Today was quite the adventure, we were up a little late last night planning for today's session, and then today we were up a little early in order to prepare for the session. After having a wonderful breakfast made by the fabulous Jeniris, we were off to the Lighthouse School.
Lighthouse school, is a school specialized in teaching children with special needs. The facilities are fabulous! Each of us are able to have our own room with our separate groups. I am not all too knowledgeable as to how everyone elses group went, but Ranjana and I have the movement group. Within the movement group we are facilitating activities for children with a wide range of different disabilities, and often finding group exercises to accommodate everyone can be difficult. We went in with a plan... and as usual in the true fashion of music therapy... that plan went right out the window! I think the experience really speaks to the fact that people should be defined by the abilities they have rather than the disabilities. Children with similar disabilities by no means have similar personalities, which does means that each child has their personal activity and music preferences. To try and define a child by their disability is limiting, and in all seriousness inaccurate. It took today to interact and assess each child to really be able to devise a plan for the week that could best suit each child and assist in achieving their personal goals. Now that Ranj and I have gotten together and devised a plan for the week, I am thinking that tomorrow will go far more smoothly.
I know you are all dying to hear more about coconuts...
Today we went grocery shopping for the house, and I must say that while everyone was searching and pillaging the shelves for sustainable food for the week, Seneca and I went off to find the most interesting candy, and soda possible, and let me tell you our search rendered fruitful! We bought watermelon soda, ginger beer soda, something called man power?, and coffee soda!
We also got a large amount of chocolate, and I think it was agreed upon that the "Oh Henry" bar took the cake.
OK and now for the coconut.
So yesterday we found this coconut under the palm tree (which is next to a banana tree) by our little apartment, and Seneca and I decided that it must be cracked open and devoured immediately. I have never seen a wild coconut, I always figured that they are simply plucked off of the tree looking like brown bowling balls. I was wrong, they are green and not round in the slightest. They are also incredibly durable. However, we were in-fact successful in opening one!
ahahaha you guys are awesome. Sounds like you're having an amazing time! I can't wait to hear how the groups pan out. It is so great that you have the opportunity to plan and lead groups independently (but together). That is going to be such a valuable experience. What kind of MT supervision do you have while you're there? I love and miss you all and can't wait to hear more!!!
ReplyDelete<3 Kim