Showing posts with label teaching. Show all posts
Showing posts with label teaching. Show all posts

Sunday, 24 October 2010

And the family grows...

Don't panic,
It is not me nor either of my children who are adding to the size of this family! We have adopted a cat.

Meet Sparkles, (as she is adopted we didn't get get to name her!)
Bantam Boy's girlfriend lives on the outskirts of the metro area and has a menagerie of animals that she is responsible while the rest of her family have travelled interstate because of her father's work in the army ( a fact that made BB very nervous when he met them on his travels- think "Meet the Fockers'.) She opted to stay here on her own in order to attend uni- on account of the army will transfer her father again in a couple of years and she wants to stay put to complete her studies. So she was left in charge of the pets- 4 cats a couple of dogs and a small flock of sheep! As she is supporting herself (all be it free of rent, she has to pay for utilities and food etc) she has to work and is attending Murdoch uni and spending time with BB. All the travelling about is making her life a bit stressful so sh has decided to move closer to uni, and the pets have to be dispersed. Chicky Babe has been wanting a cat for ages, as have I but the expense of a new kitten is not high on my budget list just at the moment- so as this one is free, has been sterilised and house trained already it was mutually beneficial. BB's GF gets to see one of her favourite cat's regularly, her most favourite one was her old cat that was about 17 years old and I wasn't prepared to take on a senile old cat. We had 4 to choose from so I made sure to ask questions about them before I took them. The mad one who refused to use a litter tray was definitely out of the question! Sparkles was one that was picked on by the others so we decided to take her. She seems quite happy here and has quickly made friends with Chicky Babe spending most of her time either under or on her bed.
The dog however is a little miffed.

He would like to play with his new friend but she is not so keen.

Last week was ART BLAST (an art exhibition for schools in our district,) about 30 schools participate and as much as everyone says "it's all about the kids" you (well I ) still feel a little stressed and feel that it is a reflection of my teaching and it is a lot of extra work. I was up until 4.30 am monday morning having worked all day sunday went to bed, got up at 7am kept cropping and sticking, went into town to set up was there until 3.40pm. Went home quickly showered and rushed back at 5 for the opening and 'wearable art parade at 6! I got home for tea at 9. That was a long day! Then I had to do duty there after school on wednesday and then take it all down in thursday night. All the while doing my normal teaching roles as art teacher and classroom teacher. Needless to say I am  little tired this weekend.






Wednesday, 14 July 2010

One ball of yarn short of a cardi

This is one of my holiday projects. It is a very basic black crocheted cardigan. Unfortunately I was one ball of yarn short, so that the front band and collar are a tad too thin. When I went to Spotlight to get another ball of machine washable merino yarn in black they had none!!!!
(P.S. The alien tongue I'm sitting on is actually my foot tucked up underneath my behind! Thanks Anki for pointing that out I hadn't really noticed it I chose this photo because it was the least horrible photo of me. Now I discover I have an alien tongue foot. Thanks my dear! I should have cropped it.)However it is wearable as it is and it is deliciously warm although a little boxy and a tad on the big side. But I'm sure it will do for the job I have in mind for it. I wanted something to wear to work for those chilly days when I'm on duty but something that is not hydrophobic and can be tossed into the washing machine along with my other work clothes.
I might make it a little more fancy by adding some embroidery on the collar.
Today I ran a "Drawing with wire" workshop at Red Feather (the little shop that has sold some of my work lately.) I had a group of 7 kids.They ranged in age from 7- the little girl who did this rabbit. (With a little extra help from her mum to hold down the wire as she bent it.) To 13years- the young lad who did this worked absorbed in the wire work and thought carefully about his design creating in his words a "rustic design to go with the rustic wood that it is sitting on."
I actually enjoy these small group teaching sessions because they are purely about passing a skill on to kids and it's all about fun - no assessment, no MSB (managing student behaviour) etc. Just teaching, learning and enjoyment.