Crafts for how many??

This past Saturday I did another presentation. This one was a stretch for me compared to other ones I've done, for several reasons. First, I was the only one presenting. Second, it was a two-hour presentation. And third, complicating matters on all kinds of levels, there were 73 daycare providers in the audience, some of whom hold an early childhood ed degree, some of whom have been in this field way longer than I. The number itself was intimidating, plus it was held in the MGMC auditorium, which holds 120 and is set up like a coliseum, with the speaker at the bottom of a steeply sloped array of rows of seats and tables. Which meant that I had to take an elevator to get from the back of my room to where I spoke, since I had so much stuff (books, toys, CDs, supplies) I had to take a rolling cart.



Once I was down there, I felt like I was at command central--I had to toggle back and forth between the DVD player to play my CDs, the computer to show my powerpoint, and the ELMO to show my handouts. All while looking up at the audience.



To fill up 30 minutes of my time, I brought crafts for them to make--a touch-and-feel book, and bathtub clings. (If anyone wants instructions or a picture, let me know.) That seemed like a good idea, but it did take hours of my and Alex's time to assemble their packets. The picture above is less than a third of them.



All in all, though, it was a rewarding experience. I enjoyed sharing about early literacy skills and how playing with babies is actually an educational experience for them. I shared a lot of action rhymes and songs with them, and that was the best part. They all brought dolls along (I'd asked them to), so they did the actions with me and sang along, which was great. Sam (my doll) got to float up in the air (instead of lying on the floor like he usually does in storytime) so he could be seen by all the women. I think he liked the experience, and so did I.