teaching? or herding ants?

After having a few weeks under my belt as a teacher's assistant, I honestly have a new respect for teachers.  Trying to control a class of 20 sixth graders at the end of the school day is no easy task, and I'm only the assistant.  In addition to working with the sixth graders, I work once a week with about 25 fourth graders.  They are more rambunctious than the sixth graders, but in some ways easier to "tame."  Lots of them honestly do love to move, and are eager to learn more and show me what they know.  They're less self-conscious and are more willing to try new things than the sixth graders are, probably because of the age difference.  Overall, this teaching experience has been a very positive one so far.  I'm getting to work with children, dance, and ease the stress of two dance teachers.  Now, if I could only get those sixth graders to stop talking and just dance...

Finally, Progress!

I'm Jessica, a 16 year old senior at Lusher Charter High School in New Orleans, La.  Lusher is an arts based school, and I'm a level-four dancer.  Part of being in level four means that upon completion of the level, you must create, complete, and present a senior project.  In addition to having to complete this senior project, I signed up for an actual senior project class, which means I'll be completing two senior projects.  I was told to start thinking about ideas for my projects.  Over the summer I thought and thought, but nothing came to me.  I went into my senior year with no ideas for my projects.  Mr. Trapp (my senior project advisor) seemed to have given up all hopes he once had for me.  I really didn’t want to let Mr. Trapp (or myself) down, so I thought even more.  The more I thought, the harder it was for me to come up with something.

After being in school for nearly three full weeks, I finally closed the gap on what would be my topic.  Through the course of the year I will develop a series of dance classes, one at an elementary level, one at a middle school level, and lastly a master class.  For the presentation component of the project I will teach all of the classes, as well as record them for the potential of them being distance learning classes (classes that are taught around the country).  In addition to developing these classes, the civic component of my project will be assisting a dance teacher once a week with teaching a 6^th grade dance class, as well as assisting an elementary school dance teacher with her classes.