Oops...

So, I need to plan one more class for the alternative high school for first trimester. First trimester starts in just a couple of weeks... Oh dear.

Looks like I'll be doing the Speech class that I thought up, though I'm not as in love with it as the writing and drama classes. I'll have to work extra hard to make sure it doesn't end up on the back burner at all times...

Working like a madwoman... commence!

Classroom Expectations?

In planning my first week of the school year, the question always arises: How soon must one set expectations for the classroom? And how does one go about doing that?

I think I'm going to try a couple of different tactics this year. With my first class, I'm going to leave expectation-setting until the beginning of the second week (fourth actual day of class) and pack the first week full of getting-to-know-one-another activities. I'm hoping that if we all become fairly comfortable and trusting of one another, expectations will fall into place. On the first Monday, I'll ask for ideas of expectations from the class, but will be clear on my main two:

1. Respect all people and things in the classroom at all times.
2. If you do anything that bothers me, I'll tell you to stop and you will. :)

With my other class, I'm going to brainstorm expectations with the class as a whole on the very first day. We'll narrow it down to about five total.

This should be an interesting experiment in classroom management and behavior... Any ideas out there on what works and what doesn't?

Planning...

...should have started earlier! But that's always how it goes. I'm actually ahead of the game compared to the last two years, but move one space back because I'm creating two new courses for the alternative high school. They are as follows:

WRITING WITH PURPOSE

Teachers are always having us write, write, write! But WHY?! If you're the sort of person who asks, "Why are we doing this?" or "When will I ever use this?" then this is the class for you! We'll explore writing for every reason from dream journaling to slam poetry to letters of complaint to academic essays. If you're ready to make your writing purposeful and find purpose in writing, join us!

SO MUCH DRAMA...

If your life is full of drama... you're not alone! Meet a cast of characters from the past to the present who share trials and tribulations. Explore shared experiences through reading, writing, thinking, and performing. Create sets and costumes, play with line delivery and movement, and get caught up in the drama of theatre.

I'm really excited about both of them because they're entirely mine. I was given the freedom to teach whatever I want, so long as it is meeting standards. So. Cool. And I'm proud of myself for getting as much of a head start as I have. I've chosen standards that I will meet for each course, brainstormed assessments of each of those standards, and have chosen texts for the drama course. At this point, I'm ready to design the final assessments for that course, then work backwards (who thought I'd ever have time to plan curriculum correctly again?!) to design the activities for the unit!

On the to-do list for today: brainstorm ways of writing for the first class (using--and valuing-- all registers)... Any ideas?

A Fourth (?!) Year Teacher

It's time to start self-reflecting on a regular basis. Seriously.

So here I am... quite some time later. Oops. I'm going into my fourth year teaching and I still couldn't be happier. This year has so much excitement in store: teaching at the alternative high school in the district for the first trimester, teaching the 9th grade classes that I love-- while seeing my former 7th graders as freshmen!-- and watching the class of freshmen I started with walk across the stage at graduation. Not to mention working with a new staff, working under two women I admire, and learning more about sheltered content English. Oh, and coaching Speech, directing a One Act for competition, and serving on multiple committees in pursuit of Equity in our district.

I've just started planning for the next school year... stay tuned for updates on that!