My German 2 classes have been studying Oktoberfest the past few weeks. It fits in wonderfully with our first two units about Feste and Kleidung and out first Landeskunde region of Bayern.
So, after the success of our Apfelstreuselkuchen baking, I decided to schedule a tutorial to celebrate Oktoberfest on October 5.
My review of how it went is certainly influenced by the fact that it was the Friday before our 4 day October break, and everyone (including me) was tired and ready for a break.
Added to that, our building was short 9 subs, so I was called in at the last minute to sub during my prep period. For an introvert like me who desperately needs to sit alone in a quiet room and not talk to anyone for a while after celebrating Oktoberfest with 41 students, this was rough.
It seems unfair that when we're short on subs the day before a vacation, the teachers who are in the building trying to do some teaching with wound-up students are required to do even more than normal. This doesn't happen in other schools in my district, so in my opinion, this is a leadership/administrative issue, and I'll leave it at that.
So, keeping in mind the circumstances, here's the review.
The good:
- 41 students signed up for the tutorial. I got to meet some of the German students who are in my colleague's classes.
- 3 of my students who are in band came up with the idea all on their own to play for our Fest, got permission to take their instruments out of the band room, and played for their appreciative peers.
- I brought in frozen pretzels that needed to be baked in the oven for about 10 minutes, and 3 hard-working students took over that job and completed it like pros.
The bad:
- Of the 41 students who came, only 1 (who was also in the band) brought food in addition to me. I am really big on doing things with my students, not for them, and this felt like I was doing most of the work.
- Students weren't especially good about making sure everyone got served before going back for seconds. They acted more like hangry teenagers and less like the thoughful young people I know they are capable of being.
- We were rushed for time, so I wasn't able to have students wash their own dishes. That meant most of the cleanup was left to me, but I had to cover another class. I did eventually get to it and actually enjoyed being alone with the dishes (an introvert's oasis!), but this is again not really ideal for helping to develop thoughtful, appreciative young adults.
The future:
I'm not sure about doing something like this again. Parts were fun and students enjoyed it, but it was too tiring for me on a very tiring day. Maybe we'll do it during class time so that I have more control about who is there and there is a limit on numbers. We'll see. Right now I need a long weekend with my family, crochet, Call the Midwife, and rest.
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