Meltdown.
I am switching to my garden project now. We (The Transition Group) spent half a morning making models of our garden which we will display to the wider school community.
While we worked I heard comments like ‘this is the best lesson I have ever had’.
‘I cant believe I am using a KNIFE in school’.
‘Can we do this tommorrow as well’.
Half an hour after this the teachers are timetabled for other classes and I am left with only teaching assistants till lunch time.
Have you ever seen the riot scene in Porridge with Ronnie Barker? Well this was the same on a smaller scale. Total anarchy and clay, plastercine and balsa wood flying around. The head teacher was called to stop the riot. This arrested the riot, but disgruntalled and abusive behaviour continued for some while. Detentions at lunch and after school resulted.
One boy (unmedicated ADHD) has never reached the afternoon sessions. He is withdrawn from the project every week at lunch time. Every time after school he comes up to me and appologises for disrupting my lessons and holds his head down in shame. Its like listening to an alchoholic saying ‘I’m off the sauce’.
