Today’s enrichment activities at school were a bust. (For those new here, I’m retired, but still teach 3 literacy enrichment classes each week for a local home school consortium)
We learned about ferries as a mode of transport when we travel. I even incorporated some snippets of our recent trip to Cumberland Island and shared the bounty that the NPS ranger had given me to pass out to my students. No dice.
I had to resort to a YouTube read aloud because the book I wanted to share wouldn’t make it here in time. Great story; however, it was read by someone with a very nasally, whiny voice that grated on everyone’s last nerve.
I decided to use my laptop for today’s activities because I wanted to make sure my video clips would play. Sadly, it also meant using my phone as a hotspot as no one authorized to share the wifi password with me was around. The connection was so s-l-o-w.
The ferry boat origami project was well received, but required a little work and thought on their part. The usual suspects threw up their hands when something didn’t go exactly right on the first try or if the activity took more than 5 minutes to complete. That’s typical of today’s students – whether public, private or homeschooled.
Administration is putting out feelers to see who wants to teach again in the spring. I enjoy the camaraderie with the staff and the sense of purpose this part-time job gives me. However, today was akin to herding cats. If they’d asked me today, my answer would have been, “No.”
As a retired teacher friend remarked, this opportunity has been a great way for me to transition into retirement. Once I’ve gotten my “teacher fix” or when it begins to impede my ability to participate in other things I discover I want to do – then I’ll know it’s time to move on. Wise advice.
Come Stitch With Me 