I'm halfway through full-time teaching. Overall, I'm pretty satisfied with how it's going. I do my lesson plans on the weekend for the entire week so that I'm not as overwhelmed during the week. I also make sure that all of my papers are graded by the end of the day so that they don't pile up. I'm staying organized, and it's definitely helping me stay sane.
My action research is going well. I gave the students their weekly questionaire today, and a lot of them reported that their favorite activity was the noun activity. I was hoping that their engagement and enthusiasm about grammar would change, and I am happy that it is! I hope that the remainder will go as well.
There were a lot of interruptions with the eighth graders taking the ACT Explorer this week, but next week should be back on regular schedule. I have learned to be flexible with my lesson plans and know that they aren't set in stone.
I'm really enjoying these middle school students, and I hope that they are gaining as much from this experience as I am. The end of this semester will be bittersweet. I'll be excited that I completed this semester but at the same time, sad that I won't see the students anymore.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Being organized is a key to sanity for me as well. When you are well prepared, it really makes your week go so much smoother. (at least most of the time!)
ReplyDeleteI'm glad that everything is going well and that the students are enjoying your activities with grammar - maybe it will change their mindset.
Enjoy your weekend!
Grammar always gets a blackeye from students. There are probably ways to jazz grammar up, maybe through games, but these take some prep to work out (future AR topic for someone).
ReplyDeleteGood that you are developing organized habits NOW. Staying on top of things is a good habit to to have. Otherwise, the school year will bury you.
I've reminded Katie and Breanna on this week's blog to look out for artifacts for the Exit Porfolio, as this is the time to gather exhibits of student work NOW.
Please tell me that you've been introduced to the Exit Porfolio and the 10 Characteristics of the Novice Teacher.
IF NOT, email me! I want you to be prepared with adequate materials for that next semester. The Exit Porfolio will be your first major priority of the semester.
I warned you that you would learn what being "flexible" really means in middle school. I'm glad you see why it's important to have your plans for the following week completed on Monday. So what if you have to continue something for the next week. You've done a good job with keeping up with your papers. I think middle school is a good fit for you. Have a great week!
ReplyDelete