TBGC Session 6/ABGC Session 9

I used the session at Troy today as a catch up/ free session. There have occasionally been students who have missed days and have not been able to complete some of their crafts for this reason. There was a larger than normal number of students absent last session, and I wanted to give everyone the chance to make a shirt if they so desired. Unfortunately, most the same kids who were absent last week were also absent today, so my plan kind of backfired.

There were two students who were able to finalize their designs and make a shirt today. The rest of the students continued to make designs on the computer, worked on another basket, or experimented with some of the other CSDTs available to them.

Next session I am hoping we will be able to move on to the rhythm wheels software, because the students who have used it already seem to really enjoy it.

In Albany, we are starting to move away from using the CSDTs and more towards using design software. We introduced Paint.net to the kids today, and they seemed a bit more engaged in that than they were with the CSDTs. I think it may be because using Paint.net is a bit less structured and more open-ended, so the kids don't feel as if they are being forced to learn.

The counselors (or lack thereof) and counselors in training are still a bit of a problem. The counselors are not in the room when the should be to discipline the kids when they act up and don't listen. The counselors in training come in to talk with the students while we are trying to teach, play games on the computers we aren't using, or do other things to distract or aggravate the kids. This makes it very difficult to keep the kids under control and paying attention to what we are trying to teach them.