New Homework

We have new research homework. We have to go to a place where our students would frequent and observe all the kinds of literacies available to them: signs, pamphlets, visuals... and then codify them as a research community.

This Thursday and Friday my student teacher was sick and I took back all my classes with relief. I finally could reign them in, shape them, redirect them and set them back on track. I accept only work that is extraordinary, sophisticated, complex, and outstanding. Students generally beg to take their work home that day, and sometimes it means they go through a process of re-working their compositions until resolution takes place. I love the look on their faces as they glow and feel proud of their accomplishments, and sometimes it's hard to be a stand for their potential and show them what they are going to get out of taking the risk.

Period 3 is the best class ever, they were fine, they just needed to have another set of tools in evaluating their work to be able to take it to another level. I have come to realize period 6 is really a difficult class in that they are very social, mostly kinesthetic in learning, and need greater structure than all the other classes. Two 8th graders have just joined the class (having been bounced out of other classes - yes a sign, and I've been given a heads up from the assistant principal and two other teachers). I am thinking that the intervention strategy for this class is to teach behavior self-monitoring skills and keep giving positive earned feedback.

We are at transitions, a group of students have completed their assignment and are ready to move on (3 - 4 per class) and the remaining students have another week's work, with 3-4 students who need even more time. To manage this transition, I stop the class and teach everyone blind, 1/2 blind and contour line drawing of their hand. The finished students roll into this assignment. My research paper is going to be about the transition and finding out what is the best drawing project that inspires and motivates students - something on those lines.