Saint Anne's: From the OC

If I thought that I missed California these past few weeks, the last four days with 72 sixth graders from Saint Anne's private school in Laguna Miguel has made me consider whether I ever want to go back again....Well maybe it's just solidified my conviction to stay out of Central and Southern California whenever possible. The kids weren't all that bad, they were just more concerned with their appearance, how cold the weather got (it went from 70 degrees to rain to snow and back to 60 degrees over the course of three days), and when it was going to be time to eat, than weather a pit was made by the Basketmaker culture or the Pueblo culture. What really disappointed me was that they were too busy complaining about the light snow that was falling on their heads and the fact that it was on the nippy side to enjoy Mesa Verde which is such a wonderful place and I think the best part about the whole week.

Since this group was here for a four-day program, two days longer than any of the previous groups that I've gotten to work with so far, there was the addition of two extra classes/modules: pottery and lab analysis. I liked the pottery. We got to make coil type bowls/mugs/plates/etc. One of the chaperones made a really nice mug and I made a bowl that I eventually want to paint with a traditional design (it still needs some work first). The kids had fun making weird creations and then complaining that their hands were dirty (gotta love pre-teens).

The Lab class was interesting. The kids got to sort through artifacts that had been collected at Goodman Point Pueblo last year during Crow Canyon's Archaeological Field Season, they learned what different types of rocks and minerals were, and they washed some 800 year old dishes (pottery sherds) - probably the first time in their lives that some of them have ever washed dishes. One of the chaperones (the same on that made the mug in pottery) grossed out the kids, made $10 and won Starbucks for a week by brushing his teeth with one of the toothbrushes we use to scrub the dirty pottery. It was entertaining.

The highlight of the week was that Josh, the instructor I was working with, allowed me to teach the Simulated Excavation module completely on my own and I didn't do half back if I do say so myself (I'm not modest or anything :~) I think that I taught the lesson well, although I forgot a few things like some of the vocabulary and to review the kids research questions at the end of the lesson, but overall Josh said I did a great job and that he was actually going to steal some of the techniques that I used for when he teaches. So that was my glowy moment of the week. The novelty of teaching will probably get old again in a bit and then I'll wish that I could once again melt into the background and just observe, but till then I'll have a little fun.

I hope is well with my readers wherever out there in the world you might be.