Spring is magic time of the year, time of renewal. Best time to start something new. This spring I spent a lot of time in Länsimetsän school with 4R and 4H classes. And it was a great fun. We did so many fun things together that it is difficult to remember that I was there just for a short period of 5 weeks.
First of all we went for an plein air painting to a beach on a wonderful sunny day. It was a pleasure to admire the beauty of the nature and to try to catch a moment with paper and watercolors. That is so unique experience for the children so that everyone was silent, attentive and watchful during the process.
Other than that we did a lot of other different art works. For example once the students were offered to make a watercolor painting of a plant. We placed two sheets of paper next to each other. One had a plant attached with a tape, the other one was for a painting. It is a very interesting task that requires a lot of attention and develops the skills of painting and observation.
Other task was about trees. We were painting a birch, a pine and a fir-tree. We looked out of the window to notice the difference between them and what kind of branches they have. Then I showed the process step by step in very easy steps. Students succeed marvelously.
Besides doing art we did other things. Students learned about Russian language and alphabet. Cyrillic letters were not too difficult, just scary. All of the students were able to write their names in Russian. The most enthusiastic students continued to practice at home.
Also we played some board games together, one with Russian letters and the other one was about time, understanding the clock and a bit about time management.
My presence in the class allowed to divide the students into two parts and to enjoy some special activities in small groups. Something that is hard to do with the whole class.
Also it was much safer and easier to go for a bicycle trip when there were two adults. And it was a fun trip full of adventures.
It was an amazing practice, I´ve learned a lot during this time.
My warm wishes to 4R and 4H. Guys you are so talented! Enjoy the summer vacation!
I would like to thank Marita Reinikka and Matti Autio for the experience.
Also I would like to mention that I am looking for a job opportunity. Am I the one that your school needs and is looking for?
And now I will switch off the computer because the beach and the sea are waiting to be enjoyed! My summer vacation starts now.
Have a magically magnificent summer!
