How to Keep your Sanity while teaching

Planning, it’s a dirty little word, that you might be surprised to hear me say…. us artist types aren’t known having great organizational skills.

 

But I”m planner… also a dreamer… they go well together… because I plan on making my dreams happen, even if those dreams include adopting a mini pig and a goat. And having a dog sled team ( on wheels when we don’t have snow) to take me to work each day.

 

About 45 minutes into my second block class an admin comes onto the loudspeaker, announcing that we’ll be dismissing at 12…. the room erupts in cheers, making it a challenge to hear the rest of the announcement… next thing I know there’s a bell ringing when I think that we still have 45 minutes left in class.

 

I”m telling the students to ignore the bell, no one seems to know what is going on. Then one student… who never does know what is going on chimes in. Mrs. Kane, the announcement said that as soon as the announcement was over… so was second block.

 

I”m thinking really… just like …. and…. class is over …. now

 

Students are covered in clay, I have plaster all over my shirt and mouth ( I had an idea….) 20 students are asking for late passes, I’m to be unlocking the girls locker room, for the start of my locker room duty, and my non-English speaking student is sitting there looking terrified and confused.

 

I whip out my Spanish skills, in between signing my name to countless pieces of paper, and say …… este clase es fin ( this class if finished…. grammar not correct) camina a la clase cinco ( walk to class 4) … she seemed to slightly understand.

 

I head to the locker room to discover, they aren’t changing, as no one seems to know when this class is going to end.

 

So I head to the office. the phone is ringing off the hook, as no one has a clue what they are doing. emails are being sent left and right announcing that everyone’s class will be arriving late to their next class, as no one was prepared for class instantaneously ending… well, in the middle of class.

 

When it comes to teaching, there are just some things ( a lot of things) that you can’t plan for, which makes it really important to plan for what you actually can. You’re invited to join me in one or both of the following class.

 

1. Reaching all Artists through Differentiated Instruction, where you’ll work on planning for the many types of students that walk into your classroom.

2. Creativity in Crisis: Where you’ll learn all about creativity and how to be an advocate for it in your school and your classroom