Carnival Fun!

We came on the wind of the Carnival, a warm wind for February, laden with the hot greasy scents of frying pancakes and sausages and powdery-sweet waffles cooked on the hotplate right there by the roadside, with the confetti sleeting down collars and cuffs and rolling in the gutters like an idiot antidote to winter.

-Joanne Harris, Chocolat

I love that story, and it's become almost an annual read for me. It's so rich - just look how much is packed into that opening sentence - the food, the atmosphere! Yesterday I drew a bath and settled in for a soak, starting Chocolat once again to pump me up for Carnaval, as it's called in Spanish.

waiting patiently for cake

At school today we celebrated the last day of Carnaval with a costume parade in the playground, chocolate milk and special cakes, a tribute to the traditional last day of indulgence before Lent. Let me tell you, there is indeed a special wind that comes with the carnival each year, a wind that picks up everyone's spirits, especially the children's. There was no containing their excitement, and even Baby seemed extra active! Fun, yet exhausting, and I'm looking forward to forty calmer, reflective days.

iron man and two batmans

After a catnap bear-like hibernation session on the couch, I read a little more of my book and spent some time searching for a new pancake recipe. I decided on one for fluffy buckwheat pancakes by londonbakes, and they are officially my new favourites. I love the flavour of the buckwheat and they are, rather than fluffy, dense and tall. I left out the sugar and corn flour (didn't have any), used almond milk (out of cow's), and they turned out just fine. Local strawberries are starting to appear, with nary a peach to be seen, so I topped ours with yogurt, berries and maple syrup (wouldn't be a real Canadian if I didn't have maple syrup for my pancakes!). As I left out the sugar, I suspect these would also be good with creme fraiche and smoked salmon, or maybe chicken and mushrooms. 

Sharing a Fun Memory

When we were little, my brother and I loved, among other things, The Elephant Show. Our parents took us to many a Sharon, Lois and Bram concert, and we'd pass the time on car trips singing along with their tapes. Alas, shows come to an end, reruns stop showing, children grow up, and favourite things that you can't live without pass into memory.

Sometimes you get the chance to revive a memory, and that's what's happened with The Elephant Show an school. Today I had a lot of fun singing one of the trio's most famous songs, Skinnamarink, with my students. We're learning the song and actions for Valentine's Day, and they love it! 

There are lots of versions of this song online, including alternative spellings (skidamarink? Who wants to sing about skids?) probably to avoid copyright issues, but the best for me will always be by Sharon, Lois and Bram. My students cheer when Elephant comes on - so fun! and they love blowing kisses at the end. The video below is their favourite version (we've been talking about costumes a lot lately since Carnaval is right around the corner, and they like the pirate theme):

Canadian indoctrination, one song at a time...

A February Fun Friday

If you read my teaching series, you'll know I like to start school on Fridays with something fun. We still follow a routine and we do work, but mixing it up a bit is a nice treat after a busy week.

Today things got musical. We have music every day, but this time we spent nearly all of circle time singing through our old favourites, and started working on the song from our new language unit. It's very silly and seems to have usurped the teddy bear song and dance as class favourite...

Go with the Snow

It seems Winter finally woke up and realized, "Hey, it's WINTER! Let's get this thing going!" 

We've had nothing but harsh, cold wind and grey skies since Sunday, and today there was almost snow! Too "cold" for outdoor recess (seriously, these Spaniards have NO idea...), so this afternoon I threw in some extra playtime for my little flock. After being cooped up inside for two grey days, I don't think they could have handled another craft or worksheet, or even a story or a song, so I got out the animals and some blocks, and we set to work building a farm. We were all feeling a little classroom-feverish, and the mood, despite the toys, was quiet and dull.

The clouds parted for a brief moment, the change of colour causing me to look out the window, and instead of sun I saw tiny granules of hail. "Ooo, look outside!" I said, and they did, and all joy broke loose.

scrambling for a spot at the window to see the "snow"

"Snow, SNOW, SNOW!" they chanted, running to the windows. 

"It's Christmas again!" 

"Santa's coming!" 

"Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells!"

Everyone was excited, teacher included, to see a hint of the white stuff (even if it was really hail). We made a collective decision to ditch the farm, spending what was left of the afternoon watching the weather and singing our snowman and snowflake songs. 

Hey, sometimes you've just got to go with the flowsnow.

Taking time to delight in the moment and embrace the winter weather put a smile on all our faces, and even a jump of joy into some students, and we finished the day on a high note. The hail turned to rain and evening fell quickly, but I don't mind. I've got the window cracked open and that fresh, clean, crisp scent of snow is in the air. 

Fun Friday: Five Senses

My students are at a great age for exploring their five senses, and incorporating sensory experiences into lessons makes them not only more memorable and meaningful, but also more fun!

Sometimes I focus mainly on one sense, other times it's a crossover. Here are some of my successes:

(source)

Touch - 

There are lots of activities for touch, but my classroom favourite is my magic bag. When I'm introducing a new vocabulary word, sometimes I'll bring a representation of the word and "hide" it in a green velvet bag I bought at Ikea. I pass the bag around, and they try to guess what's inside by how it feels. 

I like to bring out play dough, sometimes with a theme, to play with at least weekly.

Smell - 

I hide objects (sliced fruit, cotton with a few drops of essential oil, pine needles, etc.) in a container covered in parchment paper with a few holes poked into it. They guess what the smell is.

(source)

Sight -

To look more closely at plants (but you could do it with other objects), I pop them into a jar or bottle of water.  It's more awe-inspiring than simply passing around a leaf, not to mention I go through fewer samples. 

We play games like I Spy, and use Where's Waldo-type posters to spot different things. We have colour theme days, where we try to spot as many objects of the day's colour as possible, or we look for examples of opposites (right now big and small).

Hearing - 

They love nature sound effects! This is easy to provide with a CD or even from my phone. If we're talking about a certain animal, I'll ask what noise they think it makes. Then we listen to the real thing, or I'll play a different animal (for example, a dog when it should be a cat), and they "correct" me.

We play whispering games during circle time (a very simple Broken Telephone game), and repeating games (where we drill vocabulary using different tones - the favourite is "mouse voice"), or I speak really quietly so they really have to concentrate. Speaking quietly has the bonus effect of the students modulating their voices to match my level. A nice, easy way to have some quiet time!

Taste -

This one is trickier to tackle in the classroom - dietary restrictions and severe allergies keep me from passing around food samples - but we do eat together twice a day, during recess and at lunch. We talk about different tastes and preferences then, as well as discussing foods we've tried at home. Right now we're focusing on the basics (sweet, savoury, bitter...). 

Special sensory activities are fun to prepare and fun to deliver. The students are motivated when they know we've got something planned for later in the day or week, and so am I!

Bye-bye, Teacher! (How I Unwind at the End of the Day)

I definitely have a "teacher voice". And a classroom vocabulary. And a school face. And it's important to leave those things at the door. 

check out this book here

Sometimes I catch myself saying things like, "No no, Tall Guy, don't eat those cookies, they are for our snack tomorrow!" or "That plate is too delicate for the dishwasher, please!" in a singsong voice that would make  even Maria von Trapp want to hurl. Or I want to put the woman who cut the line at the supermarket in a time out. And that's just not cool. On the other hand, I do like/need to share parts of my day, so it's about finding balance.

So I try to start teacher-mode shutdown when I hang up my lab coat. Bye bye, classroom. A nice thing about an on-foot commute is lots of fresh air every day. Sometimes I stop to meet a friend for a coffee, or do errands or shopping on the way home. The way home is the buffer zone. I do run into students and of course I talk to them. I like them! But work is over, and I'm ready to go home. I don't go to the park with them or walk a long way with anyone, nor do I stop for coffee at the parents' favourite coffee shop. I'm off the clock.

When I get home, I write in my work journal if I want to, and then I put my feet up for ten minutes. Ten minutes with my feet up the wall and deep breathing, thank you, yoga.  It's a surefire way to clear and calm my mind. 

Maybe it's not writing things down, or legs up the wall, but a great way to keep joy in the classroom is to keep the teacher in the classroom. As with any job, work is part of who we are, but it's not all of who we are. And work does spill over into life, but it doesn't have to dominate. There are moments when I come across things that remind me of my students - maybe I see a new book or game I think they'll like - but I take note of that in cursive writing, not block print.

What I do next depends on the day. I exercise, I do chores, I cook, I read, I watch something funny, I chat with friends or family. But by this time, Teacher is gone for the day and it's just Me.

A Family School

Classmates, over the year, can turn into a little family. We spend an awful lot of time together, and get to know each other pretty well. 

As much as I can, I like to keep parents and caregivers in the loop. Parent volunteers in the classroom aren't really a thing here, and they are definitely not into newsletters, so what's a teacher to do?

Parents can book an appointment to come talk with me, and I try to touch base as they drop off or pick up their kids (an advantage of being at a small school - the kids get dropped off at my classroom door, so I see a family member or a caregiver every day.

We've got a WhatsApp group and an email list, and we've got a closed photo group on our web page, where I post photos of everyone doing neat activities, book work, or recess.

We also have Tommy, who I've mentioned before. Our class mascot spends a weekend being hosted by each student. Someone at home helps them photograph or draw pictures, and write captions, for the weekend's activities.  

I think getting to know the families and keeping up on what's on at home helps me be a better teacher. I can support the students on a deeper level, and what we're doing in the classroom can be reinforced at home. When parents and caregivers know me, the kids can trust in me and feel more comfortable and well-adjusted at school. 

6-5-4-3-2-1 SWITCH!

(What I do when I’m going crazy)

A student peed during reading time today. And it got all over a stack of books. Someone else decided to sample a classmate's hand. And everyone decided to yell rather than sing during our Halloween song practice today.

Sometimes I want to pull my hair out, or just join in their shouting. But, I'm the teacher, so I don't.

I take a deep breath and think of 5 things fast. Five small joys to get me back on track. Reasons I like teaching. Funny things the kids said earlier in the day. A great answer, a well-down worksheet. Kind colleagues. A cool activity. Even a tasty lunch.

Today's five:

My commute - I live so close to school, it's only a twenty minute walk!
My students - they did so well today in language class!
Afternoon recess - such a beautiful, sunny afternoon with lots of dragons running around.
My snack - homemade peanut butter cookies!
Our classroom - our homemade decorations are up, and it looks great!

Journey to Teaching: School at Home

Today's guest is a dear friend of mine who transitioned from teaching at school to teaching at home. One of the most thoughtful, organized and dedicated teachers I know, I hope you enjoy Emily's journey to teaching:

What you teach:

I started teaching in a Christian elementary school, and now I teach my own three children at home. We use a wide variety of materials and experiences to cover all subject areas.

Why you started:

I've always loved teaching. It's in my blood. I chose to home educate because I wanted to provide higher quality education, social interactions, emotional stability, security learning opportunities, moral training, sense of identity, and use of time than I believe traditional school settings can provide. 

the home schoolers at the end of their local library's summer reading programme

What you love about it now:

I love it that our family is very close knit. We love being together and experiencing life together. I love it that I am privileged to witness learning and growth in my children, and that we can celebrate milestones and achievements together. I love spending each day with these three interesting and brilliant people.

Why you keep doing it:

Conviction. Although I sometimes struggle with feelings of inadequacy, or with patience, or fatigue, I do not doubt that my children are right where they are supposed to be. I am convicted, and I trust that our hard work, prayers, and sacrifice will result in healthy, intelligent, well-adjusted, productive, compassionate and independent followers of Jesus.

To Teach is to Touch a Life Forever

Anne Shirley. Ms Frizzle. Jo March. Maria. Grades 4, 7 and 8 (same lady!). Sunday School. High school English and Phys Ed. University French, my Canadian Studies TA, my Museum Education instructor. 

As a follow up to my work journal, for me it's important to have work role models. Some are fictional, but most are teachers I've had over the course of my own schooling. All are teachers I admire, and from teaching style to classroom organization, from caring to inspiring, they have traits I hope to bring to my own teaching.

When they going gets tough, I try to think about how one of my role models would handle the situation. When I'm frustrated with a student, that I'd like to be a role model, not a bad memory. I incorporate some of their teachings, and use some of their great ideas.

Many of my past teachers have in some way shaped the type of teacher and person I've become. 

Today I give joyful thanks for them, and hope I can for my students what they were for me.

The T-files: Keeping a Work Journal

A work journal. Kind of like study-notes for the teacher. The first time I had to write study notes, I was in grade seven, and had to write a review of a science unit. I complained, did it, and was amazed to see that, yes, this was indeed a useful practice. In high school math, you couldn't take tests or exams without having handed in study notes. I was ahead of the game, since I was used to writing them. I kept up with study notes on my own accord during university (so much nicer to review my own notes and chapter summaries than to go through every single reading and jots taken during lectures), and transitioned to a work journal whilst completing my final internship at an art gallery.

The work journal was obligatory, but I knew it would help me. It came in very handy when I had to write my final paper. Areas I'd struggled with, excelled in, ways I'd grown, concrete facts and skills I'd learned, they were all there. Professionally, a work journal is useful when it comes to preparing for interviews. I've drawn on mine for many a covering letter and portfolio. All in all, a work journal is a great tool for reflection.

i love this journal from chapters

I keep a teaching journal, apart from my teaching agenda, where I write down the day's triumphs or tragedies. If an activity bombed, I try to work out why, and whether it's worth trying again. If the students really loved something (Pete the Cat comes to mind, also directed play-dough use and, well, stickers), I write that down so I'll remember it for future use.

I keep notes of sweet things students say, and of course hilarious anecdotes, always nice to see after I've had a rough class. I write down the tough stuff, too. Sometimes, it's me. Sometimes, it's them, Sometimes, it just is what it is. Reflecting helps me avoid overly guilt tripping or glorifying myself.

Just as I enjoy looking back through my personal journals and seeing how I've grown and changed as a person, I think it will also be fun to look back on my work-self, especially once I've reached the golden age of retirement. 

My work journal doesn't take a lot of time, just a few minutes now and then, and not necessarily daily, but by doing it I've been able to build myself a great tool for teaching with joy.

Fun Friday: Say it with Stickers

I love stickers. Always have, always will. I used to buy/collect them, and keep them in a special box for "special occasions" (read - sticker hoarder) and I used to love earning them for things like doing chores, practicing piano, and doing well at school. Being a teacher gives me a professional reason to purchase stickers, but I'd buy them anyway, I know, if I had another job.

my stickers... i may have a problem

I like to give out stickers when kids do a good job, or to take home as a reward for something or other, to use them as incentive, or just because. I like walking by someone's desk and just putting a sticker on their hand. They look so happy!

I still have some extra special stickers I earned. They bring back nice memories. Stickers  can cheer up even the longest, dullest day at school. Something small to get excited about.

So, for this week's Fun Friday, I say, "say it with stickers".

Setting the Bar - when to push it and when to let it go

Setting appropriate expectations is a surefire way for me to keep joy in the classroom. Set them too low, and I'll be spending a lot of time doing things for the children they could be doing without help, or they'll be finishing activities very quickly and getting bored, hotbeds of misbehaviour and annoyance. Set them too high, and I'll be spending a lot of time doing things for the children that they shouldn't be responsible for doing, and they will become frustrated with work that is unreasonably challenging. Again, misbehaviour and annoyance.

My expectations follow the age and grade of the class, but also take into account each individual student. Did they go to daycare? Where? Do they have siblings or interact regularly with other children outside of school? What language is spoken at home? Are there any known disabilities? 

I like Vygotsky's scaffolding technique - in a nutshell, learners have a "zone of proximal development". They know some things, and they will be able to know other things in this zone. The teacher provides support (the scaffolding) to help the learners build on what they know. Scaffolding-type support can include motivating, simplifying, directing, comparison, and modeling. I also try to build in repetition, sensory experiences, exploratory learning, and to leave lots of time for creative play. 

Things I Push

• concepts a step up from what we're working on. For example, this year we officially cover four colours. Most picked that up quickly, and through books and songs already know a lot more! 
• skills that promote autonomy. They can put on their smocks alone, and some of them can do up the buttons. That's great! Some are starting to try to do up their own shoes, and (thank you, parents) they can all go to the toilet alone. They can all eat, of course, but some are learning to twirl spaghetti on a fork rather than shovel it in...
• social skills. They are starting to play with each other, as opposed to near each other, and some are developing compassion - coming to me with a student who falls, or including a solitary student. They're also starting to grasp conflict resolution. I encourage it, but don't expect a perfect outcome all the time. I still need to intervene and explain.

Things to Let Go

• advanced knowledge - really, I don't mind if my class progresses at a higher grade level. There's no need for us to be "getting ahead" by devoting playtime to extra worksheets. They're little kids. They need to play, it's part of the development process. They learn a lot of skills through play, so if I come to the end of a unit early, well, more play time! For example, this year they'll learn how to write numbers 0 to 3. At the moment, we're working on lines, and our goal is to write legible number 1s by Christmas. We're nearly there, and until the holidays roll around, I'll stick to review and extra Christmas fun. Writing out long division is not on the books.
• finer motor skills. They're not going to be able to trim the fat from their steak or cut a beautiful lacy snowflake out of tissue paper. I help or ditch overly-involved crafts.
• perfect emotional control. A lot of adults can't even do this, so why expect them to be perfect? When a preschooler is tired, they`re not going to hide it. When they`re upset with another student, they`ll show it! Lame guest story-teller? They'll let me know!

In my class the expectations are clear: everyone can follow the routine, everyone can try before asking for help. We strive to get along, and we aim to have fun learning. If someone, or everyone, is ready to take a next step, I'll support them, and the same if we need to work back and review. And of course we'll play a lot. They've got plenty of time to build up their skyscrapers of knowledge. At the moment we're concentrating on laying good foundations.

Point Blank

Does history repeat itself or do we learn from our mistakes? I want to believe we learn, but I'm not so sure.

A soldier was shot in the capital today. That's the second soldier killed on Canadian soil this week. My heart goes out to their families. Terrorism is active in Canada. And I'm feeling far, far from joyful.



My students don't know (we're in Spain and they're three), and tomorrow I'll show up with a smile on my face and a song on my lips, and I'll even mean it.

Terrorism in Canada, war in the Middle East, Ebola in Africa and even right here in Madrid, kind of makes you wonder, what's the point, doesn't it?

In spite of the violence, in spite of disease, in spite of all the terrible things that are happening, there are good people out there doing wonderful things, and they will keep on working until goodness rains down on the people of the world.

For every Hitler, there's a Schindler.

For every Taliban gunman, there's a Malala.

For every attack on Canadian Parliament, there's a Sergeant Vickers.

These are people who are willing to lay down their lives in order to do the right thing. And there are hundreds of thousands of service men and women, security officials, and private citizens around the world who are equally dedicated to fostering peace on our Earth. Without them, where would we be?

And that's the point. That's why I keep doing what I do - why we all keep doing what we're doing. I'm certainly not a soldier; I'm not even an activist, but neither will I stand idly by, not if I can be or do a little bit of good in someone's life. Not while I believe peace is within our reach, if we could all just reach out our hands and hold on.

Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. Psalm 34:14

Share and Care: Deepening Connections

A daily practice in my teaching routine that brings joy is sharing time, when the children can raise their hand during circle time and share a piece of news. 

Rules: they only get one share a day and no thunder-stealing (it has to be the sharer's news - no fair telling so-and-so's having a birthday at the zoo, or has a new sibling). 

Sharing time teaches us respect and helps us value one another. As an adult, it's easy to minimize issues and overlook excitement - they're just little kids, right? Wrong - they're little human beings, with concerns and joys to share, just like me.


As we share news, from as life-changing as a new sibling to as imaginative as what the toy dinosaurs were fighting about last night, we get to know each other better. I also share something, so they get to know me as a whole person as well (case in point: a student saw me walking home in September and asked her mom where I was going. Her mom told her I was going to my house, and she said, "Oh, Mrs Tall doesn't live at the school?").

Taking time to share, listen and respond to each other's news creates stronger classroom relationships. We're all real people; we all have things going on. I get insight into what's popular with them at the moment, why certain students might be acting out of order (poor behaviour caused by sibling interruptus is common in my class), who is afraid of the rain, who loves dancing. For them, I become a real human being (wow, teachers have lives!).

It's a practice that doesn't take a lot of time but does build a more aware, caring classroom environment, and hopefully lays the groundwork for more aware, caring citizens in the future.

Journey to Teaching: Making Music in the Capital

Today's guest is my best friend, Sailor Girl, who is a piano teacher at her own studio in Ottawa, Canada. While she has always loved music, teaching wasn't her first career option, but, like me, it's something she's kept coming back to. Here's her teaching story:

sailor girl at the piano (photo by garmamie)

What do I teach?

I teach piano, both group and private lessons. However, this also means I teach, among other skills, reading (some kids are as young as three and don't read English/French yet - for some, music will be the first thing they read!), memory (on the other side of the age spectrum, I have a retired student in his 70s - he'd rather exercise his brain with piano lessons than by playing scrabble with his friends), and social interaction (my young group students are just starting school and/or other group activities).

How did I get into teaching?

I'm not sure what made me decide to start teaching piano. I always wanted to do something with music, but somehow thought that it couldn't be a full-time job. Like Tall Girl, I've always been around kids: siblings, babysitting, helping at camps, etc. It was just natural to keep working with them and teach them what I love most!

What do I love about it?                                 

Everything! I love teaching them to love music and start to have favourite songs or parts of a piece. I love how excited they get about music games and songs. I love getting hugs and presents (such as leaves from my yard!) every day! I love that the most "work drama" that I have is hearing about who kissed who on the playground. I love the hilariously random stories and views I hear every day. I love that I can be excited about choosing the week's stickers and that the kids will be even more excited than me!


Why do I keep doing it?

Can you picture anything more fun and worthwhile?! I get to make a difference in lives every day, doing what I love to do!


You can read more about Sailor Girl on her personal or professional blogs.

Preparation for the Week Ahead

Going Public: Taking students on field trips

Learning isn't limited to the scope of the classroom, and it can be so much fun to take kids on field trips and introduce them to new places and situations. For some kids, school trips may be their only experience with theatres, museums, zoos, markets, public transportation, nature...

Field trips can be daunting, but if you plan it right, they are well worth the effort.

Today, let's talk about museums. Why take preschoolers to museums? Besides observing and imitating proper social behavior for the situation, they will love looking at new (and old) things. Artistic colours and patterns, and interesting artifacts, will stimulate their mind and stir up their imagination.

Right, let's get planning:

First of all, choose a museum and visit it yourself. Does an area of it work with what you're learning about? Don't plan on taking the kids through the entire museum - everyone will end up tired and overwhelmed. It's better to show them a few things really well than to cram in heaps of things they won't remember the next day. 

Try to speak with someone about a school trip (hopefully, the museum will have an education department - no problem if it's a children's or science museum!). If there's no education department, you'll have to do some extra prep, but the kids will have so much fun! Take notes on what you'd like to show, and also photographs (generally fine if you're not using a flash). Pick up a map of the museum to mark out your tour, and take note of restroom locations as well - you'll be going there for sure.

Next, enjoy the museum just for you - you're there, after all, so look at what you want to look at, and maybe have a coffee in the cafeteria, and browse the gift shop (there may be something useful for your class in there, but it's a good idea to skip this area when they're actually with you...).

Once you're home, design a work sheet. This can be as simple as a colouring page of one of the objects or inspired by a work of art, or a very easy kind of scavenger hunt (put what you'll be looking at on there in the order you'll see them). Pack up the crayons and pencils you'll need for the visit, too, if the museum doesn't supply them.

You'll also want to do some pre-visit lessons. These should include museum behaviour, looking at and talking about similar objects, increasing vocabulary and generally building enthusiasm for the trip. You may want to set up a mini-museum in your classroom or a space at your school to do this.

If the museum doesn't have a school program, you'll need to rope in some volunteers. Student teachers and parents are often willing and interested. Communicate with them so everyone knows the goals of the visit, rules and expected behaviour. If it's a larger group of students, divide and conquer, giving each leader a certain amount of kids, or a certain task (an important one to remember is the toilet monitor. This person should also have extra clothes for accident-prone kids).

Enjoy the visit - don't worry if the kids are a little crazy; they are learning how to behave, and you'll probably be pleasantly surprised with how they get on. Try to take some pictures of the students to use in your classroom.

Back at school, be sure to follow up with a lesson or two, and display their work and any pictures you took to commemorate the visit. Everyone will have so much fun remembering the special day away from school.

Fun Friday: Silly Singalong

It's Friday, and everyone's feeling a little silly. Will we manage to get anything done? We need... a Silly Song Break.

Sometimes kids get silly. Sometimes teachers do, too. Just go with it - sing a silly song or two and let your sillies out. Then you can move on and do your planned activities in relative peace. It's kind of a pre-prize - here, we'll sing some silly songs, and then we'll all come back to reality for a while - and it works, not just on Fridays.

I bring out a silly song or two when the kids are getting restless, looking sleepy, or I feel we need a change of pace (and, well, when I feel like it, because I like silly songs! And one of the advantages of being the teacher, and therefore boss of the classroom, is that you can do what you feel like doing! So go ahead and sing a silly song!). For a whole singalong session, they can dress up or use props, but most of the time, a song or two will do it.

Here are five of our favourite silly songs: 

• One Finger, One Thumb, Keep Moving 
• If You're Happy and You Know It (thanks to the dance moves we learned in this video)
• 20 Kinds of Dogs (yep, it's a song that's a list of 20 kinds of dogs!)
• Pete's New Shoes (actually, we like all the Pete songs, but the first is our favourite)
• Oh Where is my Hairbrush? (which just may be the greatest silly song of them all) 

Have you got a favourite silly song? Let me know!

The Killjoy, Otherwise Known as Gym Class

We've all got one, a dreaded subject. Mine is Physical Education.

I never liked it as a child - too competitive, too much pressure, no choice, limited scope in what constituted "sport" and "active". I felt intimidated, like I wasn't sporty enough to even try, and that I didn't fit it. And I was active, but what school had canoeing or Irish Dance on the schedule? I'd hope to have an appointment or be slightly sick those days.

(source)

Until grade nine, that is, when my gym teacher, Mrs Perry, included dance, aerobics, friend-running (running at your own pace with a friend), hiking, swimming, yoga and sports exploration (try a bunch of sports, see if you like one, but don't worry if you're not going pro any time soon) in the curriculum. The pressure was off and the fun was on, and a whole lot of things I liked to do now counted.

When I found out I'd be teaching Phys Ed twice a week this year, my ten year old self came back, plotting ways to play hooky. But then I remembered Mrs Perry, her positive, fun attitude and honest belief that gym should be about being active while doing something you enjoy. Sure, building skills came into it, but the main idea was to get moving. And you know what? I loved that class. One of my favourite high school memories is when Sailor Girl and I made up a dance to I'll Be There for You by The Rembrandts. It was so much fun, and we got an A! 

we like to move it!

I took a page from her book and started planning. I want my students to have the Friends experience as opposed to the Old-school Football Coach. For me, age is the deciding factor. I've got really young students, so teaching layups and hoping for slam dunks is out of the question. So, in a lot of cases, is teamwork - they are developing their social skills, and just learning to play with each other, as opposed to near each other.

Instead, we work on motor skills and sportsmanship (playing nicely, following rules), and everyone has fun. We experiment with different materials, like balls, hoops, little bicycles, soft Frisbees and even very short stilts. They can swim or take a ballet movement class (let's call a spade a spade) once a week as well. We play statues, red light/green light, and other simple group games. It's Spain, after all, so we do play a version of football, where everyone has a ball and tries to shoot it into the net. On rainy days, we stretch, breath and relax, or sometimes bust the moves to our favourite songs. In short, we get moving. And we have fun.