Alternative Curriculum (and the last half-term) in upper schools . . .

I will miss this at middle school. At upper schools, the 11's and 13's are long gone, and that frees up a lot of hours. Today I only had 2 lessons, tomorrow I have just one . . .

So after third lesson today I signed out to get ready for Alternative Curriculum Week for year 9's (it will happen while the 10's are off on their two weeks work experience -- the school will be like a ghost town then).

What's Alternative Curriculum? For a whole week, we discard the regular Year 9 schedule and do other stuff. Fun stuff. Could be something artsy, or sporty, or even mildly academic. For example, some of the English department are working together to produce a newspaper, others have a cycling day, some do scrap-booking, one is leading a group in making their own comic books, another will create board games. And one day that week, when the year 8's come up for Transfer Day (to meet their new teachers and form tutors, but since I'm leaving I don't have to attend that), we take the Year 9's off on trips. I'm signed up to help out on a trip to a nearby amusement park (Wicksteed).

So, back to Alternative Curriculum . . . to lead a project or activity (every teacher is expected to participate for at least one day that week), you make a plan and tell the coordinator (Head of Year 9) what you're going to do and the cost to students. You buy the supplies after money is collected. You decide on group size (I'll do groups of 10), and you generally have them for the whole day (although there are a few half-day activities). We're now at the point of publishing the schedule so students can start signing up, and we need to put up displays (samples, details, etc). So, that's what I came home to do -- get my display and details ready!

This year I'm doing two activities: jewelry making on Monday, and macrame on Thursday. So, my work for today is to do samples and photographs for my activities. I'm off to the hardware store for cord to do a few macrame samples, and then I just have to get out the jewelry-making supplies and photograph a few pieces I've made, including a few teenage-looking things as well.