Crap!!

[Miranda]

I work at a non-profit after-school program with the pre-teen/teenage group. Up until tonight, I was the assistant. But tonight, the other girl was confronted about kicking a child and screaming at them on a daily basis, so she quit. So now I'm the teacher, and I have no lesson plans or anything! We thought she had lesson plans and activities planned, but it turns out she had nothing! I have lots of ideas, but nothing I can do without lots of planning, so for at least the rest of this week, I need ideas!! We have no TV, so watching movies or anything is out. No board games or stuff like that, because apparently the kids destroyed all of them before I got there. What can I do with them?! Ideas, please!!!

[Miranda]

It has to be educational, but the kids won't do it unless it's fun. Oooooh teenagers!!

And I already asked about bringing the dogs in...they have to be therapy certified

[cricket36580]

A fashion show that they design and put on.  Boys can do lighting and stuff if they don't want to do clothes, etc. 

make Halloween costumes (assuming there aren't any religious issues)

Plant fall containers

paint flower pots.

mosaics...on stepping stones, pots, anything


Many times you can get the supplies donated by the local Wal Mart or craft store or garden store.  I don't know how many you have in this class or what the ratio is.  It would be helpful to know that, then I could give you more ideas.  What's the class for?  Is it a Big Brother/Sister deal?  Is it kids that are needing more help either emotional or with school? 

[aggghgmom]

I work at a high school in the computer lab department - our students are blocked from MySpace.com because to many people use it in inappropriate ways.

do your students have access to computers?  How about a lesson on using the web to research for school projects?  Go on websites that have news databases.

give them a music project - have them pick there favorite song (appropriate for school) and analyze the meaning - bring it in and play it and do a short oral report on it

[Miranda]

Thanks guys! Almost all the kids have My Space accounts, so I may give a presentation on that. They don't have access to the internet at the center. The only computers we have are two really old Gateway computers with Windows 98.

The program is called United Community Centers, it's run by the Methodist church, but so far, I haven't noticed that the Methodist church puts any religious regulations on our stuff. We're even required to do a pregnancy prevention presentation! I'm going to be the only adult in the room now, and there are usually anywhere from 8 to 15 kids there. All of the kids have informed me, though, that once the other girl was gone, there would be a lot more kids coming, so I'm guessing by the end of the week we'll have a much higher attendance.

Thanks for all the suggestions and links!!

[Gypsy Jazmine]

K...I am just signing my daughter up for a weekly church group & have the itinerary right here...They meet weekly & some of the themes are: PJ Party, 50's, Mystery Theater, Hawaiian Beach Party, Kid's Cook Off, Fear Factor, Boot Camp, Backwards Night, Science Lab, Cowboy Night, Survivor, & holiday oriented themes...I hope this helps.