Dim Lights

From what I remember in high school, dim lighting in a classroom can have a calming affect. It can also help put kids to sleep. Dim lighting in a restaurant can be romantic and encourage a couple to do things they wouldn't do in  harsher lighting. The same is true fro a night club. I recall once in middle school, that the lights went off and everyone started punching each other immediately. Our teacher was very upset by this and wanted us to explain our behavior. I can't remember whether or not I participated. I think I didn't. But in any case we couldn't explain it, it was just something we did.

These ideas flashed through my mind on Friday's class which was moved to the auditorium, where it was dim because we could not find the lights or only a custodian could turn them on. First when I was waiting for the class I was calmed. Then when the class came the children it was crazed. The only thing we got done with the full group was to go through Luk Lik, the basic form, on stage. This sounds good. Actually it was. But the thing his the kids were moving too close to the edge. Usually there are always a small number of kids that act out, and I can sot of turn a blind eye so that the class continues. But instead I had to focus all my attention on trying to get everyone to stop moving so that we could all do the same thing, because otherwise somebody might fall off the stage. It was ridiculous.

Another teacher took all the boys away and then with the girls I broke them into groups to create their own forms. That worked pretty well, but we ran out of time at the end because of the time lost on the beginning.

They got the lights on for K-1 and 2 were actually great classes.  That being said, I cant deal with the craziness of the dim lights and the added danger of the stage with the older kids. At Kwong Kow, there was a stage too, but the lighting was bright, and it was never really an issue for the older kids.

We are going to try the gym next time. That will be good for the kids that like to act out I think. He can bring in more sprinting Kung Fu drills like Jau gong. and games, like Fishy fishy cross my ocean. Plus they were excited about doing the form.

I am debating whether to do the story songs with them or the traditional basics. The girls like the songs. Some of the boys are too old for it. But they also are not really part of the class. After five minutes they always leave for soccer so they have never been socialized to what we do in my class. So we will try not to have them in my class at all during this time I guess. Or in the gym I guess they could get something out of just doing one form or one Kung Fu sprint if they accidentally get put there again.

I think the gym will work better traditional and creative activities.