Hallelujah!

For ten years I used to sing in the Radio Community Chest choir's annual performances of Handel's Messiah.  Love this flash mob rendition from Canada of the Hallelujah chorus.

Original link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXh7JR9oKVE

Two weeks of term and the school year left to go.  Along with another teacher, I am one of the organisers (Archangels) of our staff secret angel scheme which runs in the last week of school.  Like the performance in the video, it's about changing the atmosphere (given that the peeps can be a tad tired in that last week), adding joy, creating fun.  We've been doing that for over ten years, and enjoy facilitating the fun that ensues for all those who participate - and of course it spills over to the place generally, all good!

If you nag me enough I could put the details of how our secret angel scheme runs here...just don't have it by me right now.

*C*h*e*e*r*s* (with fairy lights)

Ruth

PS. Have to show you our school library Christmas trees - all about books and kids!  Sometime this week, I promise! We're busy with the annual stocktake, and have the Year 6 into 7 Orientation this week, and I don't know what all.

The happy life of teacher librarians: a conversation about careers

Me: So, what are your plans after you finish year 12?

Senior student: I thought maybe the police, or Duntroon to be an army officer

Me: OK

Senior student: I thought about being a vet, but then I learned that they have to put animals down, and I COULDN'T do that

Me: it is something they do

Senior student: And knew I couldn't be a doctor or a nurse because of the injections and blood and stuff.

Me (puzzled): so you don't like killing animals, you don't like blood or injections, but you're considering a career where you might have to shoot people someday?

Senior student: Oh.  Yes.  But.

(and we laughed.)

It's such moments that can make teaching a very very amusing career.  Also it generally doesn't include putting animals down, blood, injections or shooting people.

Cheers

Ruth

What teacher librarians make...

If you haven't yet read Joyce Valenza's brilliant blog entry on the topic of what teacher librarians do, let me usher you her way...

http://blog.schoollibraryjournal.com/neverendingsearch/2010/11/27/what-librarians-make-a-response-to-dr-bernstein-and-an-homage-to-taylor-mali/

Found via Anne's always-informative blog, Reading Power, here.

Cheers

Ruth

Resources for Study Skills

I'm working on a Year 11 study skills program for next year, and this page of links has an extensive list of sites - some more useful than others, but a lot that are useful.  Worth a squizz.

Cheers

Ruth

It's raining men (in bonnet dramas)

One to share with your English staff, and any of the many kids who have sighed over Mr Darcy, or other Austen heroes...



If that doesn't work, try this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOFps_Naytg&feature=player_embedded

A delightful bonbon.

Found it here.

Which reminds me, if you want to appal yourself and others, and you have access to the recent Keira Knightley/Matthew Macfadyen Pride and Prejudice film, do investigate the extras on the DVD for the alternative ending filmed for the US market.  I myself personally can't believe that the US market is so dumb as to need the travesty provided... although it was fun watching English teachers go green at the gills when I showed it to them.  The kids were universally scornful.

Well, only three weeks left of term and this school year (for those outside Oz, our school year runs along with the calendar year).  I'll try to post a few bits and pieces here before the summer hols arrive - our Christmas decorations this year are even better than last year (and easy and cheap as chips!) and if you're really really good I'll let you in on how to obtain over 1000 bookmarks for 50c.  Really.

Thanks for the many kind messages sent while I've been quiet - I appreciate the thoughts and kindness very much.

Cheers

Ruth

How busy has it been around here?

...too busy!  Sorry for the silence, and thank you to all those kind folk who emailed/left comments hoping there wasn't a sinister reason I'd fallen over the edge of the world.  Just been an awful lot going on here, and something had to give.

Back soon!

Cheers

Ruth

The happy life of teacher librarians: maybe bunnies weren't a good suggestion...

One of the Year 9 boys has been making 'films' using his DER laptop computer.  They're animated, with black stick figures and silhouettes of other items.  He showed me one yesterday.

Kid: Look at my film, miss!
(film runs for a couple of minutes, stick figures running up and down various obstacles, and shooting guns at frequent intervals)

That's a lot of frames you have in there!

Kid: Yes, 150 of them (a fair amount of dedicated work for him to have done, nice to be able to praise him for it)

So how do you put it together? - must have taken you a while

Kid: I download the images from the internet then put it together myself.

Well done!  You know, though, all that shooting (I look kinda sad) - couldn't you make your next one about fluffy bunnies, and daisies, and sunshine???

Kid: Oh, I've done one with bunnies.  I had a four wheel drive run them over after about twenty seconds.




The happy life of teacher librarians.  Maybe bunnies weren't a good suggestion...!!!

Cheers

Ruth