Enjoy...
Currently I am replacing a teacher who is probably THE best science teacher in the school. The kids love her and they make this abundantly clear when they see me arrive. I DO hope she comes home soon!
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
I am Winston
Today I was handed a science lesson to teach from Primary Connections. It has this great name, Catapult Capers, and I imagined building siege engines and battering the sports shed to rubble. Not so... it was in fact one of the most over-structured boring lessons I have ever taught. I tried very hard to inject some fun demonstrations and excitement and plenty of language the kids would relate to but in the end they were suffocated with the paperwork which must be done for the sake of OUTCOMES.
15 years ago science in primary was practically non-existent. NOW they're KILLING it with data and filling in boxes and just CRAP. Yes, I understand we need to be teaching the scientific methods but...we don't need to strangle it with bookwork to prove frigging OUTCOMES. I want science for kids to be full of activity, excitement and intrigue because THEY are the ones who will be the scientists of tomorrow.
15 years ago science in primary was practically non-existent. NOW they're KILLING it with data and filling in boxes and just CRAP. Yes, I understand we need to be teaching the scientific methods but...we don't need to strangle it with bookwork to prove frigging OUTCOMES. I want science for kids to be full of activity, excitement and intrigue because THEY are the ones who will be the scientists of tomorrow.
Sigh....here I blog in the depth of night ...like Winston hiding from the telescreen writing,
Down with big brother.
Down with big brother.
Down with big brother.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
A few firsts
Oh dear, it's proud parent syndrome again. Yesterday Skye said her first distinct word, "Daddy" while looking at him. Now THAT'S the highway to Sean's heart! (Kirk's first word was "more").
This morning she said her second contextually appropriate word while pulling my hair, "NO!" And then to top it off her nappy was dry in the morning and she used the potty.
These tiny little advances are pleasing me enormously because it means we can stop decoding the wails and my washing load is going to gradually decline. Why is this all so easy? Maybe she's planning to be the teenager from hell.
I found this over at Smacksy. I love this blog, she does it so well :-)
Postscript: Dry to midnight. Piddle in the potty. Fingers crossed she can have a full dry night.
This morning she said her second contextually appropriate word while pulling my hair, "NO!" And then to top it off her nappy was dry in the morning and she used the potty.
These tiny little advances are pleasing me enormously because it means we can stop decoding the wails and my washing load is going to gradually decline. Why is this all so easy? Maybe she's planning to be the teenager from hell.
I found this over at Smacksy. I love this blog, she does it so well :-)
Postscript: Dry to midnight. Piddle in the potty. Fingers crossed she can have a full dry night.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
New Toy
Over the last few years I have bought some very expensive gadgets.
A fridge that is plumbed in and issues cold water and ice - cubed and crushed - and it has a mini door for drinks so you don't have to open the fridge every time. People exclaimed that it was an expensive luxury but I don't care because it makes ice cubes! I adore mocktails, frapes, milkshakes & quick sorbets. Previously I owned a plethora of hand-me-downs which served me well and are continuing their lives as chemical storage, party fridges or have new owners.
A front-loading washing machine that is self heating and uses a mere 4 buckets of water (instead of 10). Since leaving home I have owned 3 twin tubs & 3 top loaders - all 2nd hand. My favourite was Annette's twin tub which was so powerful it frequently threw the clothes out of the wash tub. I also remember the twin tub in Japan which sat on the verandah. I used to save the rinse water to start the next wash. One winter's day, the cat, Arbuckle, attempted to jump onto the machine but fell into the washer because I'd left the lid off. He crashed through the layer of ice and into the water. (Giggle snort what a great image)
A Tefal Quick Cup to replace the kettle of poor design because water would splash onto the electrical connector and trip the safety switch.
And now I have bought a Thermomix. After the solar hot water system and the laptop it is THE most expensive toy I have bought. It looks like a blender but it can mix everything from bread to meringue in a fraction of the time. It can chop vegies or turn rice into flour. It can cook and stir a soup, steam a basket of rice and a colander of vegies all at the same time. Oh and you can weigh everything as you add it and it has a timer and a clock. Over the last 18 years I have owned 3 stick blenders (all deceased), 2 milkshake makers (cracked and burnt out), 2 food processors (1 dead, one surviving...and onto it's 3rd replacement jug), 4 sets of scales (3 down, 1 to go), a food steamer, 2 rice makers and 4 kettles. It has cleared a lot of the clutter on my kitchen benches and I dearly hope the money has been worth it because, you know what? If it breaks, I'm stuffed!
A fridge that is plumbed in and issues cold water and ice - cubed and crushed - and it has a mini door for drinks so you don't have to open the fridge every time. People exclaimed that it was an expensive luxury but I don't care because it makes ice cubes! I adore mocktails, frapes, milkshakes & quick sorbets. Previously I owned a plethora of hand-me-downs which served me well and are continuing their lives as chemical storage, party fridges or have new owners.
A front-loading washing machine that is self heating and uses a mere 4 buckets of water (instead of 10). Since leaving home I have owned 3 twin tubs & 3 top loaders - all 2nd hand. My favourite was Annette's twin tub which was so powerful it frequently threw the clothes out of the wash tub. I also remember the twin tub in Japan which sat on the verandah. I used to save the rinse water to start the next wash. One winter's day, the cat, Arbuckle, attempted to jump onto the machine but fell into the washer because I'd left the lid off. He crashed through the layer of ice and into the water. (Giggle snort what a great image)
A Tefal Quick Cup to replace the kettle of poor design because water would splash onto the electrical connector and trip the safety switch.
And now I have bought a Thermomix. After the solar hot water system and the laptop it is THE most expensive toy I have bought. It looks like a blender but it can mix everything from bread to meringue in a fraction of the time. It can chop vegies or turn rice into flour. It can cook and stir a soup, steam a basket of rice and a colander of vegies all at the same time. Oh and you can weigh everything as you add it and it has a timer and a clock. Over the last 18 years I have owned 3 stick blenders (all deceased), 2 milkshake makers (cracked and burnt out), 2 food processors (1 dead, one surviving...and onto it's 3rd replacement jug), 4 sets of scales (3 down, 1 to go), a food steamer, 2 rice makers and 4 kettles. It has cleared a lot of the clutter on my kitchen benches and I dearly hope the money has been worth it because, you know what? If it breaks, I'm stuffed!
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