Everybody Dance Now!

Hello all! My new job and various activities outside of work have kept me so busy that I just simply have not had the time to visit blog land to update.

For those that don't know, I have spent the past week and a half teaching dance/creative movement/physical fitness at a nonprofit organization that exposes children with disabilities to performing and visual arts. Whoever thought I had the credentials for this job must have been crazy because I spend most of my days wondering how I got this job and why they pay me to do it. I don't feel like I know what I am doing but I am slowly learning. Too bad I only have 4 more weeks of camp to get it right. I'll probably get it right the last week. Anyways.

So yeah. I definitely can tell I was meant to be an elementary teacher. All (well, let's be honest - some/most) of the activities I plan work great with my younger classes (I have 4). They get into it and I am able to fill the whole hour of class without too many lapses in time with nothing to do except go crazy and run around my smallish dance room. However, my older classes (ages 12-19) look at me as if I am crazy half the time and just stare at me. What on earth am I going to do with them? All they want to do is play volleyball. And that is definitely not what I am being paid for. I tried Little Sally Walker with them today and they stared at me like I had asked them to run around naked. Big time failure. So anyone have any ideas? Seriously. I feel like I am dying in that class. And not only that - the girl who this organization was started for is a volunteer in my class and reports to all my bosses what is happening and which teachers she likes and does not like and what she thinks they should be doing (she is 15 and somewhat thinks she runs the place - sweet girl, just kind of a big head). Today she told our Artistic Director that she should fire the music teacher (who is great IMO) who has been teaching at the organization faithfully for like 6 or 7 years. Geesh.

Anyways, enough about work. I must sleep now and pray that tomorrow is not as big of a failure as today was (every class went fairly poorly). Outside of work, I have just been getting ready for my real job that starts in August, doing church stuff, trying to have a social life before it ends in August and my real job consumes me and just hanging out with the family.

Next post should be more interesting. Seriously, if you have any ideas for any of my age groups (I have classes from ages 5 all the way up to 19), please please please comment. I've done a lot so far but don't want to get in a rut just doing the same things over and over (especially because a lot of the kids are repeats).

God bless!