Back to Normal

The last week in Lifeskills has been very enjoyable. By Tuesday we were all back into our normal routine (no swapping classes) which meant we could get back to focusing one one group of children. 

On Wednesday we took the Lifeskills class to their weekly horse riding period and they all loved it. We help them get on and off the horse and then walk two laps of the field with them. Some of the children need to focus on working their core strength - especially the ones who can't walk - so sitting up on a horse is a good exercise for them. 

On Thursday I decided to bring my guitar into class and play a little bit for the children. A couple of the boys are dead keen to learn, so I think I'm going to teach them some basic songs. One of them really needs to work on his listening skills, so getting to play the guitar will be his reward... Hopefully this bribe will work!

Friday is popcorn and pancake day which means we spend half of the morning making, packing and selling. The class love getting involved with this, it really gives them some responsibility and strengthens their sense of independence. And the pancakes taste so good... cinnamon and sugar... mmmmm. After we've taken the produce round the whole school we come back to class and set up a movie in the projector room. We're trying to do this every week now because it's a great way to teach the children about social interaction. This might sound strange, but most of the kids find it difficult  to understand emotions and what they mean. By showing them a film like Finding Nemo, you can tell them things like: "Look, now Nemo's father is sad because he can't find his son." or "They are scared because of that shark." Being able to understand emotions is an extremely important skill that they need to have when they leave school, especially if they're wanting to work.

In other news I am now sharing a room with Kathryn after being evicted from my own room (sob). Another prefect is moving into the hostel and needs a room with a shower, so I packed up all my things and moved for the third time - no, I'm not bitter. It's actually fine, sharing a room with Kathryn is good fun and this year I've had the privilege of sharing with both my partners! Zoe just got told yesterday that she's going to have to move rooms as well, so she's packing up today.

On Monday I'll be back in Juniors, so I'm expecting a week full of running and action. I'm ready!