Teaching

I taught a workshop lesson on mask making. I expected that it would be pretty libre and unstructured. It was very successful!!!!!!!
There were gems and google eyes and pipe cleaners and paint and markers and comic books for collage and everyone just had at it.

Prior to the lesson, I'd made a mask of my own and found it incredibly satisfying and fun and freeing. When I wore it, all inhibitions slid away (everything was just fun and giggles.)
The sunday before the monday lesson, Ira and I stayed in Maria and Aleks's castle. They left for a hike so we locked ourselves in their grassy tropical outdoor casa and got naked! Ira made a mask and we took nude pictures on their beds "scissors" with the masks on. (Just kidding !!!! hahahahaha !!) we ran around their property and took pics.

Everyone loved making masks so much (I was excited by how creative everyone got and how different each mask was) that I was invited to teach the lesson at the elementary school. Wow!

The next day, Alvaro, Ken, and I went to the school with materials and "taught" again. Both times were not really teaching so much as experiencing and learning. I placed all the materials on a table at the front of the classroom because all the students were sitting at little desks facing the front. Alvaro was the interpreter though this environment called more for gesturing than speaking with an interpreter because it was higher energy and less focused. The teachers sat at the back and it was fully my lesson. Ken and Alvaro put the masks I'd cut out in front of each student and we had them sign their names. Alvaro interpreted their needs and told all the students to come up based on their rows to get materials. Soon it was a free for all. I wandered around with my mask on and gave people thumbs up's and materials they asked for, but it was really a process of creation for the students. I admired how they grouped up, some of them on the floor, and some turning their desks into a small circle. That was something I learned: to have them turn desks into circles for better sharing materials.... Very inspiring. Right after we started they announced recess. Every student stayed to work though and others joined. Afterwards there were no materials left. It was like a pack of hungry wolves eating a few birds and bunnies. I was impressed by the way each student who had finished helped to pick up trash from the floor and return their materials though I didn't care if they kept them or not. Even one of the teachers, Herty's grandmother, made a mask. In the end we took a group picture. Ken suggested I get everyone riled up so I hopped up and started making loud noises and inviting students to stand up and run around the group which was huddled together and we shouted things. Very fun.

As we left, more students who had been watching outside followed us and asked to make masks. A young boy said he wanted a mask so I handed him mine.