I have had so many projects going on at the same time that I was planning on hosting a low key Lunch & Learn this year. However during a recent PLC (less than a week before the Lunch & Learn) one of our amazing Southwest teachers said she couldn't wait for Lunch & Learn and asked everyone in attendance not to give her student teacher any clues on what it is like because she wanted her to be surprised. That very day I was headed to Denver for a presentation with my CPS team and would not arrive back until 2 days before the Lunch & Learn, but I knew I couldn't let the faculty and staff down, they were expecting spectacular as I was thinking mediocre...
I immediately thought it would be easy to plan around our campus theme, Southwest Globetrotters, how fun would it be to be a Flight Attendant on "Southwest Airlines"! I knew I could count on two colleagues that were traveling to Denver with me to brainstorm and bounce ideas off of. I thought about what I would wear... I had Navy pants, shoes, and a white shirt so I ordered a hat and scarf to complete my costume hoping it would all arrive within a few days. I also knew I would need to be extremely organized to pull this off in just a few short days. I created a list of everything I would need to make or purchase. Our Denver crew even made a playlist for the Lunch & Learn on our journey home.
Monday morning I hit the ground running, ordering lunch to be delivered Wednesday, making signs and banners, boarding passes, laminating, shopping at two Wal-mart stores, creating a Flippity and Bingo Cards.
The morning of the Lunch & Learn we were without internet, which I knew would put a damper on the learning activity I had planned, but like any good educator I had a plan B so I moved on to the decorating and didn't focus on the negativity that was creeping up.
I had very detailed plans on how I wanted the room to look when the guests arrived, with the help of two assistants we began to create an airport. The guest entered through the "Southwest International Airway" walked the "runway" to the "Check-in Desk" where they received a "Boarding Pass". From there the guests went through our serving line and found a seat under one of the seven continents.
With three lunches on our campus, I allowed 10 minutes for the faculty to drop their students in the cafe and arrive at the Lunch & Learn. I knew this would allow me twenty minutes to present a professional development lesson to each group.
My PD plan had been to engage the guests in a game of Flippity, and encourage them to make one to meet our tech challenge. However, the internet wasn't up so we played bingo. I had generated bingo cards with words that I would use as we played the Flippity game, it's a great way to find out who is really paying attention! I tried to remember the questions from flippity so that I could give them good information. It turned out to be so much fun! The playlist that we had made on the trip was playing in the background, I referred to it several times during each lunch and asked who (out of the people on my trip to Denver, list was on the board) did they think added that song, it was a creative way to break up the game!
Resources:
Instructions for Flippity Quiz Show
Flippity.net
Lunch & Learn Flippity Quiz Show
Bingo Card Generator
As a classroom teacher my goal was to "make everyday an exciting learning adventure for my students". I hope that I have been able to carry a little of that goal with me over the past few years and make each creative, innovative, and technology experience an exciting learning adventure for the faculty and staff of Southwest Elementary.
Thank you for traveling with me!
Mrs. Hime
Once again the creative educator superseded technology. In classrooms, in leadership roles, and in every facet of education, the educator or administrator is the primary key. Your situation set you up for failure - limited time and the lack of the internet. But your creativity and persistence to succeed propelled you to have a good "Lunch and Learn."
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind words and encouragement!
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