This week, the students began their first major project. They are making a book. This is a two-week process involving creating covers the first week and putting the book together the second week.
Group six on Monday did well with following directions and many wanted to make more than one paper. They had fun decorating their pages and coloring while they waited. Several students got called out, so those that wanted to make more pages were put in charge of making extra for their peers. One modification that I had to make was to give one student gloves and assistance in making their paper because they were allergic to the perfume my partner put in the pulp mixture. When teaching this project myself, I will not put perfume in the mixture to avoid possible allergies.
Group one, also on Monday, only had two students. The rest were participating in the dance class. We chose to not let this group make their own covers because of the lack of attendance and the difficulty of the project. I gave them coloring sheets instead, letting them practice their fine motor skills. I also taught them how to fold paper boats. It was a day of practicing flexibility in planning and adjusting to different grades.
Three undecorated, freshly-made papers. One was for a demonstration and the other two belong to a student.
Group three on Wednesday had some difficulty with the project. They wanted to get specific decorations and took more time to make the paper. Even with some extra time, some students did not finish making their papers. It felt rushed to me, but the students seemed to have fun. There was a huge mess and it took a couple extra minutes at the end of class to clean up. I think having more stations to make the paper at would have been helpful for this group.
Group four had fun making paper as well, but had less time than group three. Like the previous group, they didn't all get to finish. It didn't help that some students left early or came in late from other activities. Working with group four this week definitely tested my classroom management as I juggled finishing students up quickly so they could get out the door, students who were there the whole time and got bored quickly, and students walking into class fifteen minutes after we had already started. I repeated myself many times over and found that I focused a lot on individual attention and lost focus on classroom management. I will need to work on this as I progress.
A student's freshly made paper with flower petals embedded in it.
Group five had an interesting day. Instead of making paper, a fire truck and crew visited the Mix. We spent the better part of the day making sure students weren't overwhelming the firemen crew while clambering to see inside the fire truck. It was almost exclusively classroom management. The students had fun, though. Only afterward did group five get a chance to make paper. Most of the students were rowdy and too excited to focus well after the firemen crew left, so like with the whole group of students, I spent most of my focus on classroom management. It was definitely a rough day.
Two of the demonstration papers after drying are complete. One had flower petals in it and the other has both flower petals and star glitter.
This week, I had to be on my toes all the time because of all the things that were happening in the classroom. As the season gets colder and we get closer to the holiday season, the students seem to get more energy as their excitement increases. I worked on increasing my awareness of the class while giving a demonstration. I also got plenty of practice with classroom management. It was a great start to the project, but I only wish we had more time for it.
Comments
Post a Comment