My EVS in Andalusia 7
Workshops
The last few days before the holidays busy with Workshops and preparation work. Renata and I were asked to cooperate with the local “instituto” (high school) to organise “something” (imprecise as always) for the last day before the holidays, meaning entertaining about 70 (first information) for about five hours. Three times we had a meeting with director of the school, trying to figure out what exactly they wanted us to do, how much space we could use etc. and at the end explaining our plan.
After some time of searching for ideas, we had decided on doing a so called “ghymcana”, different tasks including team building tasks, a quiz, sport games and other games, pantomime and tongue twisters. Furthermore, Renata wanted to do a 30 minutes Zumba workshop. While I was elaborating the different stations (six in total), translating them in English and Spanish for Renata, the director, the students and the teachers who were helping us supervising the “ghymcana”, Renata was dancing and looking for a choreography an entire day without pause.
The 22nd at 9am we then went to the instituto, and came out fully packed and loaded with material, heading up to the gymnasium. Until 10am we had time to prepare the stations in and outside the gym which was complicated a bit as only 50 students were coming. So we had to change the number of groups and rethink a part of the plan.
Luckily everything went well and the teachers and director were a great help. In the afternoon there was hardly time to rest. We continued directly with the preparation for the Christmas workshop. Luckily we had already bought the tons of material the days before. Still there was a lot left to think of. The following day in the morning we had three different workshops for about 30 children. I was responsible for building cookie houses, while Renata made window ornaments with Christmas motifs and Canan balloon modelling. The kids seemed to be happy although mine got involved in a cookie sugar powder war and the ones of Canan in a Star Wars balloon sword fight.
We were having our lunch after cleaning the workshop room and before the next workshop in the afternoon. At 5pm we were instructing 20 children to make their own paper lanterns. In the darkness we went out on a short lantern parade to the main square. And finally the holidays began.