Tutoring Time Explodes

Since I decided to let students hang out with me after class while I work in my office, the gaggle of girls aged 7 - 14 has burgeoned. As has my time at the office. Now, only Tuesdays I don't read Hop on Pop and Fox in Socks or espouse the gains of thinking before drawing, or observing before drawing.

And even so, I'm sure Adriana will show up full of vigor and a new poem she's memorized (look for the video we're making on Facebook soonish) and we'll sit and drink coffee and she'll tell me about her new boyfriend (she dumped the old one because he insulted her mom) and how crazy this or that is.

New ways to deal with this:

- Window sills can, indeed, be used for desks.

- Four 2nd graders can fit where only 3 6th graders can.

- 2nd graders are small enough to use chairs as pull TV-tray-like desks.

- Everyone loves glitter glue.

- Thank you Tammy Vaughn for the 500 piece puzzles.

- Lending library (though this really needs to be a little better organized. Maybe I'll buy a stamp and some name plates for books!)

- Uno.

So, really, tutoring is only half tutoring now. Some kids come and are tutored at my desk and others color or read or glue things at the window or couch.

Art Club, when it's in session is awesome. The only things I really have to teach are:

- Draw more lightly!

- Observe!

- Have patience!

and really, these are the only things I've been wanting to teach all my students from the get go. Thus, I'm pretty chuffed.