Every year, the entire school participates in something called "Brain-based Workshops". These workshops are meant to stimulate our kiddos' brains and give them more focused support in certain subject areas. Workshops range everywhere from mathematics to drama, depending on each teacher's choice. I wasn't able to participate in this last year as I left in the afternoons to teach at the kindergarten, but I'm pumped up for it this year!
My workshop? Cartooning, focusing more on comic books/graphic novels than animation (although it will be touched on). It starts tomorrow.
From what I've gathered, it's usually something of a toss-up as to how long the workshops run and what your typical students will be like. (Most kids get placed into the workshops they need most, but dedicated students are given the option to pick one of the more "fun" workshops.) This year our first workshop session will run for eight weeks. And we get our kids 5 days a week for a whole hour! I only have 14 kids in my workshop, too, which will be nice.
Exciting, but kind of daunting at the same time. I've never had to plan lessons so closely together or create a unit for 8 FULL weeks. It's been a bit hard to rap my mind around, but today I managed to get myself mostly organized. I brainstormed all the things I think the kids should know about comics, some various activities and bell ringers, and started trying to organize those ideas into a logical progression. I have now have lesson plans for the first three days as well, which will give me some time to write up the rest of my lessons for the week. (Especially as I forgot to plan for the REST of my classes. Oops!)
I'm going to be covering a range of information, especially drawing techniques and story writing. My kids will probably whine a little about that part, but I'm not ashamed to admit that I will be cackling with glee on the inside. I love making my kids write! However, they should all be fairly used to it, as the other art teacher also makes her kids write and plan regularly.
Our first order of business is going to be a short history of comics and animation, a general explanation of what we'll be doing, and a "meet and greet", if you will, as I don't know all of my workshop kids. Days 2 and 3, we'll be making sketchbooks which will be used daily. I see lots of unexpected problems in my future during that activity. But I'm looking forward to it!
My workshop? Cartooning, focusing more on comic books/graphic novels than animation (although it will be touched on). It starts tomorrow.
From what I've gathered, it's usually something of a toss-up as to how long the workshops run and what your typical students will be like. (Most kids get placed into the workshops they need most, but dedicated students are given the option to pick one of the more "fun" workshops.) This year our first workshop session will run for eight weeks. And we get our kids 5 days a week for a whole hour! I only have 14 kids in my workshop, too, which will be nice.
Exciting, but kind of daunting at the same time. I've never had to plan lessons so closely together or create a unit for 8 FULL weeks. It's been a bit hard to rap my mind around, but today I managed to get myself mostly organized. I brainstormed all the things I think the kids should know about comics, some various activities and bell ringers, and started trying to organize those ideas into a logical progression. I have now have lesson plans for the first three days as well, which will give me some time to write up the rest of my lessons for the week. (Especially as I forgot to plan for the REST of my classes. Oops!)
I'm going to be covering a range of information, especially drawing techniques and story writing. My kids will probably whine a little about that part, but I'm not ashamed to admit that I will be cackling with glee on the inside. I love making my kids write! However, they should all be fairly used to it, as the other art teacher also makes her kids write and plan regularly.
Our first order of business is going to be a short history of comics and animation, a general explanation of what we'll be doing, and a "meet and greet", if you will, as I don't know all of my workshop kids. Days 2 and 3, we'll be making sketchbooks which will be used daily. I see lots of unexpected problems in my future during that activity. But I'm looking forward to it!
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