Time to Get Tactical
December 14, 2015 at 8:52 pm,
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Back to work today, another day, another dollar and all that and I have two biscuit doughs in the kitchen ready to be rolled and baked.It was year 2 last cookery lesson this afternoon and they wanted to make gingerbread men (which were more Christmas trees and hearts but hey ho) but the other half wanted to make shortbread so I gave them a recipe for both, demonstrated both but because I needed them to crack on, get their biscuits of choice to be cooked cooled for decorating quickly, I didn't do the full rolling out and cutting bit, hence the dough in the kitchen.
To be fair, they did a good job and those who did decorate, really were imaginative.
They have been a tricky group but they seem to be coming round but then again, it could be this Christmas thing.
The trickiest group, were tricky tricky again today. Whenever I ask them to do something, they sabotage it or not do it. They are so frustrating, throwing sweets around, rowing, generally being- well- frustrating.
Due to their uncooperative behaviour, I abandoned the fun finale (we had a practice run at the beginning of the class but they cheated, went totally against what they were told etc etc) and i asked them to go on to the PC's and do their own thing for twenty minutes to which one of them asked, 'What kind of our own thing?'
'Well', I said. 'You know when I ask you to do something and you ignore me then do your own thing?'
'Yeah' was the reply
'Well that's the kind of your own thing you can do for the next twenty minutes'
Do you know what? Not one PC was turned on, not one person did their own thing that they always do. Instead, they stared at me for a whole minute and declared themselves bored and I should be teaching.
The irony is, had I asked them to do something following something I actually taught, they would have done their own thing and I would have struggled to get them to do what I want them to do but the MOMENT I tell them they can do their own thing, they don't want to.
This suggests to me, no matter what I do, what I say, they'll want to do the opposite just coz and Dad thought he had it hard with me!
However, by the time I see them next term, I will be fully recharged and raring to go, so watch out class- you will be taught, you will learn and you will do the tasks required because, I will use Dad's trick, ask them to do the opposite of what I require, make them think they are doing their own thing and I will get a result.
Happy days........sigh.
Love
J C Ritzen