There was a time when I told my 5th period that they were my favorites. Today, when I called for homework, I found only 3 of them had done it. Two had excused absences and the rest offered excuses that were lame at best.
Since this is a screwed up week what with the holiday and testing, I had something for my Econ classes that was light, fun, diversionary, and informative. I gave 2nd and 3rd a geography test that they just ate up. It's the Baldridge test I give to my US History Class. Both classes loved it. Fifth is doing last night's homework in class right now for less credit. So much for fun.
By the way, my PDP went great! I got the highest possible rating: "Recommended for rehire." Our education bureaucracy is so sentimental.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Eval
PDP tomorrow at 7:30 am. Working on it today.
The big difference between the old corporate Performance Reviews and these PDP's mandated by the state Ed Dept. is that I create an Action Plan at the beginning of the year and then show how I implemented it. I'm doing mine early because it must be on file at the district HR before I submit my dossier next month.
And I just wrote more than I intended. Back to it.
The big difference between the old corporate Performance Reviews and these PDP's mandated by the state Ed Dept. is that I create an Action Plan at the beginning of the year and then show how I implemented it. I'm doing mine early because it must be on file at the district HR before I submit my dossier next month.
And I just wrote more than I intended. Back to it.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Back to School
Today was madness. Between MLK Day & the competency test, it's been 4 days since they've been in class. Add to that the fact that we had real nice weather today, and they were out there.
ISS had so many kids they had to move from their classroom to the auditorium.
No lecture today. In Econ, I did a quick review, then set them to work on using the Decision Making Model I gave them when I last saw them a week ago. I'll do similar with US Hist tomorrow.
ISS had so many kids they had to move from their classroom to the auditorium.
No lecture today. In Econ, I did a quick review, then set them to work on using the Decision Making Model I gave them when I last saw them a week ago. I'll do similar with US Hist tomorrow.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Merry Testing Season!
And the first shot was fired across our/their bow.
Today we began our High School Competency Exam. This is generally administered to sophomores, but since it's required (by State law) to graduate, we had a lot of juniors and seniors doing make-ups. The sophs will continue on in their English classes for the rest of the week (everyone has an English class). The rest are done for this year.
I had junior make-ups in my classroom. They just had to do the sections they still needed, and they could leave. I had 30 students on my roster; 17 showed up.
And of course, this is just the beginning. Next month is A2L to determine what the boys and girls will need for remediation next year (no computer labs available to regular classes during this), and in March we have the Standards Based Assessment for NCLB. And all of these are counted as instruction days. Go figure. (Do I have a lot of parenthetical asides in this post?)
Today we began our High School Competency Exam. This is generally administered to sophomores, but since it's required (by State law) to graduate, we had a lot of juniors and seniors doing make-ups. The sophs will continue on in their English classes for the rest of the week (everyone has an English class). The rest are done for this year.
I had junior make-ups in my classroom. They just had to do the sections they still needed, and they could leave. I had 30 students on my roster; 17 showed up.
And of course, this is just the beginning. Next month is A2L to determine what the boys and girls will need for remediation next year (no computer labs available to regular classes during this), and in March we have the Standards Based Assessment for NCLB. And all of these are counted as instruction days. Go figure. (Do I have a lot of parenthetical asides in this post?)
Thursday, January 10, 2008
New Help
I've been uncomfortable with US History this year. My old, free-wheeling style really hasn't been working with this year's Juniors. They need more structure than in past years. This morning I approach my colleague who teaches AP US History. He showed me what he does and then directed me to the website where he found it.
It's called Layered Curriculum. With each unit, I hand them a sheet of paper that tells them what assignments/activities they need to do to get each level of grade. Differentiation is built in. It was developed by Dr. Kathie Nunley and the basics are available for free at help4teachers.com.
I have a lot of work to do to prepare this, but I should be able to introduce it to my students in a week. I'm really excited.
It's called Layered Curriculum. With each unit, I hand them a sheet of paper that tells them what assignments/activities they need to do to get each level of grade. Differentiation is built in. It was developed by Dr. Kathie Nunley and the basics are available for free at help4teachers.com.
I have a lot of work to do to prepare this, but I should be able to introduce it to my students in a week. I'm really excited.
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
My 6th
They just tried and tried to sidetrack me. They got me to repeat a story I told them yesterday. That's OK. I stayed on task and covered everything I intended to cover today. They'll get a test on this material and tomorrow's on Friday, diversions or not. They know it's coming. We'll see how they do.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
We're Back
We had students today. We're back. The Spring 2008 Semester begins.
Grades are due by midnight Thursday and some of my colleagues are still grading. Thank God I'm done!
Most students were happy with their grades. Some weren't. Some of my seniors failed Gov't. They have to pass to graduate. That means Night School. I had a lot more Juniors who failed US History. Most of them didn't show up today.
District mandated in-service yesterday, followed by a faculty meeting today. Today we started haggling over which schedule we'll have next year. I have my preferences, I'd really like to see every student every day, but any of the proposed schedules is better than the stupid flex schedule we have now. It was bad last year; it's worse this year.
I guess I'll be going to Instructional Council meetings again, at least until this gets settled.
Grades are due by midnight Thursday and some of my colleagues are still grading. Thank God I'm done!
Most students were happy with their grades. Some weren't. Some of my seniors failed Gov't. They have to pass to graduate. That means Night School. I had a lot more Juniors who failed US History. Most of them didn't show up today.
District mandated in-service yesterday, followed by a faculty meeting today. Today we started haggling over which schedule we'll have next year. I have my preferences, I'd really like to see every student every day, but any of the proposed schedules is better than the stupid flex schedule we have now. It was bad last year; it's worse this year.
I guess I'll be going to Instructional Council meetings again, at least until this gets settled.
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Whoo!
Well, we got through graduation and the party. Bam! Finals! Then we could finally look at Christmas.
Christmas was good. And when it ended, we still had almost two weeks left of break. I like this schedule. I've spent two half days on grading. One more and I'll be finished. We've seen 2 movies in the last 2 days and we're going to see another this afternoon. And I bought a guitar. I'll start lessons next week with our former guitar teacher/music dept. chair from school. If he can work with teenagers, I'll be cake.
Next week, I also get down to serious with my Professional Dossier, so I can submit during the February window. Level 2, here I come!
Christmas was good. And when it ended, we still had almost two weeks left of break. I like this schedule. I've spent two half days on grading. One more and I'll be finished. We've seen 2 movies in the last 2 days and we're going to see another this afternoon. And I bought a guitar. I'll start lessons next week with our former guitar teacher/music dept. chair from school. If he can work with teenagers, I'll be cake.
Next week, I also get down to serious with my Professional Dossier, so I can submit during the February window. Level 2, here I come!
Monday, December 17, 2007
She Did It!
My step-daughter graduated from college last Friday. It's been a long, hard seven years since she dropped out of high school. Apartments, boyfriends, minimum wage jobs, it didn't look good. Then 5 1/2 years ago, she had her son & quickly realized she couldn't do much for either of them on $6.50 an hour & no diploma. Her adviser called her "amazing." She is. She has been.
Not to say it's been easy. Not for her, not for the rest of us. Like I said, it's been a long, hard seven years. And they ended on Friday. We threw her a party yesterday, all aunts & uncles & cousins & grandparents. My wife and I worked on it all weekend. We pulled it off. Then we had last night to rest.
Today, we start the last week of the semester. And we work on getting her into graduate school.
Not to say it's been easy. Not for her, not for the rest of us. Like I said, it's been a long, hard seven years. And they ended on Friday. We threw her a party yesterday, all aunts & uncles & cousins & grandparents. My wife and I worked on it all weekend. We pulled it off. Then we had last night to rest.
Today, we start the last week of the semester. And we work on getting her into graduate school.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Rushing down the slope
I'm spending the rest of this week in computer labs while my classes work on their Final Projects. Next week they present, then we're done.
But before that...my daughter takes her last final Thursday evening and graduates from university Friday afternoon. We're throwing her a party on Sunday. Today, Christmas doesn't exist for us. It won't until Monday.
In the meantime, I've turned in copies of both my Final Projects to my asst principal, but I haven't turned in a weekly lesson plan in over a month. She knows, and I know, but she hasn't said anything. At this point, I'll start off next semester right.
But before that...my daughter takes her last final Thursday evening and graduates from university Friday afternoon. We're throwing her a party on Sunday. Today, Christmas doesn't exist for us. It won't until Monday.
In the meantime, I've turned in copies of both my Final Projects to my asst principal, but I haven't turned in a weekly lesson plan in over a month. She knows, and I know, but she hasn't said anything. At this point, I'll start off next semester right.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Man, where'd the time go?
It's been over a month since my last entry. Wow.
We got my parents moved up here. It's been work since, helping them settle.
I've also been working to get our chapter of the National Honor Society going again after a 3 year dormancy. All that, plus a semester, and I haven't even been reading blogs, much less writing in one.
My wife is in Seattle this weekend with a group of students for a DECA thing. I've been grading and of course went out to eat with my parents after church today. Busy, busy, busy. I'll try to do better.
We got my parents moved up here. It's been work since, helping them settle.
I've also been working to get our chapter of the National Honor Society going again after a 3 year dormancy. All that, plus a semester, and I haven't even been reading blogs, much less writing in one.
My wife is in Seattle this weekend with a group of students for a DECA thing. I've been grading and of course went out to eat with my parents after church today. Busy, busy, busy. I'll try to do better.
Monday, October 1, 2007
Another Break
Got the grades in last week, then my wife and I packed up her car and headed south. We're moving my parents up to a retirement community near us. They're in their 90's; they won! But now it's time for them to give up their house and move somewhere where others will do the things for them that they can no longer do for themselves. And part of it is us doing the packing & overseeing the loading for them. Plus, it'll be easier for us having them 5 miles away instead of 225 miles.
I'm leaving my students with a sub for 3 days, the longest I've ever done that. I'm trying to have a "let the chips fall where they may" attitude. I've got a good sub. I left 2 1/2 pages of lesson plans. It'll be fine. Yeah, right. We'll be back to school Thursday and have two days before a three-day weekend. Whew!
So, the ragweed down here is kicking me in the face. My mother and I are watching the Patriots beat the Bengals, my wife and my dad are cleaning out and boxing all the crap in the cabinets in his bathroom, and I just want to go lie in bed and moan for a while. Some break.
I'm leaving my students with a sub for 3 days, the longest I've ever done that. I'm trying to have a "let the chips fall where they may" attitude. I've got a good sub. I left 2 1/2 pages of lesson plans. It'll be fine. Yeah, right. We'll be back to school Thursday and have two days before a three-day weekend. Whew!
So, the ragweed down here is kicking me in the face. My mother and I are watching the Patriots beat the Bengals, my wife and my dad are cleaning out and boxing all the crap in the cabinets in his bathroom, and I just want to go lie in bed and moan for a while. Some break.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
