I must be doing something right. Today when I told my 8th graders it was time to go to lunch the response was, “Already? We just got here! We need to make this class longer, Mrs. I am going to go talk to Mrs. ___. I am going to ask her to give us more time with you.” The rest of the class yelled out in agreement. These are the same kids that walked into my classroom on the first day of school and told me they did not like to read and write.
Today in class we were doing a round-robin activity about writing topics. Brainstorming was done on a big piece of newsprint. Students could draw or write a topic on the paper. The EC teacher in with me was surprised I was letting them draw and not use words. As she saw the process unfold (we started with drawing and the second time around was all words), she saw the potential in the activity. Students were engaged and doing what writers do – talking about their ideas. Tomorrow they get their composition books to tell their story. I am not sure what this will look like, but I do know that they are excited about having ownership in their writing. One of the boys plans on having his all about big sea fishing, another hunting, and another football. I envision personal narratives, persuasive writing, memoirs, poetry, and whatever else is in the curriculum focused on their area of interest. Some will be specific pieces of writing assigned by me, while others will be free writes of their choosing. It is so invigorating to hear them so excited about doing something they claim they do not like.
While all my classes enjoy the unique way in which I teach, one of my 7th grade classes is a bit more of a challenge. Not because of the students or even the curriculum, but because six of them have to leave halfway through the class to get intensive reading instruction. I am at a loss on how to make this work for them. Do I focus on reading or writing when they are in class. What do they not need? These kids tend to take longer to complete the assignment because of their struggle with reading and writing. Add to that leaving class while the rest of the students continue to work on the assignment. I hate to say it, but I am at a loss. It is time for me to talk to the person in charge of special education for our school. Unfortunately, when I went to go talk to her today, she was not in. In the meantime, I will keep plugging away.
Whether teaching class or coaching soccer, the time flies by. I wonder who I can talk to about getting more time?
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