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I have never been a very good teacher. It was not my intended vocation, so I really don't feel badly saying that. Maybe I'm just not teacher material or maybe not having a degree in education I missed out on the lessons about making school "fun." Or maybe I'm just too darned practical to make school all that fun. Fortunately at least one of my students is just fine with that -- if I get too "schoolish," he rebels. He likes it just the way it is - cut and dried.
There are times, however, that call for temporarily throwing the lesson plans out and doing what your home and family needs. We normally follow our lesson plans pretty closely. In my opinion, following the lesson plans gets it done -- gets the learning done. This week, however, we're going to do only the absolute most necessary part of learning and substitute with some valuable Holy Week activities. We haven't done a lot of extra curricular religion activities this Lent. I always want to, and often plan to, but there are only so many hours in the day and the learning always comes first. This week, I'm going to do a few of the things I wanted to do, but didn't. It's still Lent, and this week is where it all culminates.
My plans:
● Make the Stations of the Cross (Kimberlee's are very nice), to use this week and to keep for future years.
● Watch the Gospel of John -- 30 minutes here and there throughout the week.
● Have the kids do some things to clean and prepare for Easter. Help make the Paschal candle (find a lovely demonstration written here).
● Do some coloring pages on Thursday: Jesus washes the feet of his disciples here, and the Last Supper, here.
● Make pretzels on Thursday.
● Attend Last Supper Mass on Thursday.
● Bake Hot Cross buns for Friday morning.
● Make stained glass cross on Friday (download instructions here.)
● Attend Good Friday service on Friday.
● Color eggs on Saturday (trying Charlotte's natural method).
● Open Resurrection eggs on Saturday evening (I am using this written "how-to" from lovetolearn.com -- download here)
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good for you!
ReplyDeleteyou know, i wish a was a little more practical.
but i really have been striving for a balance.
no fun school until the important stuff is done. and it is working! i guess it is my fault that i LOVE the fun part of learning, for me, not just for them =)
I'm not a very fun teacher either, though I think I've learned a little more these past 2 years. However, it feels more like slacking off to me!
ReplyDeleteBTW, I sent your pizza crust recipe to Melissa Wiley at http://melissawiley.com/blog/. I don't know if you read her, but she was lookin' for a recipe!
I don't know, Barbara. Teaching WAS my intended vocation, but I don't feel like much of a teacher today.
ReplyDeleteCould be burn out.
Could be this big old belly.
Could be the heap of snow that we received on Palm Sunday.
Or it could just be...ME.
All that to say, I am going to try very hard to listen to the Holy Spirit and make this week extra special.
Regan -- we'd make great tag-team teachers!
ReplyDeleteSara, I too have a hard time finding the "learning" in the fun. I know it's there, but it's just not so obvious!
Margaret, Let the spirit move you, babe!
Barbara, what wonderful ideas, and really, what's more important than learning about Christ and the sacrifice He made for us? Kudos to you!
ReplyDelete