Hokey Pokey

You put your right hand in, you put your right hand out.

You put your right hand in, and you shake it all about.

You do the Hokey Pokey, and you turn yourself around.

That's what it's all about.

Found out this afternoon that sometimes, it really is all about the Hokey Pokey. And here I've been underestimating it all these years.

Today kicked off the winter session of Konkuk's English immersion camp. The first day of any new term is always the most daunting -meeting loads of new students, juggling all sorts of subjects and lesson plans, and keeping track of where I'm supposed to be and when. In addition to Listening + Speaking, Reading, Writing, and a homeroom section, I'm also teaching Play English -a class designed to increase students' comfort and confidence in a more relaxed environment. 

After a round of conventional ice-breaker questions, it was evident I needed something more drastic to penetrate the silence. Cue The Hokey Pokey. A colleague had mentioned the idea last week, and admittedly I scoffed. How on earth could I subject myself and students to this ridiculous song and dance? Never!

Desperate times, desperate measures... and it worked liked a charm. We went through five verses and then launched into a few minutes of Simon Says (another hit). By the end, the students were considerably loosened up. So much so that our concluding activity -an improv game- was a smashing success with everyone laughing and offering creative ideas.

Now I'm at home, about to crash in hopes of renewing my energy level for tomorrow's action-packed day. Simon says:  Good Night.