Urm....You Want Me To Teach What?

So, I went back to work yesterday.  Well, technically I was supposed to be going in for a day of observation just to kinda see how things are run and what I'd be doing while I am teaching.  I wasn't supposed to actually start working until today.  What I didn't know until I got there was that I would, in fact, be jumping right in the deep end and taking over for a teacher that was gone...who also just happened to be the teacher I was going to be taking over for anyway.  For half the day, anyway.

I found out that in the mornings, for the next two weeks, I'll be teaching science to 4th and 5th graders.  OK, no biggie.  I teach 4th graders for a living.  How hard can that be?  Except, I found out I'm going to be teaching about simple and complex machines...and building them.  I've been given kits full of fischertechnix pieces (that are like Legos, but not) and I'm supposed to teach these kids how to put these little pieces together in order to make moving and working machines.  I know nothing about building simple or complex machines from tiny little pieces.

Thankfully, the best thing about 4th and 5th graders is that they can do just about anything you ask them to do with creative stuff.  You give them some pieces and some instructions...with pictures...and they can figure out how to put stuff together.  At least that's what I'm hoping...cause that's what they'll be doing for the next two weeks.  Sure, I can tell them the purposes of simple and complex machines.  I can tell them how they work.  But build them?  Yeah... not so much.

So, that's the morning.  Wanna hear what I'm supposed to be teaching in the afternoon to Jr. High kids?

Golf.

I'm supposed to teach this kind of golf... but I know nothing about this type of golf...

When I think of golf, I think of this kind of golf...

And so, I made the executive decision to teach the golf that I know.  Well, the golf I know more about than regular golf.  I've only played frisbee golf a few times, but enough to know the rules and how to do it.  And I figure that's enough to get me by.

It's no surprise that in the afternoons, I'm taking over for a coach.  Well, actually he's going to be our new assistant principal, but his background is being a coach.  I think teaching golf is a great idea.  For two weeks, that's what the kids have been doing.  They've been using golf clubs and driving mats and chipping nets...and I only know that because I looked at the list of materials.  Otherwise, I'd say they've been using the sticks, fake grass, and miniature volleyball nets.  Golf is a great game of skill, but it needs to be taught to them by someone who's at least held a golf club and maybe watched a game of golf in his/her life.  And that wouldn't be me.

But, in my list of materials I also saw hula hoops, frisbees, and cones.  The perfect materials to set up a few obstacles and courses of frisbee golf.  The only things I'm missing would be the baskets, but that's OK.  They'd be awfully heavy to haul out to the playground each day.

Yesterday, being that it was so hot and the kids did nothing but whine about how hot it was... I just had them do some small drills in which they tried to get a frisbee in a hoop.  It was a lot harder than they thought, but they weren't really trying.  They just wanted to go back inside where it was cool.  It's going to be a tough couple of weeks trying to teach these kids how to play an outdoor game when all they want to do is be inside... but I'll just have to see how persuasive I can be.

But, for right now, I have to go.  

Thank goodness today is Friday, so I can have a couple of days off to come up with some ideas.  This is going to be a fun, and tough couple of weeks...that's for sure.  HA!

Jo.