Specialty Classes

So, in addition to wrapping up fifth grade, and preparing the sixth grade curriculum for my class, I’m also getting ready to teach a few specialty classes. Like so many schools, ours has been hit by the economic downturn. While enrollment is holding strong, we haven’t been able to increase tuition to keep up with costs.

As a result we’ve had to look for ways to save where we can. For our school, this means that the grades teachers have taken on the responsibility of teaching some specialty classes. Our faculty met at the end of the year and we divided up these responsibilities to take advantage of each individual teacher’s strengths in addition to making sure the workload is evenly balanced.

As a result, next year I’ll be teaching handwork to the fifth grade as well as a choir class to the middle schoolers.

Handwork

I love teaching handwork! The fifth grade curriculum indicates that fifth graders make socks. I have a felted slipper sock pattern that is knit with bulky yarn on nice big needles. Bulky yarn and large needles pretty much guarantee that everyone finishes their socks and the fiddly, difficult part of sock knitting is a little bit easier.

Fortunately, not much prep is required to teach this, as I just taught it to my class last year. I am planning on re-writing my pattern and cleaning it up a bit, though. When that’s done I’ll post it here to share.

Middle School Choir

In all honesty, I am so nervous about teaching this class. Though I love singing with my class, and I’m pretty good musically, I’ve never taught something like this before. The most challenging aspect of this class is likely to be management. I’ll have nearly 50 students with nothing but their voices to work with.

My plan is to come up with a pretty solid rhythm for the class. I’ll have an opening song, then perhaps some movement to warm-up — maybe a game that will really pull them in. We’ll do some vocal exercises and then sing together. I’m looking forward to sorting through the music and our music teacher has given me lots of resources.

I guess what I’m most nervous about is that I really want the kids to love this class. This might be challenging, though. Teenagers are usually pretty reluctant to put themselves out there and choir really requires it of them. I figure the best thing is to go in really prepared and to keep them moving and busy.

The key will be to find the balance between their natural teenage tendencies and the upright, ennobled qualities I want to inspire.