Assumptions - a hand game that tanked!

We make assumptions all the time - mine was to expect my young students to be able to take turns. How old do you need to be before you can manage this 'simple' chant with hands in a stack?

One potato, two potatoes seemed so simple, but boy was it a hard to achieve! Understanding the 'drill' was a hard sell. It's not a familiar chant to Japanese kids. Sticking to the beat, one at a time, was anathema.

Taking turns with a partner vs 'me first' or 'mine on top to win' strategies...

Moving a hand from bottom to top, a new concept...

Keeping up with the speed & remembering English numbers...

Including all group members, not pushing, don't want to stand up...so many variables I'd not factored into this quick & easy hand game!

This group having a second go, a week after trying for the first time. A bit of familiarity helped, but I think you can see for yourself how complex this little game is for little ones! A learning opportunity, no?!

Can't do my homework - it doesn't make sense. Part 1 of 3 - the problem

Ever had one of those classes when you assumed you had a relatively straightforward lesson coming up, and 2 minutes in you realised it was going to go horribly wrong and you had no escape route? Happens to us all - especially if you make stupid assumptions and you have a blended F2F/online classroom. As I tell my teachers all the time, have a plan B and 'go to resources' just in case...and don't make assumptions!

Everything fell apart when I could not see whether my online student had done his homework or not (still struggling with that 'problem' as he cannot fax his homework book, nor scan it on his own - he's 11). Holding it up to his webcam about the best we can manage at the moment (cannot spot mistakes/spelling/handwriting obviously). Goody two shoes had done her work in pristine condition + extra doodle decorations; older lad was absent (happens); and the left-hander presented a dog's dinner. I blame the parents (that would be me...).

The rest of the lesson was painful for all; no dynamic as everyone had different starting places...could not do 'next' as the last thing we'd done was clearly a train wreck. Orally, this class usually steams through content. Listening? Too easy. Reading - we get by, and the graded readers are core to this, especially as we now have audio + online presentation tools. Comprehending question/answer word order...decoding the grammar if you like...at home, alone showed for the most part I had not done my job at all well. I'd assumed it had 'gone in' when I had not paid careful enough attention.

My son avoided me for a day or two - ask any school owner & you'll realise that is not difficult, and I had a whole week scratching my head trying to figure out a nifty app or online game that would deliver a "Tadaa" solution. Lazy.

So I asked myself what would Alex Burke think of. 

Colour. Ah yes, colour. And inaccessibility - my lefty does not like reading for detail. It overwhelms him (Japanese maths problems - he can do the numbers but he does not 'understand' the questions). 

More sleepless nights for me, and lefty's homework bag an abandoned nightmare on the floor in the genkan (entrance hall). Dark clouds as the next lesson loomed.

(Part 2 will be posted tomorrow)