Keeping my goals in check

-

 I started break a week ago with intentions of getting the first units of both classes set up. I'm almost there. In the process, I came across some highly recommended books. I got said books


and I proceeded to try and speed read them. I wanted to incorporate every idea from all the books in January. Thankfully, I came to my senses. The book on the right, Ambitious Science Teaching, is an awesome book but has tons and tons of information and I'm never going to get through it before school starts. So that book is now being placed on the top of my summer reading list. I will delve deep into that over the summer and incorporate it into my curriculum. 

The next book in the stack, Science Formative Assessment, is really  a list of formative assessment strategies to use in the classroom. They have 75. I'm going to go through that and choose maybe 3 or 4 to use this coming semester. Again, over the summer I will have more time to work on incorporating more. 

The 3rd book, Uncovering student ideas in physical science is another book that will wait until summer for me to peruse in great depth. I'm not sure I like that book or am going to use it, but I will definitely give it the time it needs over the summer. 

Finally, Success in Science, is an awesome book that actually has lesson plans ready to use. I am going to use some of the ideas in this book this semester and then work on incorporating more of the ideas next year. 

I feel like I'm growing as a person when I can approach something with my usual zeal, I'm going to do all the things!!!, and then back off and be more realistic about it. I don't have to do everything at once. I don't even have to do most of these things. I can pick and choose some ideas that fit my style and that I think will work in my classes and go from there. I do tend to be an all or nothing type and that really doesn't work in teaching. 

Okay, I'm feeling good about this, the pressure to read everything and have it all ready by Monday is now gone. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A lot has happened

-
 After my last post, I sat and went through the modeling curriculum and worked out that I was in Unit 6 of modeling. No worries, I just jumped right in. We did a lab, always a good way to start things, and next week we work on naming compounds - that should be fun. Anyway, the point is I feel much more comfortable with the curriculum. I know what I'm doing and I'm able to guide them to the correct answers. We went back to whiteboards at the tables instead of the standing at the whiteboards. We presented and did a power clap and it was good. Classes went much smoother and I was much happier.  It really did wonders for my mental health too. I was not completely exhausted by the end of the day. I had energy when I got home. I actually felt like doing things. It was amazing. So I can conclude that my total exhaustion was most likely due to mental fatigue. Well, I'm sure starting working out again helped a lot.  So things are a whole lot better. I am taking next Monday off and I
Read more

1st day done

-
 Yesterday actually went very, very well. Initially I was worried how they would respond to the whole notebook thing, but they actually did pretty well. And 4th period??? OMG, that class was awesome. Absolutely awesome. A couple of students were moved out of that class and I had a very well thought out seating chart and man it made a huge difference. So that was good.  Now I was another story. I was so tired. Sooooooo tired. My feet hurt, my legs hurt, my back hurt. I was a wreck. Then I came home and had to walk Mavy, ugh!!!! I did get things done though so that was good. But man, I was tired. Slept like a log last night.  The great thing about block schedule is that I get to do all that again today. Yay!!! The problem is that I get better and  better at it, so by the time I get to my last class, which will be the 6th time I've done that, I will be good and we will finish early. So I have to watch that.  Other than that, things are good. 
Read more

And we're back.....

-
 Today we are back to school. It's weird, this is my 13th year teaching and yet I still get the first day jitters. I kept waking last night and thinking about school today, usually things that could go wrong. It's just so funny that after all this time I still get nervous. Someone once said it's because I care and I guess that could be true. I do care about my teaching. It is something that I enjoy and take pride in and so yes, I care about how I do it and ultimately the outcome.  Today will be an easy day for them, and hopefully me. We are doing a sketchnote bootcamp. I want them to take ownership and pride in their notes and so we are going to spend the first day getting back into school and into sketchnoting. It will be good for most, but I know that I am going to get pushback from a few and that's okay, they can take the L when it comes to the notebook.  I'm not looking forward to the return only because it's work. We went to a friend's house yesterday f
Read more