March 13, 2008

Talk about not being prepared.  After watching Francis’s performance –  I knew I was in trouble.  Thank goodness I didn’t have to go first, but Lion and Friends turn came up faster than I had wished it would.  I don’t even remember anything I said, but I do remember falling back on the floor and throwing a fit.  I just can’t imagine what a 51 year old woman must have looked like doing that.  Thank goodness none of my own children saw it, they would probably have me committed. Congratulations to everyone – I thought you were all GREAT!!

 

March 20, 2008 

It was exciting meeting two of the three students that I will be working with.  Derek is really excited and more vocal than Caleb.  Derek wants to do his grandfather and Caleb wants to be his dad.  We talked about each and made some notes.  We discussed how to interview their family to find an interesting story.  Derek’s grandfather and Caleb’s dad both play the guitar, so they think they want to do something that involves playing the guitar.

March 27, 2008

 

SPRING BREAK 

 

April 3, 2008

Today Cole joined our group.  We talked about Derek and Caleb’s Chautauqua characters.  Caleb has decided he wants to be his cat.  I asked him write down some things about his cat, while I talked to Cole about his character.  Cole talks about his new puppy and his dad.  While we are brainstorming about different stories he decides he wants to be the new puppy.  Derek still wants to be his grandfather.  I have all of them close there eyes and used the handout that Francis gave us to have them think deeper about their character.  Once we completed this exercise I had them write down something they liked about their character that they would want to share.  Derek wanted to share his character with us, so I let him perform his Chautauqua.  He did a good job with expression and voice.  He has a good story and appears to really enjoy acting like his grandfather.  He needs to work on memorizing his story.  Caleb and Cole both have good ideas, they just need to put it on paper and bring their Chautauqua characters to life.  Caleb is the quietest of the three.  I am really going to have to work with him.

 

April 10, 2008

Caleb is absent today.  In order to get Derek and Cole’s story on paper, I decided that I would scribe for them today.  I do not think that enough time is available to let each of the boys write.  Cole seems to be able to gather his thoughts better and make notes on his paper.  Derek has written a small part of his story.   I had each student tell me about their character and I wrote this for them.  The boys each did a practice run of their character.  They both did I good job, but I am encouraging them to work on memorizing their stories.  We joined Hannah’s group and let each of them run through their Chautauqua.  The students responded by giving each student ‘stars’ and ‘wishe’.  I thought all the students did an excellent job of listening to each other.

 

April 17, 2008

We are missing Caleb again today.  Hopefully he will return next week.  Cole and Derek appear excited and ready to get to work.  Cole has his story with him, but Derek said his got tore up at home.  While Cole rewrites his story, Derek and I work on writing his down again.  Derek knows his story and really enjoys telling his “white horse” joke.  We work on reading the stories over several times.  I stress to both of them that it is important to memorize their story because they will not be able to use their paper when they do their performance.  We head outside for some sunshine and find Christine’s group.  We let the students do their Chautauqua and they share ‘stars’ and ‘wishes’ with each other.  Derek is getting shy on me.  I have to really encourage him to do his story.  He started off so eager, so I hope this passes because he really does have a wonderful Chautauqua story.

 

April 24, 2008

Caleb was not with our group again today.  We have not written his story, but if he is at school next week I may try to get over to Apache to work with him.  I typed Derek’s story for him and Cole typed his story at home. Cole and Derek both have good Chautauqua characters.  I gave them time to read over their stories several times.  Cole seems to add or change his story every time he acts it out.  It is a good story and I don’t want to squash his enthusiasm, but I continue to remind them to memorize what they have written.  Hanna’s group joins ours so they can each practice their character. Derek has to be coaxed to do his.  I’m not sure if he just likes the attention it gets him or if he is really scared to perform in front of his peers.  Cole does a good job with character Buck.

May 1, 2008 

I was greatly surprised to find my students so eager and willing to perform their Chautauqua characters.  Derek was beaming because his grandfather had taught him a new song the night before.  As he sang for me I thought “now if he can learn this whole song for me in one night, just imagine what he can learn if we send him home after school and have him sing his homework!”  Singing is a powerful tool for learning.

Caleb, my long lost student was raring to go and became very creative, creating cat whiskers for his character.  Cole was just as enthusiastic to tell his story about his new puppy Buck.

I was very proud of them, a few parts missing here and there, but who am I to judge.  I could not even remember half of what I said and did after my “big performance”.  I am looking forward to parent night.