Category: Teaching

Teaching again
by Kimliatach

Back in the saddle, well kind of,

tutoring has begun.

Today I spent an hour each with two delightful children, getting to know them both and learning how best I can help them.

I promptly spent my earnings on sausages and beer to feed the ravenous horde at home. We have had two nephews about. Both playing very well with our boys while, during my absence N and her parents tore down the ancient and hazardous back fence and constructed an entirely new one using their wealth of fencing experience.

They found some pretty extraordinary pieces of metal in the process too. Some of which will feature in future projects.

 

I haven’t managed to finish the card I’ve been working on today, in truth I’ve barely touched it. Going to put some time into templates now.

 

Found a great early learning maths game for L and as a reward activity for my younger students. From the always brilliant ‘Dragonbox’ creators WeWantToKnow games ‘Numbers’ is rather brilliant for little ones.

 

Young #Bluetongue approx 200mm #macro

A photo posted by @liatach on

 

More #Bluetongue. Try as I might I was unable to get a picture with it’s tongue out.

A photo posted by @liatach on

Some wanton stupidity made amazing by the grace of Slo-Mo

Garden Beds and the Font of Absurdity
by Kimliatach

Garden progress, Finally filled the raised garden bed tanks to the brim today, though we are expecting some subsidence, they will be ready to be planted into very soon. Each is filled with a nice wet lasagne of sheep poo, soil, potash, cardboard, hay and compost, some layers mixed more thoroughly than others. Shade cloth for the poly covers is still required. The chook tractor build is stalled waiting on suitable plywood for the roost walls. N made significant progress on the orchard bike path digging and paving should commence there tomorrow.

IMG_20160117_182311

IMG_20160117_182302

Spending this evening preparing a go bag for my first tutoring session tomorrow. In the process I have discovered that the only way to legally acquire the official handwriting font for NSW and the ACT ‘Foundation Handwriting’ is to pay this dubious and outdated Northern Territory based site $30. More hilarious and baffling still, judging by the pricelist they also charge schools $60 a licence as well. So despite no doubt having been paid to create the fonts in the first place, they now have the gall to charge the education departments, parents, teachers, tutors and schools for the privilege of using the mandated font for NSW school students. All free hosts back to page 5+ of the search have received takedown notices or are obvious scams.

Absurd.

Anyway ‘Foundation Handwriting’ appears nearly indistinguishable from the frightfully ugly QLD QCursive handwriting font and in yet another discovered policy win for QLD v. NSW they at least give their font away for free.

 

Lots of interesting biology around yesterday and today.

Mantids

More baby mantids, so many more. #macro

A photo posted by @liatach on

A lizard

Tiny bearded dragon on my pinkie.

A photo posted by @liatach on

Didn’t have my lens with me today unfortunately.

Yabbies caught on the farm.

#yabby says “I will cut you!”. >200mm

A photo posted by @liatach on

#yabby s are really rather alien looking creatures up close.

A photo posted by @liatach on

 

 

 

Farewells
by Kimliatach

Last day of school today. Clean up day for me involves teaching children to scrub, wipe and dry their plastic tidy trays. It is a pet peeve that in many classrooms many of their desk drawers start the year still coated with finger grease on the outside, and still soapy from the futile wiping at the graphite stains on the interior. I have sytems people! Pick your role wipe, scrub or dry and if it gets to the end dirty… Send it back. Astonishing how few children are seemingly made to do the dishes at home. I loathed the job as a child and have never really grown out of that, but I knew damn well how to do it, even if it was not without complaint.

I was disappointed by one interaction this afternoon. A sweet student was clearly in a sad state and I was unable to cheer her up before goodbyes. She has been being excluded by a bunch of little cows, too ‘popular’ to include her and creating divisions among her core friendships. A sad way to break for the year.

At our teacher’s feast the staff farewelled a bunch of teachers old and new, including a retiring deputy who had been in education since 1968 and your’s truly who plans to return. Astonishing to think of a career in one job longer than my lifetime. Practically unthinkable today, as is retirement before senescence for my generation.

My father called shortly before the bell this morning bearing terrible news. My uncle Jefferey had died overnight. Although not a young man, nor it must be said, a particularly healthy one. His passing is unexpected and tragic. He is survived by his wife Judith, his daughter Jenny and his twin brother Michael.

Jefferey was a cantankerous, cynical old bastard and I loved him. I was dearly looking forward to evenings of drinking, smoking and talking shit with with him during our upcoming visit to Scotland next year. I have a number of fond memories of him and his and my aunt’s houses. I dearly wish I could be there to see him off with my cousin and aunt. Sending much love to those who need it from N & I.

Working on a card tonight.

 

Christmas drinks
by Kimliatach

Staff Christmas party tonight. Fun had by all.

A project I have put serious thought into in the past showed up on Tested the other day.

The buggers are of course doing it better than I had planned too.

Found a cool insect on the bathroom door today. Uploaded to Instagram as it is still proving more convenient and has better editing tools.

>35mm unknown living insect perched on bathroom door

A photo posted by @liatach on

Sharing some of the laminated labels for the timeline I have used in most classrooms so far. Given to a colleague.

The BCE / CE Marker was folded over in laminating unfortunately.

IMG_20151204_082948

IMG_20151204_082953

 

A best friend is spending the night with us tonight, planning to hit an indoor climbing wall together tomorrow.

 

 

 

So Much Paper
by Kimliatach

I’ve been packing my classroom this week. I’m taking only the best of my own stationery items and my curated classroom bookshelf collection. Even though I strive to keep as much of my work digital as possible the sheer quantity of paper that comes across my desk each week is extraordinary. I am recycling whole reams as I discard for the pack. I’m also offloading a ton of my own hand made resources as gifts for colleagues or just into the schools collection via the Super Aides on our staff.

The first two are word wall headings. Given to my year level coordinator this year.

IMG_20151204_083503 IMG_20151204_083432

It appears I need a better photo This is one of the few items I will keep as it will definitely be used again and again. The school rules are simply Be Safe, Be Respectful, Be Responsible. It is standard classroom protocol to decide as a class the rules for our room on the first day of school. It takes patience and practice to Sheppard the discussion so that we arrive at a set of aspirational rules that the students feel ownership of that can also be used all year long as a behavior check.

 

IMG_20151204_152020

 

This could be the original or it could be a YouTube freeboot. It certainly has less views that the copy doing the rounds on Fbook. Star Wars will merit a post all of its own at some point.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scaOHSPXP4Q

 

 

Boxes boxes everywhere
by Kimliatach

At school and at home the great packing is in full effect. N has accomplished a huge amount at home. At work my classroom is currently in the ‘worse before it gets better’  phase. Sending belongings home and discarding reams of used paper.

Found an example artwork from early in the year:

IMG_20151201_142710

NAIDOC week example piece.  Watercolour pencils and marker on card. Sacred spaces special places. Students made some pretty incredible interpretations of their own special places in the style.

I was lucky enough to spend the morning at work designing origami information sharing devices in Illustrator. A nice change of pace. I’ll share the product once complete and approved for public display.

Tonsils are still very uncomfortable but not worse. I’m planning to hit the Calligraffiti WOTD again tonight after a workout and ironing. If I make it I’ll edit it in.

Still puzzling over rhymes for the shoe book.