin the nose on the mosquito” to bring in another easier game for
students. I could have….. but sometimes life is about going the extra mile to
do something utterly fun, slightly crazy, and completely goofy. It’s a lesson
students continue to show me throughout my first year of teaching.
Cravings
are hard to ignore and often times harder to satisfy around here. These
cravings for me tend to center around food, such as granola bars, chocolate,
caramels, cheese, cottage cheese and bell papers. Usually they stick around for
a day and then fade into something else. (Random information: The craving that
has stuck around the longest for me is one for a ham and cheese sandwich on
homemade bread with Doritos and a granny smith apple.) A couple weeks ago, I
had the urge to do something creative and get rid of the stacks of unneeded
papers around my room. Then my college roommate sent a letter with a couple of
balloons and my craving turned to papier-mâché-ing a piñata. I could have
waited for the craving to pass. Let it go with an excuse or two. I could have
found a different craft that would have satisfied my craving. I could have done
something less messy and easier to explain to my compound family.
Originally
the piñata was going to be for the class with the highest participation and
attendance for the week leading up to mid-exams. It was an attempt to get
students to come to class and listen, instead of doing work for other classes
or skipping all together. I started the process on the long Easter weekend,
thankful that I had time and energy to get a craft going. However, I realized
late on Thursday night that I had no way to hang a piñata. So instead, the
winning class was just handed lollipops. Life went on. Then mid-exams got moved
from Monday to Wednesday, so review still continued. Still the blue piñata sat
in my house. I could have hung up the piñata and considered it too late for the
malaria awareness month competition that Peace Corps volunteers around the
country were competing in. I could have let kids around my neighborhood bash at
it. I could saved money and not put in lollipops.
On
Monday, 27 April, there was a miscommunication between secondary and
preparatory directors. Prep wanted to start their mid-exams in the morning, but
had failed to tell secondary. So instead of the small secondary shift coming to
school so there would be enough rooms on campus, the large shift came. As
mid-exams take president over classes, prep was awarded their classrooms and
secondary had to rearrange and reconfigure. All classes were paired up.
Thankfully first period the HPE teacher took out 9I out so I could review the
mid-exam and start unit 11 with just 9Q. However, 9F and 9E had been combined
and I only teach one of those classes. Most of the morning the first teacher
there took the class he/she had and kicked the other class out. Seeing the
injustice of that, I meant my students at the door and told them that we were
going out and leaving 9F to their Physics teacher. They were confused,but went
with it. I could have complained and tried to find a room. I could have asked
9F to leave.
My
school has a gravel parking lot--where painted lines would be, there is
concrete barriers between the spots. This forms a perfect horseshoe shape for
students to sit around. First I passed out their mid-exams, explaining that we
would review the answers on a different day when we had a blackboard. Passing
out 60 tests takes a while, but they were eager and interested so the process
went fairly smoothly. I then pulled them over to where the piñata was hanging
in a tree. They were bewildered, but eager to figure out what their prize was.
I then asked what students know about malaria and if they would be willing to
be recorded saying it. Three brave souls came forward. I could have made this a
class activity with all students writing responses. I could have done more than
three students. I could have given them more than 30 seconds to think of
malaria information.
After
recording the students’ responses, I explained what a piñata is. They didn’t
really get it until I shook it so that they could hear the lollipops jangling
around. It took some work to make students back up far enough, but once they
realized what was going on they did it. Making the claim that we don’t fight
and hit mosquitos in the daytime, I pulled out a bandana to blindfold the first
student. True to the game, I spun him around till he was slightly dizzy. After
a few hits I rotated so that all who were recorded could get a chance to bash
the piñata.
When
the piñata was finally decapitated, chaos ensued. Students piled in to reach
for a piece. There was laughing, yelling, pushing, shoving, relief and utter
awe. At the end all candy was gone, papier-mâché destroyed all over the place,
and teachers came over to make sure students weren’t actually getting into a
fight. I could have asked other teachers to help or at least warned them to
prevent unneeded confusion. I could have had students practice getting candy
and sharing to make sure they all got some.
There
is a lot I could have done for this one day, but that is just a snippet of my
life. I brought in food for the unit on food and categorizing it when I could
have had students make list. I brought in a jawbone of a goat because students
were having trouble distinguishing between chin and jaw when I could have drawn
a picture. I could have continued teaching instead of giving end of unit and
weekly spelling tests, to get through the textbook quicker. But just because
there is another alternative that may not be as messy, complicated or detailed,
doesn’t mean that is what one should do.
I
shouldn’t allow fear of explaining around a language barrier to prevent me from
making a pinata. I shouldn’t be an Ebeneezer Scrooge and count the costs over
the enjoyment and outcome that aren’t monetary. I shouldn’t complain when the schedule is changed and demand
that I get something else. Classwork is fun, but I shouldn’t dictate my classes
around that. I shouldn’t limit the use of visual aids even though they are seen
as odd, different, and a distraction. I shouldn’t judge my success on getting
through a textbook, without continuous assessment.
Sometimes
it is easier to get drawn in to the norms and expectations of what one should
do than think of what one could do with a little more effort, time, and
commitment. But easier isn’t always what should to be done.
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