So many tiny things happen during workshops! Here’s a quick roundup of things that make me smile.
Whispering
During one of my sessions, a child raised his hand. I quickly summed up what I wanted to say so that I would not lose my chain of thought, and then asked him to speak.
‘Actually, I want to talk to A,’ he said.
Amused, I nodded to him to go ahead.
What he wanted to say to A was utterly and completely unrelated to what we were doing.
And that’s what made me realise – at online classes, whispering has to happen with the teacher’s permission!
I like
The protagonist of The Vampire Boy is Kris, a vampire who hates blood. With that in mind, I asked the children to come up with sentences about themselves, telling us two things: one, something they like that their friends also like, and two, something they like but their friends don’t. My favourites?
My friends like troubling my parents, and I do too!
My friends like jumping on the sofa, and I do too!
And the surprising ones:
My friends like ice-cream and chocolate, but I don’t.
My friends like drawing, but I don’t.
Bringing Things to Life
I also love the spontaneity of workshops! In The Vampire Boy again, Kris’s friend Bo cannot spin on one leg without falling on her face. We read that and instantly, the children got to their feet to try it out.
I can hop in a circle on one leg. Does that count?
Anyone can stand on one leg!
I can spin on one leg!
We read of Kris carrying a bottle of A- blood to school, and the moment I explained what that was, three of the children disappeared. They had to ask their parents – immediately, of course – what their blood group was!
The Chocolate Touch
And then, of course, was this lovely thing I shared on Instagram, but not on my blog.
When we read The Chocolate Touch, I asked children to design their own chocolates, name the company that manufactures it, and add any other details they like.
Here’s what followed!
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