Mr. Spanky the Sputum Spirit. You Ask, and I Deliver. Give Me 4 Minutes to Create a Monster and I Do What I Can. Slurp Slurp.

Sloane Buelle, a middle school teacher from New Haven, CT, led a workshop on finding ways to get kids to hang their mental coats onto a hook (or what he called a Mental Coat Hook). In one exercise, he shared an activity he does with kids during a unit on monsters where they have to create one quickly, then write about how they created it, then send the directions to someone else so they can create the monster from the directions without seeing the original. As you can guess, very rarely does the 2nd monster look like the first.

I worked with Alisha Vittora as fast as we could in four minutes and we came up with this guy. The tongue came first and it detached, so I said, "What if he's a ghost that licks people in their sleep, but that leaves his tongue behind?" We liked the concept, but didn't know what to name it, until at the last second, timer going off,  Spanky the Sputum Spirit came out of my mouth (and I dedicate that to Hellena who couldn't be with us). 

It's hard to collaborate against the clock with given materials to make something in 4-minutes, let alone to name it. I do think, though, that a licking sprite would disgust almost anyone. 

Yesterday, we did monsters, visual literacy, and philosophy, and I can say the teachers once again knocked it out of the park in getting all of us to think more critically about effective ways to teach writing. It always amazes me, too, how drastically different approaches can be and still turn out effective. It's a great week for me, too, because I get to be the participant as a student. I'm able to see what is possible (and to steal from here and there for my own teaching)(every workshop gives me great nuggets to work with). 

We are on the official count-town with only two-days left. I will be sad to see this particular cohort at its finale as they are really incredible individuals. Alas, this is the way it always is....in every state...at every leadership institute. 

I'd bet, however, that mine is the only one with Mr. Spanky....challenge me if I'm wrong. Lick Lick Lick.