This may strike you as odd, or offend your personal tastes and activities, but I HATE Arts and Crafts. I have never had the patience for them. For the last two days, I have been leading the Arts and Crafts project from hell in this classroom.
Imagine if you will, an overflowing class of 35 sixth graders. Their teacher moved to Seattle just before Spring Break, and they got a long-term substitute to finish the year out. The long-term sub got married last weekend and is on her honeymoon this week, so they have a sub for their sub. On top of that, this long-term sub must have previously taught elementary school because she left three (count em - THREE) arts and crafts projects for us to work on in Science this week. IN SCIENCE. Nevermind the learning process, let's make Rainmakers! And tear up little bits of green and blue paper to make a collage Earth! And paint coffee filters with water colors to make ANOTHER Earth! In her defense, it is Earth Week, but what about educating them on pollution, recycling, and being a good steward of our natural resources? Obviously, I'm a little frustrated. And I get that she has Open House Night coming up and doesn't have anything to show for it, but why do I have to be the craft master? She obviously LOVES crafts, and well... I obviously don't.
You should have seen the classroom. RICE EVERYWHERE. In addition to little bits of tinfoil, cardboard, glue, construction paper. Not to mention all of the boys who thought it was funny to beat each other with parts of their project when I was otherwise occupied. It was CRAZY. THEY were crazy.
Observation: In Middle School, when someone is hitting, kicking, touching or otherwise invading another's personal space, it's always the boys. It was CRAZY. THEY were crazy.
I'm done with crafts for today. Maybe for life. We'll see how I feel tomorrow, because right now I'm just DONE.
I LOVE crafts but I am an elementary school teacher. But I also agree that crafts should be limited and put aside for other kinds of learning. It seems very stupid to have 6th graders doing crafts like that. My 1st graders would have done that! Open House is a big deal for teachers but if I was a parent coming to see my 6th graders work I would be pissed off to see baby craft projects. I'd be like, "What the hell are you learning here, kid???"
ReplyDeleteOh man. That's my thought, too. Plus, I was thinking about it, and that project wasn't exactly encouraging good stewardship of materials - especially for Earth Day - it was downright wasteful! Okay... off my high horse. No one is perfect.
ReplyDeleteIt's just... I don't sub elementary school for exactly this reason! CRAFTS and maniac children!
Thanks for letting me gripe at you this afternoon. You're a saint.