Skip to main content

Time Flies When You're Having Fun

  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? 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Aging sucks.....or does it?

Upon first thought, watching a parent age sucks. Unnoticeable at first. A bit of a stoop, some creaking in the knees, whitening of the hair. The doctor’s visits begin, as do the pills One for high blood pressure, another to thin the blood, and a handful of vitamins to top it off. The signs are there, but it is easier to see him as he has always been. My father, a pillar of strength. Until my pillar was knocked off-kilter. A simple surgery and the mortality of my father looked me square in the eye when the drugs took hold of his brain. Amidst his fidgeting and confusion, I realized…AGING SUCKS! And then….enlightenment dawned upon me….AGING IS BEAUTIFUL Wrinkles tell of smiles while silver hair speaks a life of memories. Knees creaky after years of kneeling in prayer, offering up a lap, and climbing up the stairs for one more kiss goodnight. Almost forty-eight years of memories nestled in my heart. Memories of my father. Taking us to church each Sunday Building and fixing ...
2 comments
Read more

Fiery Passion

It is 10:44am on Wednesday morning. I sit here in a darkened classroom with no power. During the last 24 hours I have walked a student down to the office with a big knot on her head as the result of a fight; counseled the other half of the fight on different choices she could have made; been an object of a discussion between two teachers; backed my car into a ditch; and restrained a girl. Oh, yeah, and I taught about Civil Rights a bit also. My life continues to be an adventure! Fast forward nine hours. My day at school has come to a close giving me a few moments to sit and reflect on the adventure of the last day and a half. I continue to contemplate what could be done to teach the girls how to embrace the fiery passion they have within rather than to let it out through fighting. Let’s take a walk back through time….. In every other school I have taught in, teachers have a lunch break. This is not the case at BMS. Teachers eat with the students, albeit at a separate table. We...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Art of Being Thankful

Yup! This entry is going to be totally cliché. After all, it is that time of year where we stop and think about what we are thankful for in our lives. So here it is. My list of thankful. 1.    One less kid home for the holidays Sean won’t be coming home for the holidays this year. He has been with me every year at Christmas since 1988. I will miss him dreadfully. However, I am so very thankful that he will be spending the holidays honoring fallen soldiers. I am thankful for the man of repute he has become. Most of all, I am thankful he is not one of the fallen. 2.   Unemployment Tony does not have a typical job down here. A few days a week, he drives a rickshaw for tips only and substitutes whenever he gets the opportunity. While we never know what we can count on for the budget, I know I can count on him to be there for the girls; to clean the house; to get the vacuuming done; and so much more. I cannot even fathom how he could enjoy working inside the...
1 comment
Read more