After about two months of teaching five classes a week at the ballet studio, I have come to notice that every ballet class has a certain progression. That progression even applies to the teacher. Taking a ballet class, however, is different than teaching one. This is how a ballet class goes for the teacher:
1. Attendance- This is my favorite part of the class. I don't have to think about what to do. All I have to do is call names, write them down, and help kids put star stickers on the "Star Chart." It is the easiest task I have to do.
2. Warm-up- During warm-up, I usually make the girls run around the room. After that, we do jumps "a la first". Sometimes, I feel like the warm-up is in vain since I'm the only one who keeps going and does not stop, but as long as the girls get warmed up, it's all good.
3. Stretch- I changed my mind, this is my favorite part of class. We sit on the floor and, as the name suggests, stretch. There is not a set order of stretches to do. We just do whatever stretches that either I or the other teachers fancy. Not only is it easy to decide what to do, but stretching also benefits me.
4. Center- This is the most stressful part of class. Most of the learning takes place here, so the kids can get pretty frustrated. They often start to lose focus because I do more talking and teaching during this time. If any part of class was like a performance, this would be the part.
5. Across the Floor- After sometimes tedious center work, across the floor work is the time to let loose and use the whole floor. Since I mostly teach little kids, we usually do leaps during this part. I'm always exhausted by this point, but everyone loves to leap.
After the class is done, everyone gets a sticker if they've been good. Finally, class is over and everyone can go home. That is unless another dance class awaits. Then, the cycle starts all over again.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Friday, October 16, 2009
Princess in the Spotlight Review
Meg Cabot returns with another story about the struggles of Princess Mia and how she deals with them in Princess in the Spotlight. This book captured me by pulling me in with an unusual style and good characters.
Princess in the Spotlight tells the story of Princess Mia Thermopolis. She has begun to accept her new responsibilities of being a princess. Such responsibilities include a high-profile interview and continuing her princess lessons with her grandmother. Aside from her royal concerns, Mia’s mom has unleashed an unexpected announcement: she is pregnant with Mia’s algebra teacher’s baby. With the new baby on the way, Mia’s mother Helen decides to marry her beau Frank. The two of them want a simple, city court wedding. Count on Mia’s grandmother Grandmère to cause problems. She thinks that the mother of a princess needs a fancy, expensive wedding. Torn between two sides of her family, Mia must choose who to help. Mia also has been receiving very interesting mail from a secret admirer. Who could it be?
The theme of Princess in the Spotlight is that of responsibility. Mia must decide which responsibilities to fulfill and which to avoid. Her life has become stressful with princess, family, and relationship problems, so Mia has to determine how to take care of it all. This book shows that sometimes it is important to put one’s self before others.
I love the style of all of the Princess Diaries books. They are all written from the viewpoint of Mia in the form of her diary. They are very easy to read because Meg Cabot has written them in the same tone that teenagers of today use. The style makes the reader feel like they are having a conversation with Mia about her life.
This book is set in New York. I think that Meg Cabot does a very good job of describing all of the different scenes. Each one is clearly visible in my mind’s eye. This helps the reader to relate to the story since they can see the settings.
Meg Cabot has set a high standard for her books in this series, and Princess in the Spotlight lives up to that standard. I would recommend this book for any girl. It is easy and fun to read.
Princess in the Spotlight tells the story of Princess Mia Thermopolis. She has begun to accept her new responsibilities of being a princess. Such responsibilities include a high-profile interview and continuing her princess lessons with her grandmother. Aside from her royal concerns, Mia’s mom has unleashed an unexpected announcement: she is pregnant with Mia’s algebra teacher’s baby. With the new baby on the way, Mia’s mother Helen decides to marry her beau Frank. The two of them want a simple, city court wedding. Count on Mia’s grandmother Grandmère to cause problems. She thinks that the mother of a princess needs a fancy, expensive wedding. Torn between two sides of her family, Mia must choose who to help. Mia also has been receiving very interesting mail from a secret admirer. Who could it be?
The theme of Princess in the Spotlight is that of responsibility. Mia must decide which responsibilities to fulfill and which to avoid. Her life has become stressful with princess, family, and relationship problems, so Mia has to determine how to take care of it all. This book shows that sometimes it is important to put one’s self before others.
I love the style of all of the Princess Diaries books. They are all written from the viewpoint of Mia in the form of her diary. They are very easy to read because Meg Cabot has written them in the same tone that teenagers of today use. The style makes the reader feel like they are having a conversation with Mia about her life.
This book is set in New York. I think that Meg Cabot does a very good job of describing all of the different scenes. Each one is clearly visible in my mind’s eye. This helps the reader to relate to the story since they can see the settings.
Meg Cabot has set a high standard for her books in this series, and Princess in the Spotlight lives up to that standard. I would recommend this book for any girl. It is easy and fun to read.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Boys R Us Review
What is an alpha to do without her clique? Better yet, what is a clique to do without their alpha? Lisi Harrison’s Boys R Us pushes these problems on the Pretty Committee and shows how they deal. This book was fun to read and very easy to relate to.
Boys R Us tales place after Massie Block disbands her clique the Pretty Committee. Much to her surprise, the other members Kristen, Alicia, and Dylan are quick to leave. Clare, however, hates to see her friends torn apart, so she decides to stay neutral. Alicia, the old “beta” of the Pretty Committee, sees endless possibilities. Since Massie was the only girl without a beau, she insisted that the other girls ditch boys. Without Massie as their alpha, the girls can do whatever they want. Alicia starts a new clique called the Soul M-8s, the first boy-girl clique in the history of the school. Massie decides to take charge and start her own dominant clique that she calls MAC, or Massie And Crew. Too bad everyone has heard of Massie’s over-controlling tendencies because no one is jumping at the chance to join. Instead, Massie hires gorgeous but brainless models to play her new friends. Can the girls get over their problems to come back together as the Pretty Committee once more?
After reading the book, I determined that the theme for this book is the same as that of the other books in the Clique Series. That is that being popular or having the best clothes, best looking friends, or best boyfriend is not important. Instead, the most important is to have good friends that really care about you.
Lisi Harrison writes this book from the point of view of all five members of the Pretty Committee. She writes in a very easy to read way that sounds like what a teenager would think or say. Some passages include text conversations, IM conversations, notes, or written lists. These different styles add variety to the book.
The main characters in the book are very easy to imagine. They are well described. I can even see characteristics of myself, my friends, or other people I know in them. It is interesting to see how the characters act in different situations. For example, at school, Massie is a confident alpha with impeccable style. When she’s at home or with her friends, she is insecure. Each character has different characteristics that sum up what they are all about.
The setting of Boys R Us is New York. Each scene is described to that the reader can clearly see what the characters see. Lisi Harrison describes everything, including what each girl is wearing, in great detail.
Because of the characters, Boys R Us is very easy to connect to. Any teen aged girl can relate to the problems that the Pretty Committee goes through. The characters think and feel like we do when put in situations, and even though we may not live lives like theirs, we can imagine how we would respond.
As always, I loved this book. I say as always because I really like all of the books in the Clique Series. They are easy to read, but they are still entertaining. I would recommend this book for every teenage girl.
320 Pages
Boys R Us tales place after Massie Block disbands her clique the Pretty Committee. Much to her surprise, the other members Kristen, Alicia, and Dylan are quick to leave. Clare, however, hates to see her friends torn apart, so she decides to stay neutral. Alicia, the old “beta” of the Pretty Committee, sees endless possibilities. Since Massie was the only girl without a beau, she insisted that the other girls ditch boys. Without Massie as their alpha, the girls can do whatever they want. Alicia starts a new clique called the Soul M-8s, the first boy-girl clique in the history of the school. Massie decides to take charge and start her own dominant clique that she calls MAC, or Massie And Crew. Too bad everyone has heard of Massie’s over-controlling tendencies because no one is jumping at the chance to join. Instead, Massie hires gorgeous but brainless models to play her new friends. Can the girls get over their problems to come back together as the Pretty Committee once more?
After reading the book, I determined that the theme for this book is the same as that of the other books in the Clique Series. That is that being popular or having the best clothes, best looking friends, or best boyfriend is not important. Instead, the most important is to have good friends that really care about you.
Lisi Harrison writes this book from the point of view of all five members of the Pretty Committee. She writes in a very easy to read way that sounds like what a teenager would think or say. Some passages include text conversations, IM conversations, notes, or written lists. These different styles add variety to the book.
The main characters in the book are very easy to imagine. They are well described. I can even see characteristics of myself, my friends, or other people I know in them. It is interesting to see how the characters act in different situations. For example, at school, Massie is a confident alpha with impeccable style. When she’s at home or with her friends, she is insecure. Each character has different characteristics that sum up what they are all about.
The setting of Boys R Us is New York. Each scene is described to that the reader can clearly see what the characters see. Lisi Harrison describes everything, including what each girl is wearing, in great detail.
Because of the characters, Boys R Us is very easy to connect to. Any teen aged girl can relate to the problems that the Pretty Committee goes through. The characters think and feel like we do when put in situations, and even though we may not live lives like theirs, we can imagine how we would respond.
As always, I loved this book. I say as always because I really like all of the books in the Clique Series. They are easy to read, but they are still entertaining. I would recommend this book for every teenage girl.
320 Pages
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