2 weeks into summer

-

 So first, I can't believe that 2 weeks has already passed. WTF????? I started seriously working on next year yesterday and I think I'm just in my own way. I want to use a new curriculum, but I have the choice of 2 and I don't know which to use. Both are storyline driven, which is good. The first unit for one is about global warming, always a good topic, and the other one is about alien life, one of my favorite topics. I can't decide what to use and I want to have the curriculum basically laid out for when I return to school. I hate when I get this paralyzing feeling over planning. It's ridiculous. I know how to do this, I've been doing it for 13 years. But still I tend to panic just a little. I once again wonder if I'm trying to do too much. I want to do the notebooks that I attempted last year and a new curriculum. Too much? I don't think so. I worked on the notebooks all year and have a pretty good idea of how to get them going. Also, starting right at the beginning of the year will definitely help with that. As for the new curriculum, I'm starting to rethink that. Should I just stick with the modeling that I know? I will still need to do work because that curriculum feels very sparse, like things are missing. So no, I want to try something else. I think I'll keep working on it this week and see how it goes. Yesterday I worked on the Patterns curriculum, maybe I'll take a deeper look into the iHub chemistry. That is mainly focused on being online, but I can alter is some. Okay, that's the plan.

I had also thought of going to standard based grading. I think that may be taking on a little more than I can handle. But I am going to work on that. Maybe do that for next year. 

Okay, I have a doctor's appointment and I still need to shower. 

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