Wednesday, February 01, 2006

Sit up straight and pay attention!


The workshop for the teachers of the differently abled is over and I'm lying in a heap on the floor like a puppet with it's strings cut. Luckily I can still reach the keyboard with one outstretched arm and thanks to my supernatural touch typing skills am able to blog on regardless.

Seventeen social workers turned up but four had to leave for a funeral almost immediately so the numbers were less than I had anticipated. It was a slow start . I don't think they knew what to expect. I do tend to ........what would you call it.....cajole, if you were charitable, bully if you were honest pretty relentlessly with no talking or thinking allowed. You must follow instructions to the letter which is all very well until I issue the wrong instruction as I did today. That put my gas on a peep. However, we recovered and once I let them off the lead to be a bit more inventive, things improved. As you'll see from the gentleman above who turned his landscape on fabric into an improvised hat.

Taking of leads, bottledog was a major success generating gales of laughter. We did have a bit of a problem with them engaging in group bottoms sniffing once they had a life of their own. Bottledogs that is, not workshop patricipants.

This was the first time I had made a litter from litter (hah!) with a group and it helped me iron out a few glitches. If I go ahead and make bottle dog with my monkey children, it will need simplification and more preparation. The current leg attachment mechanism would be way too complicated . Also they tend to fall off which doesn't fill the maker with self confidence. I have a plan for a new hip replacement and when I get a chance I'll try it out.

Bottledog is of course multipurpose and can be used in place of your machine gun if you have accidentally left yours at home. Don't you just hate it when that happens?

I never feel good about asking participants to help clear up. I reckon they have paid to be there and I'm their wage slave for the day so I should do it. I'm rethinking this altruistic attitude after spending and hour and half clearing up this one. People did offer but I waved them away. Foolish woman!

I would say the day was a success overall. I learned stuff, they learned stuff which they said will be of use to them and claimed to have had a good time. What more can you ask.......but boy, it's a hard way to earn a crust!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well, when I was in elementary school we were expected to clean up after ourselves, no matter who the teacher was. :)

Why should teachers be any different? I says, wage slave you may be, but you were hired to TEACH, not clean.

Digitalgran said...

I agree with Romilly! You should have accepted their offer to help clean up. They were teachers and know what is involved. Be wise next time and accept.
Tired or not Sally, you have not lost your ability to bring it all alive to the reader. Great stuff.

Judypatooote said...

I love your posts, it's great to read something different, and funny. And you don't sound a bit Grumpy to me......

Sally Webster said...

You'd have to ask my dearly beloved about that one Judy. He might give you a different answer.