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TheUnReal!WeeklyWeek3/4March,2012

IreallytriedtogetourTGIF(ThankGoodnessItsFriday)newsletterouteach

FridaybutIcouldntdoit.Timejustbeatmeandtherewassomuchtodo.

So,IhavedecidedtodoaTGIFeachFridayforourFacebookgroupwithjustacoupleofthoughts.

Istillwouldliketodoaweeklynewsletter(maybeTheUnReal!Weekly)aboutstudentachievements,samplesofstudentworkandstudentthoughts.Thiswill

requirestudentinputandthistakestimeforstudentstoconsider,makea

commitment,dotheworkandbereliable.

Wehaveseenoverthepastcoupleofweekshowstudentshaveagoodideabutdontseemtobeabletocommitandbereliable.Thisismajorlearningandallthesethingstaketime.

Highlights

JessieMcPhersonlaunchedanEasterEggFundraiserandCarWashtoraisemoneyforBPUL.Thisweek8carswerewashedandwehaveabasketofEasterEggstoraffle.RaffledrawnWed4thApril.Ticketsare50ceachandcanbe

boughtattheMaudeStoffice.

MontysCalendarProject(HairandFashion)isgatheringmomentum Paintingoncanvashasbeenabighit ThisweeksworkshopsSingstarwithJen,PaintingwithMontyandAlex,

MotorbikesandSignswithJRandPhotographywithGeoff

Noahhasstartedairbrushingasignforouroutdoorarea AidanandEbonyrananindoorEasterEgghuntforbothAdvisoriesonthelast

day

Somestudentshaveappliedforandsecuredparttimework GeoffsAdvisorywontheirfirstTriviaChallengeagainstJens EightstudentswentonanexcursiontoNeatlineHomes.AllwouldliketodoaShadowDaythere TimAllemandintroducedaMagic,theGatheringgametoagroupofstudents AnumberofstudentsinbothAdvisoriesdidtheirPassionObjecttalks

LearningintheRealWorld

AaronMcKaydid2daysatAutobarncouldpossiblybecomeaninternship

JessieMcPhersonatHighStPetsdidnotgettodomuchwork BethanySherwillatCurvesdidexerciseclassesandallsortsofwork TimAllemandatNeatlineHomeswatchedabuilderandtiler AidanTurneratSavetheChildrenKindergartenhelpingthekids

8/2/2019 UnReal Weekly 1b

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SpeedExhibitions

Wehadaverysuccessfulnightwithmostofthestudents(15)

participatinginourmodifiedexhibitionnight.About20adults

attendedandcommentedonhowgrownupthestudentswereandtheirabilitytotalkopenlyaboutthattheywerelearning,

workingonanddoing.Ourtwohosts,BritneeContiandSeanTrevaskis,didagreatjobandbothshowedpoiseandleadership.

DeepThinking

(Geoffsthoughtsandponderings)

Stopwaitingtobetoldwhattodo!

Howwasitpossiblytobrainwashbillionsofpeopletoburytheirgenius,togiveuptheirdreams,andtobuyintotheideaofbeingmerelyanemployeeinafactory,

followinginstructions.

(SethGodininLinchpin)

Therearequiteanumberofourstudentswhoturnupeachdayandwaittobetoldwhattodo.Theyhave

beenconditionedthatwaywith9+yearsofschooling.Beingtrainedtoworkinafactoryisfineifthatiswhatyouwanttodo.

IfwetrulybelieveintheBPmodeloflearningwearewillingtowaitforthatsparkofgenius(theirinterest,

whotheyare)tostarttowanttodoormakesomething.Thenlearningbydoingbecomesrealtothem.

Thentherearethosewhoarehavingideas,sharingthemwithJenandIandtheteamandeachother,tryingthings,havingago,makingmistakes,gettingfrustrated,givingupandhavingsmallsuccesses.They

areovercomingthefearintheirhead,notwaitingtobetoldwhattodoandhavingaGO.Thisisreallearning.

SowhenyoumakeavisittotheBigPictureLearningCentre(136MaudeSt)itwillappearmessyand

chaoticperhaps.Studentswillbeatalldifferentlevelsoftheirlearningjourney.Somewillbeworkingonaproject,somewillbetalkingaboutsomeideas,somewillbesocializing,somewillbefooling,allare

watchingandlisteningandlearning.Theynoticethestudentsachievingthings,havingagoandbuilding

upcouragetotrysomething.JenandItryveryhardnottotellthemwhattodobutpresenttothemopportunitiesandgivethemchoices.

Wewantthemtomakethedecision.Thisistruelearning.Remember9+yearsofschoolinghasnotworkedforthem.WeMUSTbreakthecycle.

Sowhenyouseeorhearofproblems,difficultiesorfrustrationsfromyourstudentsinthisprogramhavesoftears.Dontpassjudgmenttooquicklybutencouragethemtohanginthereandkeephavingago.

Whenyouvisitandseethingsthatappearmessyandoutofcontrol,havesofteyes.Youdontknowwhat

hashappenedbefore,wherethatstudentisat,howthingshaveimprovedorimproving.YouneedtoseetheBigPicture.

IfyoumadeittotheSpeedExhibitionsnightyouwill

haveseenproofthatweareontherighttrack.Forreal

changetohappenthingswillgetmessybeforetheygetbetter.Sohavesofteyesandhearts.

Figure1BritneeandSean,ourhostsatourSpeedExhibitionsNight