The English teacher and I started teaching the Holocaust unit to the transition students on Monday.
For the literature piece, students are reading the graphic novels Maus I and Maus II by Art Spiegelman. I highly recommend these novels! Students that tend to not enjoy reading will usually read these novels. Spiegelman does an amazing job telling the story of his father ( a Holocaust survivor of Auschwitz) and the struggling relationship between a father and a son.
There are so great teaching activities on these fantastic novels:
Maus in the Classroom
Random House Teaching Guide for Maus I
WebEnglish Teacher
ReadWriteThink Lesson
Teaching Activities on the Holocaust:
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Education World: Teaching the Holocaust
A Teacher's Guide to the Holocaust
Federal Resources for Educational Excellence
Movies about the Holocaust:
The Pianist
Schindler's List
Life is Beautiful
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
And many more!
For the most part, most of the students are enjoying the books and the history that is being taught in this unit. They are asking a lot of questions and are VERY curious about this topic. The few that are not enjoying the unit are the kids that just don't buy into school anyway. Those kids have done nothing all school year and just don't want to be in school. The transition teachers have done everything possible to get the kids to buy into school. We've been working hard in working on the social and behavior issues with these kids. Most of the students are FINALLY "getting it" and behaving (almost) like high school students instead of elementary students.
We also have the adjustment counselor working with the students more during this unit since the topic can bring up some serious issues with this type of student population. So far, everyone seems to be doing OK with topic.
I know that we as educators can't save all of our students from dropping out of school or caring about their futures. It's just so frustrating at times that some students just don't seem to understand that education (at least their high school diploma) is their key to their future.
My final assessment for this unit will be for the students to create a Museum of Toleration based on what they learned from the Holocaust unit. They will look at the topic of genocide since 1945 and pick a topic, research it, and then present their findings in some visual way (poster, PowerPoint, collage, etc). We will have their projects on display either in the library or in the hallway. This is the plan anyway. I still have to work out the actual details of the assessment. The English teacher and I will be assessing the projects.
I will try and post throughout the unit how things are going and any concerns that begin to come up.
Saturday, December 05, 2009
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Happy belated Turkey Day!
Hello All.
Don't know if anyone is bothering to read this blog anymore.
I have no time to post.
I just wanted to wish everyone a wonderful belated Thanksgiving. And, remember those folks that are serving overseas at this time that give up their lives for our freedom.
My cousin Danny and his wife was serving in Iraq and my friend Chad is serving in Afghanistan.
So, what am I grateful for in my life? These wonderful things in my life get me to stop and think of what I should be thankful for:
*Family. I'm so thankful for my mom, dad, and sister especially during this time of the year. We haven't been together for a Thanksgiving in years. Mom and Dad are in Arizona, my sister is in IL, and I'm here in New England. But, we always are with each other in our hearts. We've had a rough month of November (my aunt passed away suddenly a few weeks ago). I love my family with all my heart.
*Friends. I have a wonderful group of friends that adopt me for Thanksgiving. Thank you for being in my life.
*My job. I know there are some people out there that have lost their jobs and/or work in jobs that they don't enjoy. I can honestly say that most days I enjoy what I do for a living.
*The silly students in my life. Most days, they put a smile on my face. :=)
*Ellie the Cat. She's my baby girl and I love her!
What are you thankful for in your life?
Don't know if anyone is bothering to read this blog anymore.
I have no time to post.
I just wanted to wish everyone a wonderful belated Thanksgiving. And, remember those folks that are serving overseas at this time that give up their lives for our freedom.
My cousin Danny and his wife was serving in Iraq and my friend Chad is serving in Afghanistan.
So, what am I grateful for in my life? These wonderful things in my life get me to stop and think of what I should be thankful for:
*Family. I'm so thankful for my mom, dad, and sister especially during this time of the year. We haven't been together for a Thanksgiving in years. Mom and Dad are in Arizona, my sister is in IL, and I'm here in New England. But, we always are with each other in our hearts. We've had a rough month of November (my aunt passed away suddenly a few weeks ago). I love my family with all my heart.
*Friends. I have a wonderful group of friends that adopt me for Thanksgiving. Thank you for being in my life.
*My job. I know there are some people out there that have lost their jobs and/or work in jobs that they don't enjoy. I can honestly say that most days I enjoy what I do for a living.
*The silly students in my life. Most days, they put a smile on my face. :=)
*Ellie the Cat. She's my baby girl and I love her!
What are you thankful for in your life?
Saturday, October 31, 2009
It's been forever since I've posted . . . here is the explanation.
The new school year has officially kicked my butt!
Here is the scoop on the past few months:
*The transition team has been more blood, sweat, and tears than any of us realized. The administration finally heard our cries for help. They were not being very supportive to us so after a threat from a group of students (the students threatened to gang up on one of our teachers in the program and "beat the shit out of that teacher"), administration finally stepped up and acknowledged that they were not being supportive to the teachers or students. Some changes have been made so we shall see if there is a change in the classroom as well. It has become a safety issue now. One of my students decided to take a lighter out of another student book bag and try and light a desk on fire in my classroom. The incident wasn't handled appropriately from the administration side. These students were not the students that were described to us last school year when the administration told us about this program so the teachers are very frustrated and stressed. I spend most of the classes dealing with behavior, social, and discipline issues. It's getting harder to teach curriculum. Only time will tell if this program is really working. It's only October and it feels like March. I really don't want to teach in the Freshman House anymore. These kids are burning me out! :-(
*Because I'm focusing all my time and energy on the transition program (2 sections of World History transition students - 28 students total), I'm neglecting my other three classes. I still don't know all my student names in the other classes. I get pulled out of those classes for meetings with transition kids. On a positive note: my favorite class to teach right now is the local history course with upperclassmen. They are my saving grace! :=)
*I'm teaching a different curriculum with the transition classes so it requires more work. I'm teaching thematically instead of chronologically in World History with the transition kids. I'm working with the English teacher in creating interdisciplinary units so we are trying to get the students to see connections between literature and History. It's working so far. :=)
*Currently working on a proposal to teach AP European History next school year for Seniors. I really need the challenge professionally. My dept and Principal supports the new class but I have to get the Superintendent and School Committee approval. The AP US History teacher told me that he could easily recommend 15-20 students from his class. He's currently already doing AP European History independent studies with students their senior year already so it makes sense to have a real class offered for Seniors. The Guidance Director also supports the idea since he claims there is a need for the course.
*My school is starting the accreditation process again. I'm a co-chair for the Curriculum committee. So, there will be a lot of work for the next school year getting our self-study report completed. Every faculty member is involved in the process. I have about 15 teachers on my committee. A few of them are the "ding bats of the faculty" (don't do their duties or professional responsibilities, complains about the kids in a negative way, etc). I don't have a high tolerance for people like this so it will be a challenge for me.
*Ended the volleyball season this past week. My JV team won two matches this year. Since the program is new (we are only in year 2), this is an accomplishment. Last year, we didn't win any games. We moved leagues to a more competitive league (this league has had volleyball in their athletic programs for years) so the fact that we won two games is a big deal. Varsity only won one game this year. My girls are getting better and better. And, they have developed a love for a wonderful new sport. :=)
*Proctored SAT's, PSAT's, and ACT's every Saturday during the month of October. Made some extra money and got a ton of my correcting completed! :=)
*Have 17 students for Harvard Model Congress this year. We've already had two fund raisers and are currently working on a few more. Since the economy is so bad this year, I figured I would lose a lot of students (HMC costs $350 to attend plus the cost of food for the four days). But, the kids and parents are being great and supportive. I should be receiving their roles in the next few weeks. 16 of them will be members in the House or Senate and I have one student that applied for the Presidential Cabinet.
So, that is the scoop of what has been going on the past few months. Hope this explains why I haven't really been posting a lot. I haven't even been updating my homework blogs regularly either since I've been so busy. Now that volleyball season has ended, I'm hoping for a little bit more time to write on the blog and read other blogs. I miss reading all of your blogs! :=)
Judy - Hi! Glad that you commented on my blog. I've never heard of Funnel Brain before so I can't comment on it. I checked it out and seems like a great site to use. Try it and see if it works for your needs. Keep me posted. :=)
Here is the scoop on the past few months:
*The transition team has been more blood, sweat, and tears than any of us realized. The administration finally heard our cries for help. They were not being very supportive to us so after a threat from a group of students (the students threatened to gang up on one of our teachers in the program and "beat the shit out of that teacher"), administration finally stepped up and acknowledged that they were not being supportive to the teachers or students. Some changes have been made so we shall see if there is a change in the classroom as well. It has become a safety issue now. One of my students decided to take a lighter out of another student book bag and try and light a desk on fire in my classroom. The incident wasn't handled appropriately from the administration side. These students were not the students that were described to us last school year when the administration told us about this program so the teachers are very frustrated and stressed. I spend most of the classes dealing with behavior, social, and discipline issues. It's getting harder to teach curriculum. Only time will tell if this program is really working. It's only October and it feels like March. I really don't want to teach in the Freshman House anymore. These kids are burning me out! :-(
*Because I'm focusing all my time and energy on the transition program (2 sections of World History transition students - 28 students total), I'm neglecting my other three classes. I still don't know all my student names in the other classes. I get pulled out of those classes for meetings with transition kids. On a positive note: my favorite class to teach right now is the local history course with upperclassmen. They are my saving grace! :=)
*I'm teaching a different curriculum with the transition classes so it requires more work. I'm teaching thematically instead of chronologically in World History with the transition kids. I'm working with the English teacher in creating interdisciplinary units so we are trying to get the students to see connections between literature and History. It's working so far. :=)
*Currently working on a proposal to teach AP European History next school year for Seniors. I really need the challenge professionally. My dept and Principal supports the new class but I have to get the Superintendent and School Committee approval. The AP US History teacher told me that he could easily recommend 15-20 students from his class. He's currently already doing AP European History independent studies with students their senior year already so it makes sense to have a real class offered for Seniors. The Guidance Director also supports the idea since he claims there is a need for the course.
*My school is starting the accreditation process again. I'm a co-chair for the Curriculum committee. So, there will be a lot of work for the next school year getting our self-study report completed. Every faculty member is involved in the process. I have about 15 teachers on my committee. A few of them are the "ding bats of the faculty" (don't do their duties or professional responsibilities, complains about the kids in a negative way, etc). I don't have a high tolerance for people like this so it will be a challenge for me.
*Ended the volleyball season this past week. My JV team won two matches this year. Since the program is new (we are only in year 2), this is an accomplishment. Last year, we didn't win any games. We moved leagues to a more competitive league (this league has had volleyball in their athletic programs for years) so the fact that we won two games is a big deal. Varsity only won one game this year. My girls are getting better and better. And, they have developed a love for a wonderful new sport. :=)
*Proctored SAT's, PSAT's, and ACT's every Saturday during the month of October. Made some extra money and got a ton of my correcting completed! :=)
*Have 17 students for Harvard Model Congress this year. We've already had two fund raisers and are currently working on a few more. Since the economy is so bad this year, I figured I would lose a lot of students (HMC costs $350 to attend plus the cost of food for the four days). But, the kids and parents are being great and supportive. I should be receiving their roles in the next few weeks. 16 of them will be members in the House or Senate and I have one student that applied for the Presidential Cabinet.
So, that is the scoop of what has been going on the past few months. Hope this explains why I haven't really been posting a lot. I haven't even been updating my homework blogs regularly either since I've been so busy. Now that volleyball season has ended, I'm hoping for a little bit more time to write on the blog and read other blogs. I miss reading all of your blogs! :=)
Judy - Hi! Glad that you commented on my blog. I've never heard of Funnel Brain before so I can't comment on it. I checked it out and seems like a great site to use. Try it and see if it works for your needs. Keep me posted. :=)
Sunday, September 13, 2009
One week down . . . .
Survived the first week of school. Though it was only three days with the students. :=)
Just a few notes:
*The Transitional program is going to be a lot of work. These students are tough! Very needy. Don't listen. Never been taught any proper behavior and life skills (reminder: I teach 9th grade). I have two sections of this program and at the end of the day, I'm so mentally, emotionally, and physically drained! Most of these kids were in self-contained classrooms at the middle school (no - they are not all SPED kids). The main goal of this program is to make sure these kids don't drop out of high school. On the second day of school, there was a BAD fight in the math class between two boys: one kid had his nose broken and three bones in his face broken. Both boys are suspended out for ten days. So, as you can see, we have our work cut out for us!
*Enjoying my local history class. A lot of the students had me their freshman year and they like my crazy teaching style so much they wanted to take me again. They are a fun, smart, and just nice group of kids.
*Volleyball has been a challenge for me. I now have 20 girls on my JV team and I'm expected to play all of them during games. Over half the team has never played the sport before so I have a lot of work cut out for me this season. Most of the girls are nice. Got a few that live in the drama and create plenty of it. I find it very difficult to work with all the girls and get their skill level to where it needs to be so they can play the sport better. I tried dividing them up into groups but it's still to much. One of the varsity players said I need an assistant! I agree! It's just too many girls on one team. We should have had cuts but the varsity coach didn't want to discourage anyone. He only has 12 girls so his job is much easier than mine. And, varsity doesn't have to play everyone in a game like JV. At our first game on Friday night, I had so many substitutions that the girls had a tough time figuring out the rotation and we got into trouble with the ref. We lost our game but at least all the girls played and tried hard. We are playing schools that have had a volleyball program for a long time. This is only our third year.
On a fun note:
*I'm going to the U2 concert on Sunday, September 20th! My sister is flying out for the weekend too. I'm sooo pumped! I LOVE U2!
Stay positive and have a wonderful week! :=)
Just a few notes:
*The Transitional program is going to be a lot of work. These students are tough! Very needy. Don't listen. Never been taught any proper behavior and life skills (reminder: I teach 9th grade). I have two sections of this program and at the end of the day, I'm so mentally, emotionally, and physically drained! Most of these kids were in self-contained classrooms at the middle school (no - they are not all SPED kids). The main goal of this program is to make sure these kids don't drop out of high school. On the second day of school, there was a BAD fight in the math class between two boys: one kid had his nose broken and three bones in his face broken. Both boys are suspended out for ten days. So, as you can see, we have our work cut out for us!
*Enjoying my local history class. A lot of the students had me their freshman year and they like my crazy teaching style so much they wanted to take me again. They are a fun, smart, and just nice group of kids.
*Volleyball has been a challenge for me. I now have 20 girls on my JV team and I'm expected to play all of them during games. Over half the team has never played the sport before so I have a lot of work cut out for me this season. Most of the girls are nice. Got a few that live in the drama and create plenty of it. I find it very difficult to work with all the girls and get their skill level to where it needs to be so they can play the sport better. I tried dividing them up into groups but it's still to much. One of the varsity players said I need an assistant! I agree! It's just too many girls on one team. We should have had cuts but the varsity coach didn't want to discourage anyone. He only has 12 girls so his job is much easier than mine. And, varsity doesn't have to play everyone in a game like JV. At our first game on Friday night, I had so many substitutions that the girls had a tough time figuring out the rotation and we got into trouble with the ref. We lost our game but at least all the girls played and tried hard. We are playing schools that have had a volleyball program for a long time. This is only our third year.
On a fun note:
*I'm going to the U2 concert on Sunday, September 20th! My sister is flying out for the weekend too. I'm sooo pumped! I LOVE U2!
Stay positive and have a wonderful week! :=)
Sunday, September 06, 2009
Officially back to school on Tuesday!
Enjoying my last weekend of freedom before I head back to school on Tuesday for a professional day. We get the students on Wednesday.
Actually, I've been back in school since August 27th. I coach JV volleyball so I've been in the building since that day. For the first three days, we had double practices so in between practices, I would go up to my classroom to unpack and get it ready. We then switched to afternoon practices so I would go into school in the morning to do work.
Even though I'm a high school teacher, I work very hard to create a very comfortable classroom environment for my students. Most of my colleagues don't decorate their classrooms and make their rooms feel "homey." Every school year, the kids tell how warm and welcoming my classroom feels to them. I hate bare white walls so I will hang up student work. I don't care how old you are but kids still love to see their work hanging up on a bulletin board or wall. Currently, I hung up posters and projects from last years' students. Once I get going, I will hang up work from the kids this year. I always keep student work as samples to show students what I expect for a final project.
So, my classroom is all ready and waiting for the students to arrive on Wednesday.
My teaching schedule will pretty much be the same. Still in the freshman house. Still have four classes of World History (3 college preps and 1 honors) and the local history class elective for upperclassmen. The only difference will be that two of my college prep World History classes will be part of the new transitional team (one of the college prep transition classes will be co-taught with a special ed teacher in the room). The administration has already "red flagged" 30 freshman students at risk for dropping out of high school due to emotional and behavioral issues (some related to horrific home lives). Those 30 students will be in smaller classes (15 students per class) and share the same major content teachers (History, English, Science, and Math) in the freshman house. English and History classes will be taught in the middle of the day and back to back. Math and Science will be the same (we teach on a 4 x4 block). For example, this will allow English and History to do more interdisciplinary units - when I'm teaching about Ancient Greece in History, the English teacher has the kids reading The Odyssey. The transitional team came up with themes per quarter: 1st quarter -The Ideal Individual, 2nd quarter - Tolerance, 3rd quarter - Freedom, and 4th quarter - Service. All of our curriculum will be taught around these themes. I will not be teaching World History chronologically but thematically with these kids - this is a first for me. I thought I would try it and see what happens. My school has a 60% graduation rate so we are trying to increase the number of students graduating. Since the implementation of the freshman house, our numbers have gone up 10% (five years ago, our graduation rate was 50%). So, we have our work cut out!
We have a professional day on Tuesday. The day will be filled with meetings and small presentations from faculty and administration. I've been asked to do a short presentation to the faculty on explaining the use of the library and web site. The librarian and I will be running double sessions and she thought of me to help her since I take my students down to the library all the time and teach my students how to properly use the library. My principal told me that I will receiving a small stipend and PDP's for the presentations. Cool! :=)
We are starting school late compared to other schools in this area and even the country. Since I read a lot of teacher blogs from all over the country, I know some schools have already been in school for at least six weeks! Sometimes I wish that we would start earlier and then get out earlier but our buildings here are not equipped to handle the warmer weather (aka no A/C). Since I have an inside classroom (no windows), my classroom is VERY WARM right now - temps in my classroom during the past week have been around the high 80's. I have two fans running but all the fans do is circulate the warm air around the room. Thankfully, the weather here in New England has cooled off somewhat so hopefully the classrooms will eventually cool off as well.
The summer is coming to a close. It was a real nice and relaxing summer for M-Dawg! A very much needed mental health summer. :-)
So, here we go and wishing everyone a productive and invigorating school year! :=)
Actually, I've been back in school since August 27th. I coach JV volleyball so I've been in the building since that day. For the first three days, we had double practices so in between practices, I would go up to my classroom to unpack and get it ready. We then switched to afternoon practices so I would go into school in the morning to do work.
Even though I'm a high school teacher, I work very hard to create a very comfortable classroom environment for my students. Most of my colleagues don't decorate their classrooms and make their rooms feel "homey." Every school year, the kids tell how warm and welcoming my classroom feels to them. I hate bare white walls so I will hang up student work. I don't care how old you are but kids still love to see their work hanging up on a bulletin board or wall. Currently, I hung up posters and projects from last years' students. Once I get going, I will hang up work from the kids this year. I always keep student work as samples to show students what I expect for a final project.
So, my classroom is all ready and waiting for the students to arrive on Wednesday.
My teaching schedule will pretty much be the same. Still in the freshman house. Still have four classes of World History (3 college preps and 1 honors) and the local history class elective for upperclassmen. The only difference will be that two of my college prep World History classes will be part of the new transitional team (one of the college prep transition classes will be co-taught with a special ed teacher in the room). The administration has already "red flagged" 30 freshman students at risk for dropping out of high school due to emotional and behavioral issues (some related to horrific home lives). Those 30 students will be in smaller classes (15 students per class) and share the same major content teachers (History, English, Science, and Math) in the freshman house. English and History classes will be taught in the middle of the day and back to back. Math and Science will be the same (we teach on a 4 x4 block). For example, this will allow English and History to do more interdisciplinary units - when I'm teaching about Ancient Greece in History, the English teacher has the kids reading The Odyssey. The transitional team came up with themes per quarter: 1st quarter -The Ideal Individual, 2nd quarter - Tolerance, 3rd quarter - Freedom, and 4th quarter - Service. All of our curriculum will be taught around these themes. I will not be teaching World History chronologically but thematically with these kids - this is a first for me. I thought I would try it and see what happens. My school has a 60% graduation rate so we are trying to increase the number of students graduating. Since the implementation of the freshman house, our numbers have gone up 10% (five years ago, our graduation rate was 50%). So, we have our work cut out!
We have a professional day on Tuesday. The day will be filled with meetings and small presentations from faculty and administration. I've been asked to do a short presentation to the faculty on explaining the use of the library and web site. The librarian and I will be running double sessions and she thought of me to help her since I take my students down to the library all the time and teach my students how to properly use the library. My principal told me that I will receiving a small stipend and PDP's for the presentations. Cool! :=)
We are starting school late compared to other schools in this area and even the country. Since I read a lot of teacher blogs from all over the country, I know some schools have already been in school for at least six weeks! Sometimes I wish that we would start earlier and then get out earlier but our buildings here are not equipped to handle the warmer weather (aka no A/C). Since I have an inside classroom (no windows), my classroom is VERY WARM right now - temps in my classroom during the past week have been around the high 80's. I have two fans running but all the fans do is circulate the warm air around the room. Thankfully, the weather here in New England has cooled off somewhat so hopefully the classrooms will eventually cool off as well.
The summer is coming to a close. It was a real nice and relaxing summer for M-Dawg! A very much needed mental health summer. :-)
So, here we go and wishing everyone a productive and invigorating school year! :=)
Saturday, August 22, 2009
It's almost time to go back to school
The summer has cruised by for me. Seems like yesterday I just got out of school for the summer.
It's definitely been a restful yet productive summer. Since I didn't work this summer, I surprisingly kept pretty busy this summer with workshops, meetings with colleagues, a visit from my sister, and just hanging out with wonderful friends. It was a pleasant surprise to say the least since I'm so used to running around all the time. At first, I thought I would be bored. That SO didn't happen. I feel well rested and ready for a new school year. And, that is a good thing. :=)
The workshop at Harvard on Oil was great! So informative! The organizers brought in many lecturers and experts that were knowledgeable about the topic of Oil. During the morning sessions, we would have lectures. In the afternoon sessions, teachers would do workshops on how to implement the topic of oil and materials in the classroom. I also met some wonderful teachers from all over New England. The end of every day, I walked out feeling intellectually exhausted. Of course the best part was leaving with some wonderful resources to use in my classroom.
I had an inspiration during the workshop: I would like to propose to my transitional team that we do something around the topic of oil for 4th quarter this year. Our theme for 4th quarter is service. I thought that each content teacher could do the following: 1) History teacher - go over the role of Oil since 1900 in the world (History background), 2) English teacher - read current event articles about Oil and design informational posters about the pros and cons of oil usage in the United States and World to be hung up all over the building, 3) Science teacher - research the science about Oil, do a energy efficiency inventory of our high school, 4) Math teacher - research stats on oil usage, make charts and record the information they are learning. I also was thinking that the kids could have public service announcements read at the end of the day during announcements about various stats and trivia questions about the use of Oil. We could even have the students go to other schools in the district to educate the younger kids and even the community. The whole point of this project would be to educate students (both in our classes and around the district) and the community about energy efficiency and how we need to do something NOW to stop our addiction to Oil. Obviously, I'm just thinking and planning at the top of my head. My team was looking to do something for service learning and this topic might be a great way to tie all of our disciplines together and do a great thing for the environment at the same time.
Volleyball starts on Thursday so the life of M-Dawg gets turned upside down and crazy busy again. We will have double sessions (8:30-11:00 and 2:30-4:30) so in between practices, I will start getting my classroom ready. I've already been to Wal-Mart and Staples to load up on supplies. Going to be heading to my favorite teacher store on Monday to get some curriculum books and materials.
I don't go back until September 8th for a professional day and the students arrive on the 9th for their 1st full day of school (we end our school year the end of June). Some of you teacher folks are already in school. :=)
Wishing everyone a wonderful, productive, and drama free school year!! :=)
It's definitely been a restful yet productive summer. Since I didn't work this summer, I surprisingly kept pretty busy this summer with workshops, meetings with colleagues, a visit from my sister, and just hanging out with wonderful friends. It was a pleasant surprise to say the least since I'm so used to running around all the time. At first, I thought I would be bored. That SO didn't happen. I feel well rested and ready for a new school year. And, that is a good thing. :=)
The workshop at Harvard on Oil was great! So informative! The organizers brought in many lecturers and experts that were knowledgeable about the topic of Oil. During the morning sessions, we would have lectures. In the afternoon sessions, teachers would do workshops on how to implement the topic of oil and materials in the classroom. I also met some wonderful teachers from all over New England. The end of every day, I walked out feeling intellectually exhausted. Of course the best part was leaving with some wonderful resources to use in my classroom.
I had an inspiration during the workshop: I would like to propose to my transitional team that we do something around the topic of oil for 4th quarter this year. Our theme for 4th quarter is service. I thought that each content teacher could do the following: 1) History teacher - go over the role of Oil since 1900 in the world (History background), 2) English teacher - read current event articles about Oil and design informational posters about the pros and cons of oil usage in the United States and World to be hung up all over the building, 3) Science teacher - research the science about Oil, do a energy efficiency inventory of our high school, 4) Math teacher - research stats on oil usage, make charts and record the information they are learning. I also was thinking that the kids could have public service announcements read at the end of the day during announcements about various stats and trivia questions about the use of Oil. We could even have the students go to other schools in the district to educate the younger kids and even the community. The whole point of this project would be to educate students (both in our classes and around the district) and the community about energy efficiency and how we need to do something NOW to stop our addiction to Oil. Obviously, I'm just thinking and planning at the top of my head. My team was looking to do something for service learning and this topic might be a great way to tie all of our disciplines together and do a great thing for the environment at the same time.
Volleyball starts on Thursday so the life of M-Dawg gets turned upside down and crazy busy again. We will have double sessions (8:30-11:00 and 2:30-4:30) so in between practices, I will start getting my classroom ready. I've already been to Wal-Mart and Staples to load up on supplies. Going to be heading to my favorite teacher store on Monday to get some curriculum books and materials.
I don't go back until September 8th for a professional day and the students arrive on the 9th for their 1st full day of school (we end our school year the end of June). Some of you teacher folks are already in school. :=)
Wishing everyone a wonderful, productive, and drama free school year!! :=)
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Busy trying to finish up the work for my Summer Institute and other "stuff" . . .
I know it's been a while since I've posted. Believe it or not, I guess I can remain busy even when I'm not at school. :+)
I was accepted into a Summer Institute through the Using Essex History grant. For followers of this blog, this is the same Institute that I did last summer. It's a wonderful professional development opportunity. When completed, I will get a $1,000 stipend, three graduate credits, 45 PDP's, and the textbooks for free.
Prior to the Institute, I had to read three books and a huge packet of readings. During the week of the seminar, each day you turn in work. I had to complete one book review paper and three "note papers" on the books. I completed all this work a few days prior to the start of the Seminar. I knew that everyday when I would come home that my brain would be fried! :=)
To finish up the Institute, I have to write a 10 page thematic essay and a five day lesson plan on the topics discussed during the Institute. This work is due on August 1st. I need to get the work completed earlier since my sister is coming out for a long weekend visit. The good news is that I email all my work to my professor.
And, I was accepted into a five day workshop at Harvard on Oil and the Contemporary World in August so I have work to do for that workshop as well.
So, this is what I've been working on since I got out of school.
On top of it, I've also been preparing and getting ready for the next school year. Sometimes I laugh when people tell me how great it is to be teacher since we "have our summers off." Yeah, right. Not this teacher.
This is what I've been working on for next school year:
1) I'm part of a transitional program in the Freshman House so the English teacher and I are working on doing interdisciplinary units with various themes. One unit we are working on is related to the Holocaust and the graphic novels Maus I and Maus II. I wrote a grant that enabled us to purchase the books for the students.
2) Since I'm on the transitional team, our team wants to incorporate a new grading policy called Success Orientated Classroom. Basically students will contract for their grade. It's a new way of thinking and planning so there is a lot to learn. Our team wants to be consistent with our students regarding grades and discipline as well.
3) There are three World History teachers in the Freshman House. We've made an executive decision to start our curriculum at the Renaissance this year. We can't continue to barely make it to World War II by the end of the school year. We need to get to the present day as much as possible. Since our state doesn't test on World History knowledge (I guess US History is more important), we can pretty much do what we want to some degree.
4) I'm always working on expanding and improving the local history class curriculum (which is where the Summer Institute comes in). The Summer Institute incorporates primary documents into local history so it's a win-win situation. I've also been working on "tweaking" the Honors credit option contract for next year. I felt that the Honors credit this school year so TOO easy for the kids.
5) One of my goals is to have most of the 1st quarter planned out by the end of August. We don't go back to school until September 8th.
6) I'm working on trying to get AP European History approved at my school for next school year. So, I need to submit a curriculum for approval. What does this mean? That hopefully my school will not only approve it but will pay for me next summer to get trained!
Why do I need to get all this stuff done? Volleyball season officially starts on August 27th so I need to have all my ducks in a row to be organized for the new school year. I hate being unorganized for a new school year. :=)
I have allowed myself some down time as well. I've been watching a lot of movies thanks to Netflix. I'm currently watching The Tudors - season 2. Highly recommend it!
So, that has been my summer thus far. Luckily the weather here hasn't been that great so it's allowed me to be more productive than in past summers. When it's raining outside, I get more work done.
How's your summer????
I was accepted into a Summer Institute through the Using Essex History grant. For followers of this blog, this is the same Institute that I did last summer. It's a wonderful professional development opportunity. When completed, I will get a $1,000 stipend, three graduate credits, 45 PDP's, and the textbooks for free.
Prior to the Institute, I had to read three books and a huge packet of readings. During the week of the seminar, each day you turn in work. I had to complete one book review paper and three "note papers" on the books. I completed all this work a few days prior to the start of the Seminar. I knew that everyday when I would come home that my brain would be fried! :=)
To finish up the Institute, I have to write a 10 page thematic essay and a five day lesson plan on the topics discussed during the Institute. This work is due on August 1st. I need to get the work completed earlier since my sister is coming out for a long weekend visit. The good news is that I email all my work to my professor.
And, I was accepted into a five day workshop at Harvard on Oil and the Contemporary World in August so I have work to do for that workshop as well.
So, this is what I've been working on since I got out of school.
On top of it, I've also been preparing and getting ready for the next school year. Sometimes I laugh when people tell me how great it is to be teacher since we "have our summers off." Yeah, right. Not this teacher.
This is what I've been working on for next school year:
1) I'm part of a transitional program in the Freshman House so the English teacher and I are working on doing interdisciplinary units with various themes. One unit we are working on is related to the Holocaust and the graphic novels Maus I and Maus II. I wrote a grant that enabled us to purchase the books for the students.
2) Since I'm on the transitional team, our team wants to incorporate a new grading policy called Success Orientated Classroom. Basically students will contract for their grade. It's a new way of thinking and planning so there is a lot to learn. Our team wants to be consistent with our students regarding grades and discipline as well.
3) There are three World History teachers in the Freshman House. We've made an executive decision to start our curriculum at the Renaissance this year. We can't continue to barely make it to World War II by the end of the school year. We need to get to the present day as much as possible. Since our state doesn't test on World History knowledge (I guess US History is more important), we can pretty much do what we want to some degree.
4) I'm always working on expanding and improving the local history class curriculum (which is where the Summer Institute comes in). The Summer Institute incorporates primary documents into local history so it's a win-win situation. I've also been working on "tweaking" the Honors credit option contract for next year. I felt that the Honors credit this school year so TOO easy for the kids.
5) One of my goals is to have most of the 1st quarter planned out by the end of August. We don't go back to school until September 8th.
6) I'm working on trying to get AP European History approved at my school for next school year. So, I need to submit a curriculum for approval. What does this mean? That hopefully my school will not only approve it but will pay for me next summer to get trained!
Why do I need to get all this stuff done? Volleyball season officially starts on August 27th so I need to have all my ducks in a row to be organized for the new school year. I hate being unorganized for a new school year. :=)
I have allowed myself some down time as well. I've been watching a lot of movies thanks to Netflix. I'm currently watching The Tudors - season 2. Highly recommend it!
So, that has been my summer thus far. Luckily the weather here hasn't been that great so it's allowed me to be more productive than in past summers. When it's raining outside, I get more work done.
How's your summer????
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
Higgins Armory in Worcester, MA
I had a few visitors staying with me the beginning of June. So, one day we were looking for a place to go (the weather was rainy and cold so that limited our activities).
I had always wanted to visit the Higgins Armory in Worcester, MA. So, off we went!
We had a lovely visit! The Armory contains one of the largest collections of armor in North America! There are 5,000 objects to view from various time periods (Ancient Greek to Medieval and the Renaissance). The Museum has a rare Roman gladiator's helmet and a great exhibit on the development of hunting weapons. They even had a chastity belt! I would highly recommend this museum. They had a great introduction video that included the history of the founder of the Museum, John Woodman Higgins and how he established the Museum. The exhibits are fascinating . . .from the weapons to the actual armor for men (and a few for women) and even horses.
The museum is VERY kid friendly! They had a room with interactive stuff like trying on helmets and clothing (see photos below) and even a massive chess set on the floor to play with. On Saturdays, they even have demonstrations like jousting.
Here are a few pictures that I took of the visit.
Look . . . it's my knight and shining armor! :=)
I'm wearing a medieval helmet!
Trying to be a princess!
If you are in the Worcester area, check it out.
Saturday, July 04, 2009
Happy 4th of July!
Wishing everyone a happy 4th of July!
Enjoy your cookouts but remember the real reason why we celebrate this day.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Make sure you recertify your teacher license(s)!
Over the weekend, I was working on my recertification paperwork for NH (I taught for four years in the "Live free or die" state).
Even though I've been teaching for six plus years in another state, I always like to maintain my license in NH. You never know what may bring down the road regarding jobs. And, I worked very hard to get the license.
The fee is $130 for three years of certification in NH. Seems like a lot of money. But, luckily, I'm able to "double dip" for the PDP's for the state I currently teach in and NH. So, it's not really that bad.
In three years, I accumulated 136 hours in my content (History/Social Studies) and 100.5 hours in methodology, curriculum, and "other" areas. I technically have more hours for this past school year but my current school won't give us our hours (certificates) until the new school year. And, knowing my luck, I would get audited by the state of NH to show all my paperwork over the summer. NH only requires 30 hours in content and 45 hours in methodology, curriculum, etc.
Some tricks for keeping track of all those hours:
*My school gave us a binder for professional development. I keep all certificates and paperwork in that binder. After I attend a seminar or workshop, that certificate goes straight into that binder so I can keep track of everything. I also keep all paperwork in chronological order since the states like to have everything listed that way.
*I also created a spreadsheet in Excel years ago to keep track of my hours. I set up different categories (each state varies on their requirements in hours). Every time I attend a seminar, workshop, or receive a certificate, I enter all my info into the spreadsheet.
*I archive (spoken like a Historian) past certificates and certifications in a file cabinet at home. You never know what the state may require of us as professionals. For example, my current school requires ELL (English Language Learner) training. They were going to have me complete 50 hours of it last school year but I already completed the training at my previous school. All I had to do was show them the paperwork and certificate of completion and a transcript (I took it for grad credit too) and I was good to go! Trust me . . . you don't want to have to repeat stuff if you don't have to repeat it.
If anyone else has any tricks, please feel free to share in the comment section.
Even though I've been teaching for six plus years in another state, I always like to maintain my license in NH. You never know what may bring down the road regarding jobs. And, I worked very hard to get the license.
The fee is $130 for three years of certification in NH. Seems like a lot of money. But, luckily, I'm able to "double dip" for the PDP's for the state I currently teach in and NH. So, it's not really that bad.
In three years, I accumulated 136 hours in my content (History/Social Studies) and 100.5 hours in methodology, curriculum, and "other" areas. I technically have more hours for this past school year but my current school won't give us our hours (certificates) until the new school year. And, knowing my luck, I would get audited by the state of NH to show all my paperwork over the summer. NH only requires 30 hours in content and 45 hours in methodology, curriculum, etc.
Some tricks for keeping track of all those hours:
*My school gave us a binder for professional development. I keep all certificates and paperwork in that binder. After I attend a seminar or workshop, that certificate goes straight into that binder so I can keep track of everything. I also keep all paperwork in chronological order since the states like to have everything listed that way.
*I also created a spreadsheet in Excel years ago to keep track of my hours. I set up different categories (each state varies on their requirements in hours). Every time I attend a seminar, workshop, or receive a certificate, I enter all my info into the spreadsheet.
*I archive (spoken like a Historian) past certificates and certifications in a file cabinet at home. You never know what the state may require of us as professionals. For example, my current school requires ELL (English Language Learner) training. They were going to have me complete 50 hours of it last school year but I already completed the training at my previous school. All I had to do was show them the paperwork and certificate of completion and a transcript (I took it for grad credit too) and I was good to go! Trust me . . . you don't want to have to repeat stuff if you don't have to repeat it.
If anyone else has any tricks, please feel free to share in the comment section.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Summer vacation officially has started for MDawg!
Hello All. It's been a VERY long school year. The Freshman, for the most part, didn't progress much this school year. Academically or emotionally. The failure rate was the highest it has ever been since before the Freshman House was established five years ago. I know that our stats will vary year by year based on what type of kids we get but it was a tough year. You know the movie, Ground Hound Day with Bill Murray? You know how he replays every day the same day? This is how it was for the Freshman this year. Every single day was the the first day of school. They just didn't "get it." They didn't get the academics, the social cues, the behavior, etc. I'm praying for a huge miracle of growth over the summer for those kids. Those 9th graders that are repeating 9th grade need a huge reality hit!
A few updates:
*Had a wonderful visit with my parents. I felt bad because the weather was not nice for their entire visit. I told them they need to come back in July instead of May. They spent a few days at this campground. It had full hook ups but was very pricey for them. They also stayed at Salisbury Beach at the campground which is right on the water. We took walks every day on the beach. Couldn't of asked for a better location. The only complaint was the campground didn't have sewage hookup for their camper. Dad cooked on the grill many times so I got my grill fix! And, Mom cooked all my favorite meals. We really had a lovely visit. I was sad to see them leave. They may come back out here next summer. Things are up in the air right now. They are currently back in IL staying near my sister for most of the summer. They plan on heading to Arizona for the winter.
*As far as I know, I'm coming back to my school next school year. There were some cuts at the end of the school year but it was mostly people that were not performing or doing their job. It's strange - my school doesn't give us a yearly contract (I signed a contract when I was first hired). And, they don't really come right out and say to you, "Congrats! You have profession status (tenure to everyone else in the education community)." Technically, I'm professionally statused the first day of school in my 4th year (Sept 8, 2009).
*I've been asked by my administrators to be part of a special transitional program within the Freshman House. The middle school has already red flagged 30 plus kids at risk next school year. So, my team (English, Science, Math, and myself the History person) will share these kids. Since I'm already part of the Freshman House and on a team already it seems to work somewhat. However, my transitional team will be doing a lot of experiments - such as interdisciplinary teaching. And, I will be trying to teach World History thematically instead of chronologically (this will be a new way of thinking for me). :=) I will try and update our progress throughout the school year.
*Will be coaching JV volleyball again in the fall. We had a meeting in the beginning of the month and had over 37 girls sign up to play next year (Varsity and JV). My JV's seem to think that since they played JV last year that they will automatically play on Varsity next year. They are SO wrong. The varsity coach needs to clarify that to them on the first day of tryouts. I told them to not assume anything but they don't believe me.
So, what are the big summer plans?
*Not working a second job! I'm going to have to budget like a crazy lady to do it but my mental health can't handle working a zillion hours this summer. I really need a break.
*I did apply for a five day grant seminar in July that will be paying me a $1000 stipend and three grad credits for free. However, there is a ton of reading and work so I will be busy.
*I also applied for another five day workshop at Harvard University about Oil and got in. That workshop is in August. I have to read a book and watch a video prior to the class.
*My sister and a friend of hers from work will be coming out here for a long weekend visit. I'm so excited! We are planning to do a night out in Boston and whatever else we can see and check out in the area.
*Working on curriculum for the transitional program. My team is getting paid for 10 hours of work.
*Planning on reorganizing my local History binder and curriculum. Needs to be updated and I need to come up with my Honors credit work. Students have the option of contracting for Honors credit and I did a half ass job this school year in trying to come up with work.
*Cleaning and reorganizing around the condo. There is always something to do around the house.
*May do a day trip or two around the area. I've never been to the Adams National Historical Park in Quincy, MA so I would like to check it out. Also, I will be going down to Salem to take some photos to add to my Power Points for the local history class.
I will try and update throughout the summer of what I'm doing. I can't guarantee a post every day so keep checking back.
I did visit the Higgins Armory in Worcester the beginning of June so I took some crazy pictures that I need to get off of my camera. I will try and post those pictures over the weekend.
What are your plans for the summer?
A few updates:
*Had a wonderful visit with my parents. I felt bad because the weather was not nice for their entire visit. I told them they need to come back in July instead of May. They spent a few days at this campground. It had full hook ups but was very pricey for them. They also stayed at Salisbury Beach at the campground which is right on the water. We took walks every day on the beach. Couldn't of asked for a better location. The only complaint was the campground didn't have sewage hookup for their camper. Dad cooked on the grill many times so I got my grill fix! And, Mom cooked all my favorite meals. We really had a lovely visit. I was sad to see them leave. They may come back out here next summer. Things are up in the air right now. They are currently back in IL staying near my sister for most of the summer. They plan on heading to Arizona for the winter.
*As far as I know, I'm coming back to my school next school year. There were some cuts at the end of the school year but it was mostly people that were not performing or doing their job. It's strange - my school doesn't give us a yearly contract (I signed a contract when I was first hired). And, they don't really come right out and say to you, "Congrats! You have profession status (tenure to everyone else in the education community)." Technically, I'm professionally statused the first day of school in my 4th year (Sept 8, 2009).
*I've been asked by my administrators to be part of a special transitional program within the Freshman House. The middle school has already red flagged 30 plus kids at risk next school year. So, my team (English, Science, Math, and myself the History person) will share these kids. Since I'm already part of the Freshman House and on a team already it seems to work somewhat. However, my transitional team will be doing a lot of experiments - such as interdisciplinary teaching. And, I will be trying to teach World History thematically instead of chronologically (this will be a new way of thinking for me). :=) I will try and update our progress throughout the school year.
*Will be coaching JV volleyball again in the fall. We had a meeting in the beginning of the month and had over 37 girls sign up to play next year (Varsity and JV). My JV's seem to think that since they played JV last year that they will automatically play on Varsity next year. They are SO wrong. The varsity coach needs to clarify that to them on the first day of tryouts. I told them to not assume anything but they don't believe me.
So, what are the big summer plans?
*Not working a second job! I'm going to have to budget like a crazy lady to do it but my mental health can't handle working a zillion hours this summer. I really need a break.
*I did apply for a five day grant seminar in July that will be paying me a $1000 stipend and three grad credits for free. However, there is a ton of reading and work so I will be busy.
*I also applied for another five day workshop at Harvard University about Oil and got in. That workshop is in August. I have to read a book and watch a video prior to the class.
*My sister and a friend of hers from work will be coming out here for a long weekend visit. I'm so excited! We are planning to do a night out in Boston and whatever else we can see and check out in the area.
*Working on curriculum for the transitional program. My team is getting paid for 10 hours of work.
*Planning on reorganizing my local History binder and curriculum. Needs to be updated and I need to come up with my Honors credit work. Students have the option of contracting for Honors credit and I did a half ass job this school year in trying to come up with work.
*Cleaning and reorganizing around the condo. There is always something to do around the house.
*May do a day trip or two around the area. I've never been to the Adams National Historical Park in Quincy, MA so I would like to check it out. Also, I will be going down to Salem to take some photos to add to my Power Points for the local history class.
I will try and update throughout the summer of what I'm doing. I can't guarantee a post every day so keep checking back.
I did visit the Higgins Armory in Worcester the beginning of June so I took some crazy pictures that I need to get off of my camera. I will try and post those pictures over the weekend.
What are your plans for the summer?
Sunday, June 07, 2009
Have a lot going on - will post after June 22nd.
The end of the school year is always bitter sweet.
The end is near - we get out on June 22nd. But, I have way too much to do before I can even think about summer break.
Currently proofreading research papers, proofread research papers will turn into must correct papers (College Prep page requirement was 2-5 pages; Honors page requirement was 5-7 pages) - I have 90 9th graders doing this assignment, correcting WW I quizzes, final projects in my local history class, and trying to get the rest of the common final entered into Scantron for Final Exam week. Oh, and at some point, I will need to get grades calculated and entered into the school system for report cards.
Throw into this lovely equation that I have 2-3 days to teach World War II to my 9th graders. So, I'm coming up with a cliff note version PowerPoint of how to teach World War II in 2 days.
It's just too much.
And, we are going to have budget cuts. Still no news about who has a job for next school year.
The end is near - we get out on June 22nd. But, I have way too much to do before I can even think about summer break.
Currently proofreading research papers, proofread research papers will turn into must correct papers (College Prep page requirement was 2-5 pages; Honors page requirement was 5-7 pages) - I have 90 9th graders doing this assignment, correcting WW I quizzes, final projects in my local history class, and trying to get the rest of the common final entered into Scantron for Final Exam week. Oh, and at some point, I will need to get grades calculated and entered into the school system for report cards.
Throw into this lovely equation that I have 2-3 days to teach World War II to my 9th graders. So, I'm coming up with a cliff note version PowerPoint of how to teach World War II in 2 days.
It's just too much.
And, we are going to have budget cuts. Still no news about who has a job for next school year.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Greetings from the depths of craziness . . . .
I know . . . I know. It's been forever since I've blogged anything of particularly interest.
I know that I said I would post some pictures from my trip to North Carolina over April break. I had an amazing time! We (my colleague and I) checked out almost all of the UNC universities and even a few private colleges. The schools there are much cheaper than they are up here in New England so I don't know what decision my colleague and her daughter will make regarding the big college decision. I didn't take any photos of the schools. I guess I was having a duh moment. All of the campuses were beautiful! All the pictures below are of the historical places we checked out on our "Thelma and Louise" road trip (minus driving the rental car off a cliff and no Brad Pitt). :-)
This time of the school year is overwhelming. Trying to teach the rest of the World History curriculum by June. State Testing that messes up teaching all that curriculum since it means that we have three hour delays and students that really don't want to be doing anything after taking a three hour exam every day. SPED meetings to make sure our students are where they need to be for next school year. End of year stuff like proms, senior week activities, getting final exams ready, correcting and grading, etc. Parents and guidance counselors that are NOW all of a sudden concerned that their kid will not be passing my ELECTIVE to graduate from high school even though I had called home, sent emails, commented on progress and report cards, and met with the parents months ago. They all seem to think the "let's just hand over my kid a high school diploma" fairy will magically give them their high school diploma. It just doesn't work that way in my class. The funny part: at my school, students only need three credits of History (World history - 9th grade, US History Part I - 10th grade, and US History Part II - 11th grade). The fact that they need an elective to graduate is a little insulting to me. The kid NEEDS to do work to pass. End of story.
And, I have something going on every weekend from now until the end of June for my personal life stuff on top of it.
My head is spinning just thinking about all the craziness. I just need to remind myself that I can make it to June 22nd and life will slow down.
Good news for my summer plans. I was accepted into a five-day summer institute on local history again (I did the institute last summer). I will receive a $1000 stipend, free books, 3 graduate credits, and 30 PDP's (for free). There is a ton of reading and prep involved before and after the institute but it is so worth it. I had put my name in for teaching summer school but decided that I needed a break from teaching. The pay isn't that great compared to the Institute. I also signed up for a week long workshop at Harvard University on the Impact of Oil around the World through an Historical perspective. Should be interesting.
I know that I said I would post some pictures from my trip to North Carolina over April break. I had an amazing time! We (my colleague and I) checked out almost all of the UNC universities and even a few private colleges. The schools there are much cheaper than they are up here in New England so I don't know what decision my colleague and her daughter will make regarding the big college decision. I didn't take any photos of the schools. I guess I was having a duh moment. All of the campuses were beautiful! All the pictures below are of the historical places we checked out on our "Thelma and Louise" road trip (minus driving the rental car off a cliff and no Brad Pitt). :-)
Knock yourselves out! :=)
Alamance Battleground - outside of Burlington, NC.
Presidents of North Carolina - statue in front of Capital building in Raleigh, NC.
Fort Raleigh - England's first New World settlements from 1584 to 1590.
Replica of Wright Brothers first airplane - Wright Brothers Memorial.
Memorial at Wright Brothers National Historic Site.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Made it to April break!
Sorry that I've been so sporadic with my posts. Life at school has been very busy and overwhelming to the point that when I come home I don't want to even look at a computer.
Just a few updates:
*April break officially started on Friday. I don't have to go back to school until April 27th. This break couldn't have come at a better time.
*Finished the French Revolution unit with all my classes except the co-taught class. They are always behind due to the learning issues. Spent one day on Industrial Revolution. The plan is when I get back to complete imperialism, communism, nationalism, socialism, and capitalism in a few days. And, then on to World War I. I hate that we have no time to teach everything that needs to get taught in a proper way. I'm being told I need to get through World War II by the end of the school year (the end of June).
*Got invited to see a special viewing just for teachers at the New England Aquarium IMAX. Saw this. Amazing! If the film comes to your local IMAX, check it out.
*From now until the end of the school year, I won't be blogging as much. Once I'm out of school for the summer break, I will start writing more often with teaching ideas.
*I leave on Monday for North Carolina until Friday for a much needed vacation.
*On the 28th, I will be attending a workshop on the Conservative Right. Should be interesting. This workshop is a local history grant so they pay me $125 to attend the workshop. I've attended at least four of them this school year. The grant also pays for the substitute which is a nice feature. Plus, we are giving a ton of resources for our classroom - mostly primary documents that I can use in my local history course that I teach.
Hope everyone has a wonderful and relaxing April break. :=)
Just a few updates:
*April break officially started on Friday. I don't have to go back to school until April 27th. This break couldn't have come at a better time.
*Finished the French Revolution unit with all my classes except the co-taught class. They are always behind due to the learning issues. Spent one day on Industrial Revolution. The plan is when I get back to complete imperialism, communism, nationalism, socialism, and capitalism in a few days. And, then on to World War I. I hate that we have no time to teach everything that needs to get taught in a proper way. I'm being told I need to get through World War II by the end of the school year (the end of June).
*Got invited to see a special viewing just for teachers at the New England Aquarium IMAX. Saw this. Amazing! If the film comes to your local IMAX, check it out.
*From now until the end of the school year, I won't be blogging as much. Once I'm out of school for the summer break, I will start writing more often with teaching ideas.
*I leave on Monday for North Carolina until Friday for a much needed vacation.
*On the 28th, I will be attending a workshop on the Conservative Right. Should be interesting. This workshop is a local history grant so they pay me $125 to attend the workshop. I've attended at least four of them this school year. The grant also pays for the substitute which is a nice feature. Plus, we are giving a ton of resources for our classroom - mostly primary documents that I can use in my local history course that I teach.
Hope everyone has a wonderful and relaxing April break. :=)
Friday, April 10, 2009
The Life of a High School Teacher in an Urban School . . . . . .
It seems that the drama never ends at my school.
We've been dealing with all sorts of problems the last few weeks. I think partly because the bad economy impacts our kids (we have a high percentage of students that come from low socio-economic backgrounds) and partly because the few weeks before any school vacation our kids go into "crazy mode" - you see, we provide stability and safety for a lot of our students. When their usual schedule is disrupted in any way, they react to it by getting into a lot of fights or causing serious problems within the school community.
Example 1: Last week, there were three REALLY bad fights in the cafeteria. One of the fights involved one student using his keys to stab another student in the kidney (yes, the keys punctured the kidney). There was blood everywhere. :-(
Example 2: A freshman boy (one of my kids) is being accused of forcing a girl to perform oral sex on him by knife point (the incident didn't happen on school grounds but the school is involved). The boy is out of school for the rest of the school year pending the investigation.
Example 3: One of our students was beaten up by her 21 year old boyfriend in front of our school while holding their 1 year child while a lot of our students (and teachers) watched it (this happened in the morning while students were being dropped off at school so teachers and students were walking into the building and witnessed everything). The police were immediately called. The police were in the building on Thursday questioning everyone on what they saw.
Example 4: One of my freshman gals had a baby back in November (yes, if you do the math, she got pregnant in middle school). The father of the baby (17 years old) was just arrested for robbery (he tried to steal a safe from the local movie theatre and got caught).
Example 5: In one of my classes, at least half of the parents in that class are laid off from their jobs. I've noticed a significant difference in behavior like acting out, being disrespectful to me or other kids in the class, etc.
It's been a very tough few weeks having to deal with all of this AND try and teach these kids World History. All of these events are impacting the kids in some way. They bring it into the classroom every single day. And, as the adult, I try and provide a fun learning environment for the kids since they are dealing with all of this drama around them. I will admit that I do take a lot of this emotional stuff home with me since it is impacting me too. I worry about my students.
I am VERY grateful for the long weekend (we get Good Friday off from school). I will admit the past few weeks have been double stressful since 3rd quarter ended and I had to do grades. We have next week in school and then we get the following week off for April break. I have never been so excited to have a break in my life. I just hope that I (and the kids) can make it through the end of next week.
To end on a positive note: A colleague of mine asked me if I would go with her to North Carolina for April break (her daughter is looking at colleges down there and she wanted the adult company). I said yes! So, I think this will be a good break for me.
Happy Easter! Happy Passover! :=)
We've been dealing with all sorts of problems the last few weeks. I think partly because the bad economy impacts our kids (we have a high percentage of students that come from low socio-economic backgrounds) and partly because the few weeks before any school vacation our kids go into "crazy mode" - you see, we provide stability and safety for a lot of our students. When their usual schedule is disrupted in any way, they react to it by getting into a lot of fights or causing serious problems within the school community.
Example 1: Last week, there were three REALLY bad fights in the cafeteria. One of the fights involved one student using his keys to stab another student in the kidney (yes, the keys punctured the kidney). There was blood everywhere. :-(
Example 2: A freshman boy (one of my kids) is being accused of forcing a girl to perform oral sex on him by knife point (the incident didn't happen on school grounds but the school is involved). The boy is out of school for the rest of the school year pending the investigation.
Example 3: One of our students was beaten up by her 21 year old boyfriend in front of our school while holding their 1 year child while a lot of our students (and teachers) watched it (this happened in the morning while students were being dropped off at school so teachers and students were walking into the building and witnessed everything). The police were immediately called. The police were in the building on Thursday questioning everyone on what they saw.
Example 4: One of my freshman gals had a baby back in November (yes, if you do the math, she got pregnant in middle school). The father of the baby (17 years old) was just arrested for robbery (he tried to steal a safe from the local movie theatre and got caught).
Example 5: In one of my classes, at least half of the parents in that class are laid off from their jobs. I've noticed a significant difference in behavior like acting out, being disrespectful to me or other kids in the class, etc.
It's been a very tough few weeks having to deal with all of this AND try and teach these kids World History. All of these events are impacting the kids in some way. They bring it into the classroom every single day. And, as the adult, I try and provide a fun learning environment for the kids since they are dealing with all of this drama around them. I will admit that I do take a lot of this emotional stuff home with me since it is impacting me too. I worry about my students.
I am VERY grateful for the long weekend (we get Good Friday off from school). I will admit the past few weeks have been double stressful since 3rd quarter ended and I had to do grades. We have next week in school and then we get the following week off for April break. I have never been so excited to have a break in my life. I just hope that I (and the kids) can make it through the end of next week.
To end on a positive note: A colleague of mine asked me if I would go with her to North Carolina for April break (her daughter is looking at colleges down there and she wanted the adult company). I said yes! So, I think this will be a good break for me.
Happy Easter! Happy Passover! :=)
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Very long week . . . . .
This past week has been VERY long . . . . .
On Monday, I found out my cousin passed away. He had cancer.
On Tuesday, one of my students stole my ITouch off my computer desk. My Housemaster searched them but nothing came up. I feel violated and upset. I can no longer trust any of my students. In ten years of teaching, no student has EVER stolen from me. The kids are upset for me too since a lot of them know how much I sacrifice and give to them. On a positive note: kids can be "stupid thieves" - they will eventually talk and it will come out on who stole it. I will never see my ITouch again (kids usually steal them, delete the music, and then turn around and sell them to other students). I still have that Midwest too trusting thing going on and it officially was killed on Tuesday. :=(
Tried to end the week on a positive note: I chaperoned the Junior Prom. The kids looked wonderful. Sometimes, they can clean up good! :-) Us teacher folk had a fun time too. We kept requesting old school songs in the beginning of the evening. No one was dancing at first so we requested the Twist song and each of us grabbed a student from a different table to go out on the dance floor and dance. It worked! They started to dance at that point and we heard rap music for the rest of the evening.
So, this is why I've been a little more MIA than usual.
For those of you that sent me emails requested French Revolution materials, I did respond this past week. If ya didn't get the stuff from me, please let me know and I can use my school email account.
Just started Napoleon this week. Really trying to plug through all the curriculum that needs to get taught this year.
Grades for 3rd quarter close on Friday. I noticed in my grade book that a lot of my students are currently failing. Not good. This freshman class this year just doesn't seem to "get it" -
I am taking Monday off for a mental health day . . . . AND, U2 tickets are going on sale so I want to try and get tickets for the Sept 20th concert. :-)
Have a good week folks.
On Monday, I found out my cousin passed away. He had cancer.
On Tuesday, one of my students stole my ITouch off my computer desk. My Housemaster searched them but nothing came up. I feel violated and upset. I can no longer trust any of my students. In ten years of teaching, no student has EVER stolen from me. The kids are upset for me too since a lot of them know how much I sacrifice and give to them. On a positive note: kids can be "stupid thieves" - they will eventually talk and it will come out on who stole it. I will never see my ITouch again (kids usually steal them, delete the music, and then turn around and sell them to other students). I still have that Midwest too trusting thing going on and it officially was killed on Tuesday. :=(
Tried to end the week on a positive note: I chaperoned the Junior Prom. The kids looked wonderful. Sometimes, they can clean up good! :-) Us teacher folk had a fun time too. We kept requesting old school songs in the beginning of the evening. No one was dancing at first so we requested the Twist song and each of us grabbed a student from a different table to go out on the dance floor and dance. It worked! They started to dance at that point and we heard rap music for the rest of the evening.
So, this is why I've been a little more MIA than usual.
For those of you that sent me emails requested French Revolution materials, I did respond this past week. If ya didn't get the stuff from me, please let me know and I can use my school email account.
Just started Napoleon this week. Really trying to plug through all the curriculum that needs to get taught this year.
Grades for 3rd quarter close on Friday. I noticed in my grade book that a lot of my students are currently failing. Not good. This freshman class this year just doesn't seem to "get it" -
I am taking Monday off for a mental health day . . . . AND, U2 tickets are going on sale so I want to try and get tickets for the Sept 20th concert. :-)
Have a good week folks.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Plugging through the curriculum . . . and other random info
Isn't this so true for so many of us teacher folk out there?
Still in the French Revolution. FYI: If anyone would like any more information about any of the activities that I do for the unit, please feel free to leave your email address in the comment section. I will send you (If I have the documents electronically) any materials that you may need or use for the French Revolution unit.
It seems like I will never get through all the curriculum that needs to get taught this school year. It doesn't help that my school lumped two years of World curriculum into ONE year! Goodness! And, it's a blessing (or is it?) that at least we are not state mandated tested for the graduation requirement.
My co-taught class is really behind compared to my other classes. Since we deal with attendance issues, learning disability issues, and behavior issues, it's quite amazing that I get any curriculum taught in this class at all. I currently have three kids in that class that are homeless right now (they are living in a shelter). So, learning about King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette is probably not a priority in their lives right now.
On a positive note: I attended some great professional development workshops the past few weeks on local history and primary documents. We received some great primary documents that I can incorporate into my local history class. So pumped! :-)
Still don't know anything about the potential cuts. There will be cuts; it's just a matter of how bad. Until the federal gov't figures things out, the state and local gov'ts can't figure out their budgets yet for next school year. Since this is my 3rd year, the administrators could get rid of me. If they go by seniority, I'm 5th in line. If they go by job performance, I should be good to go too (I've been told by my Principal and Asst. Principal that they don't want to lose me). So, the drama continues . . . . . .
My summer is up in the air right now. Don't know if I will be teaching summer school or going to Ghana for a travel study program. I applied for another travel grant (everything is paid for) to travel to Ghana for two weeks in July - the topic is the Transatlantic Slave Trade. I'm also going to apply for the same summer institute that I took last summer just in case too. I would get paid a $1000 stipend for the seminar (5 days of classes plus 3 grad credits).
Still in the French Revolution. FYI: If anyone would like any more information about any of the activities that I do for the unit, please feel free to leave your email address in the comment section. I will send you (If I have the documents electronically) any materials that you may need or use for the French Revolution unit.
It seems like I will never get through all the curriculum that needs to get taught this school year. It doesn't help that my school lumped two years of World curriculum into ONE year! Goodness! And, it's a blessing (or is it?) that at least we are not state mandated tested for the graduation requirement.
My co-taught class is really behind compared to my other classes. Since we deal with attendance issues, learning disability issues, and behavior issues, it's quite amazing that I get any curriculum taught in this class at all. I currently have three kids in that class that are homeless right now (they are living in a shelter). So, learning about King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette is probably not a priority in their lives right now.
On a positive note: I attended some great professional development workshops the past few weeks on local history and primary documents. We received some great primary documents that I can incorporate into my local history class. So pumped! :-)
Still don't know anything about the potential cuts. There will be cuts; it's just a matter of how bad. Until the federal gov't figures things out, the state and local gov'ts can't figure out their budgets yet for next school year. Since this is my 3rd year, the administrators could get rid of me. If they go by seniority, I'm 5th in line. If they go by job performance, I should be good to go too (I've been told by my Principal and Asst. Principal that they don't want to lose me). So, the drama continues . . . . . .
My summer is up in the air right now. Don't know if I will be teaching summer school or going to Ghana for a travel study program. I applied for another travel grant (everything is paid for) to travel to Ghana for two weeks in July - the topic is the Transatlantic Slave Trade. I'm also going to apply for the same summer institute that I took last summer just in case too. I would get paid a $1000 stipend for the seminar (5 days of classes plus 3 grad credits).
Sunday, March 08, 2009
Attended a Volleyball Coaches Clinic on Saturday & Daylight Savings Time
Since I'm a member of our state volleyball coaches association, they had their annual coaches clinic at the Reebok International Headquarters on Saturday. Can I just say how nice it is to see how the other half lives? Their building was AMAZING! The facilities had a huge gym set up for volleyball and basketball, baseball fields, football field, soccer field, and a ton of work out rooms with all equipment that had cable TVs attached. Crazy! We were supposed to have access to the Reebok store and get a 50% discount on products but the employees didn't show up so no new clothes or shoes for me! I had my eye on a pair of $175 Reebok shoes so half of that price would've been a good deal. And, the store sells a lot of clothing that isn't being sold to the public yet so it would've been nice to purchase some stuff. Oh well. Maybe next year. :-)
The varsity coach and I drove down to attend the clinic and I have to say I was very impressed! The association brought in the head volleyball coach from Springfield College to do some sessions on setter training, training the middle hitters, and leadership training for high school athletes. He showed a ton of drills by using kids and coaches too. There was also the executive director from the American Volleyball Coaches Association to show us how to keep more accurate stats on our players. It was a very productive and useful day.
We also networked with some coaches from other schools and arranged for a few preseason scrimmages. And, we are in a new conference this year so we met some of the coaches from the new conference. Network, network, network! :-)
We were even given a free Reebok volleyball (they are worth around $40!).
I hope I can remember everything that I learned and implement stuff in August during pre-season. :-) The varsity coach and I talked a lot on the drive about how we want to make some changes to our program. Since next year will be the third year of the volleyball program at my school, we really want to step it up!
Hope everyone is having a restful weekend (don't forget to change your clocks - spring forward!). In case you want a quick history lesson on daylight savings time, check out this link here.
The varsity coach and I drove down to attend the clinic and I have to say I was very impressed! The association brought in the head volleyball coach from Springfield College to do some sessions on setter training, training the middle hitters, and leadership training for high school athletes. He showed a ton of drills by using kids and coaches too. There was also the executive director from the American Volleyball Coaches Association to show us how to keep more accurate stats on our players. It was a very productive and useful day.
We also networked with some coaches from other schools and arranged for a few preseason scrimmages. And, we are in a new conference this year so we met some of the coaches from the new conference. Network, network, network! :-)
We were even given a free Reebok volleyball (they are worth around $40!).
I hope I can remember everything that I learned and implement stuff in August during pre-season. :-) The varsity coach and I talked a lot on the drive about how we want to make some changes to our program. Since next year will be the third year of the volleyball program at my school, we really want to step it up!
Hope everyone is having a restful weekend (don't forget to change your clocks - spring forward!). In case you want a quick history lesson on daylight savings time, check out this link here.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Busy week after Feb break
What can I say? It's been a busy few weeks.
Feb break was good. Busy. Productive. Did some school work. Got my hair done. Did some cleaning around the condo. Visited my old school (their Feb break was the following week).
The last half of break (Thursday to Sunday): I was at Harvard Model Congress in Boston with 16 of my students. Oh. And 1400 students from all over the country including a school from the countries of Jordan and United Arab Emirates. Oh. Stayed at the Sheraton in Boston. I felt so bad for the maids and the rest of the hotel staff having to deal with us for those four days.
My kids did a great job! They were well-behaved (for the most part). It's always the other kids that I have to babysit. For example: who puts kids on one floor and the advisor on another floor? Didn't get much sleep.
On a positive note: one of my kids received an award. He was the chief foreign policy adviser to Obama. And, one of my kids was a ranking member of the Senate. So proud of them!
Had progress grades due this week so I was in a correcting frenzy! I always wait until the last minute to correct work. Bad teacher! :-)
This coming week is busy too. I'm out on Wednesday for a Professional Day - Using Essex History Seminar on the Cold War. Thursday after school are parent conferences. Thursday evening I'm at the National Archives for a teacher workshop. And Saturday I have a volleyball coaches clinic all day.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
What is your inspiration?
Who or what inspires you?
I have a few responses to this question.
1) My Mom inspires me as a woman every day. This woman is amazing! She's overcome breast cancer. She's a funny lady who sees the humor in life. She encourages both my sister and I to be who we want to be in life. She supports me now matter how much I mess up in my life. And, she inspires me to just be me and to love myself (which most days can be a difficult task).
2) My English and History teachers in High School. I had two amazing educators in my life in high school that believed in me and encouraged me to become a high school History teacher. My History teacher died ten years ago. But, my English teacher and I still email each other and keep in touch. Recently, he asked me if he could use me as a reference for a teaching position at a community college. How cool is that?
3) My students inspire me to become a better teacher every single day. They are the reason why I love what I do in my life. They encourage me to be creative and to be a life long learner and positive role model (hopefully!). :-)
4) My colleagues. I've been VERY blessed in all three school systems that I've worked in to have worked with incredible people. We support each other. We collaborate. We bitch and vent to each other. We share teaching ideas with each other. And, we have fun together.
What inspire you?
I have a few responses to this question.
1) My Mom inspires me as a woman every day. This woman is amazing! She's overcome breast cancer. She's a funny lady who sees the humor in life. She encourages both my sister and I to be who we want to be in life. She supports me now matter how much I mess up in my life. And, she inspires me to just be me and to love myself (which most days can be a difficult task).
2) My English and History teachers in High School. I had two amazing educators in my life in high school that believed in me and encouraged me to become a high school History teacher. My History teacher died ten years ago. But, my English teacher and I still email each other and keep in touch. Recently, he asked me if he could use me as a reference for a teaching position at a community college. How cool is that?
3) My students inspire me to become a better teacher every single day. They are the reason why I love what I do in my life. They encourage me to be creative and to be a life long learner and positive role model (hopefully!). :-)
4) My colleagues. I've been VERY blessed in all three school systems that I've worked in to have worked with incredible people. We support each other. We collaborate. We bitch and vent to each other. We share teaching ideas with each other. And, we have fun together.
What inspire you?
Monday, February 16, 2009
Having a great time teaching the French Revolution
My freshman have been enjoying the French Revolution so far.
I've got them thinking of reasons why people would be willing to revolt. We did an activity on the political spectrum and the connection to the French Revolution. We've been discussing the causes of the French Revolution. And, I passed out a project . . . an ABC Book on the French Revolution. Normally I would do my children's picture book of the steps leading up to the storming of the Bastille project but decided to do something else.
What's up next? My class will "Storm the Bastille" - storm a neighboring classroom (with my colleagues prior permission of course!). A mock trial of King Louis XVI using my guillotine (I had a student at my previous school make me a real guillotine - the blade isn't sharp folks). The history of the guillotine video from the History Channel. Showing excerpts of the film, Marie Antoinette.
Anyone have any other teaching activities for the French Revolution?
I've got them thinking of reasons why people would be willing to revolt. We did an activity on the political spectrum and the connection to the French Revolution. We've been discussing the causes of the French Revolution. And, I passed out a project . . . an ABC Book on the French Revolution. Normally I would do my children's picture book of the steps leading up to the storming of the Bastille project but decided to do something else.
What's up next? My class will "Storm the Bastille" - storm a neighboring classroom (with my colleagues prior permission of course!). A mock trial of King Louis XVI using my guillotine (I had a student at my previous school make me a real guillotine - the blade isn't sharp folks). The history of the guillotine video from the History Channel. Showing excerpts of the film, Marie Antoinette.
Anyone have any other teaching activities for the French Revolution?
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Is 38 old?
Apparently.
The word got around school that Feb 14th was my birthday. Joy.
So, my students were in class on Friday trying to guess how old I was.
They came up with unique answers. One student said I was 45 (he's failing the class - Ha!). One kid said I was 25! I told him he is getting an A for the class! (JK of course!) :=)
When I finally told them my age (38) they said I was really old but I don't look old.
I told them there are days when I feel old. Some days, I feel my age. I told them for the most part they keep me looking young.
Today, I went out to lunch with one of my friends. The plan is to just relax - no school work. I have some movies I checked out of the library this afternoon to watch this evening. Catching up reading blogs. Enjoying reading all the posts on my Facebook. Oh, and ignoring the fact that it is Valentine's Day.
I'm off this next week for Feb break so I may be posting more frequently.
The word got around school that Feb 14th was my birthday. Joy.
So, my students were in class on Friday trying to guess how old I was.
They came up with unique answers. One student said I was 45 (he's failing the class - Ha!). One kid said I was 25! I told him he is getting an A for the class! (JK of course!) :=)
When I finally told them my age (38) they said I was really old but I don't look old.
I told them there are days when I feel old. Some days, I feel my age. I told them for the most part they keep me looking young.
Today, I went out to lunch with one of my friends. The plan is to just relax - no school work. I have some movies I checked out of the library this afternoon to watch this evening. Catching up reading blogs. Enjoying reading all the posts on my Facebook. Oh, and ignoring the fact that it is Valentine's Day.
I'm off this next week for Feb break so I may be posting more frequently.
Saturday, February 07, 2009
Started the French Revolution this week!
Can I just say how much I L-O-V-E teaching the French Revolution???????
I don't know what it is about this time period . . . the suffering of the middle class and poor (gee, sound familiar???) . . . the drama of a King and Queen . . . . the decapitation of a King and Queen . . . . the control freak that tries to conqueror the world (aka Napoleon).
I started the unit by asking the students to answer this question in their journals: "Is freedom really "free"? They wrote some great stuff. We talked about the definition of freedom and what does freedom mean to them. They also talked about how much freedom means to them and how they know that other people throughout history have risked their lives for their freedom. It was a great discussion.
I then played the Beatles song, Revolution. We talked about the lyrics of the song and what was the message in the song. I then asked the kids to define revolution. They were mixing up the difference between a revolution and war so I had to clarify the definition.
Then, I put them into groups and had them brainstorm and write out on big sheets of paper reasons why people revolt. Can I just say how great of a job my kids did on this activity! So smart! :-) We then discussed what each group wrote on their papers.
I had a quick PowerPoint on the Causes of the French Revolution. We discussed the Estate system. I did another activity where I asked for two volunteers to represent the 1st estate (clergy) and two volunteers for the 2nd estate (nobility). The rest of the class made up the 3rd estate (middle class/poor). I made signs for each estate and separated each group. I started to pass out pieces of Hershey's Miniature chocolates to only the 1st and 2nd estates. The 3rd estate was getting upset as I continued to talk up how unfair the estate system was in France and I passed out more and more chocolate to the 1st and 2nd estate. Finally I asked them what were they going to do about it and they yelled out, "Rebel and Revolt!" I think they got the general point of how unfair the estate was in France before the Revolution and a general idea of why there was a revolution. I will obviously build on from our discussions and activities for clarity and accuracy as we can continue the unit.
I then went back to the reasons why people revolt and asked them if any of the reasons listed on their sheets of paper related to what we just did and they replied yes. I asked how and they responded in various answers. I also brought them back to the journal question of freedom and they talked about how freedom is not free.
It always amazes me when my students "get it" and enjoy what we do in class. At the end of the class, I asked them what they learned and if they enjoyed the class. All of them blurted or yelled out YES!
Of course, a little bit of chocolate was probably helpful . . . . . . . :-)
I don't know what it is about this time period . . . the suffering of the middle class and poor (gee, sound familiar???) . . . the drama of a King and Queen . . . . the decapitation of a King and Queen . . . . the control freak that tries to conqueror the world (aka Napoleon).
I started the unit by asking the students to answer this question in their journals: "Is freedom really "free"? They wrote some great stuff. We talked about the definition of freedom and what does freedom mean to them. They also talked about how much freedom means to them and how they know that other people throughout history have risked their lives for their freedom. It was a great discussion.
I then played the Beatles song, Revolution. We talked about the lyrics of the song and what was the message in the song. I then asked the kids to define revolution. They were mixing up the difference between a revolution and war so I had to clarify the definition.
Then, I put them into groups and had them brainstorm and write out on big sheets of paper reasons why people revolt. Can I just say how great of a job my kids did on this activity! So smart! :-) We then discussed what each group wrote on their papers.
I had a quick PowerPoint on the Causes of the French Revolution. We discussed the Estate system. I did another activity where I asked for two volunteers to represent the 1st estate (clergy) and two volunteers for the 2nd estate (nobility). The rest of the class made up the 3rd estate (middle class/poor). I made signs for each estate and separated each group. I started to pass out pieces of Hershey's Miniature chocolates to only the 1st and 2nd estates. The 3rd estate was getting upset as I continued to talk up how unfair the estate system was in France and I passed out more and more chocolate to the 1st and 2nd estate. Finally I asked them what were they going to do about it and they yelled out, "Rebel and Revolt!" I think they got the general point of how unfair the estate was in France before the Revolution and a general idea of why there was a revolution. I will obviously build on from our discussions and activities for clarity and accuracy as we can continue the unit.
I then went back to the reasons why people revolt and asked them if any of the reasons listed on their sheets of paper related to what we just did and they replied yes. I asked how and they responded in various answers. I also brought them back to the journal question of freedom and they talked about how freedom is not free.
It always amazes me when my students "get it" and enjoy what we do in class. At the end of the class, I asked them what they learned and if they enjoyed the class. All of them blurted or yelled out YES!
Of course, a little bit of chocolate was probably helpful . . . . . . . :-)
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Snow day in New England
Received the call at 5:00 am that we had no school today due to the impending snow storm.
I'm sure it helped that I did the naked snow/must have a day off of school dance last night . . . . ha, ha, ha!!!! :-)
Not really much to report. Started the Enlightenment and Scientific Revolution unit with my freshman last week. I'm looking forward to teaching the French Revolution (it's one of my favorite units to teach). My Honors will be starting a 3rd quarter research paper next week. Also have a new group of students for my local history class (it's an elective). I have 25 students in the class - mostly 11th and 12th graders. They seem to be a good group thus far.
So, what are my big plans for the snow day? Let's see . . . .
*Grocery shopping (I have NO food in the house).
*Catch up on reading blogs.
*Filing - the stack of papers in the to be filed pile is so high that Ellie the Cat can't see a thing over them.
*Periodically dig out car so plow guy can dig me out.
*Watch some movies.
*Probably should do some correcting but really just want to enjoy the day off. :-)
I'm sure it helped that I did the naked snow/must have a day off of school dance last night . . . . ha, ha, ha!!!! :-)
Not really much to report. Started the Enlightenment and Scientific Revolution unit with my freshman last week. I'm looking forward to teaching the French Revolution (it's one of my favorite units to teach). My Honors will be starting a 3rd quarter research paper next week. Also have a new group of students for my local history class (it's an elective). I have 25 students in the class - mostly 11th and 12th graders. They seem to be a good group thus far.
So, what are my big plans for the snow day? Let's see . . . .
*Grocery shopping (I have NO food in the house).
*Catch up on reading blogs.
*Filing - the stack of papers in the to be filed pile is so high that Ellie the Cat can't see a thing over them.
*Periodically dig out car so plow guy can dig me out.
*Watch some movies.
*Probably should do some correcting but really just want to enjoy the day off. :-)
Monday, January 19, 2009
MLK Jr. Day and Barack Obama
Tomorrow marks an historical event: the swearing in of the 1st African-American as President of the United States.Barack Obama wouldn't be where he is today if it went not for individuals like Martin Luther King, Jr. and the other civil rights folks. The Civil Rights Movement worked hard - blood, sweat, and tears - for the rights of African-Americans in our nation.
On Tuesday, January 20, 2009, we will be seeing the fruits of that labor with the inauguration of the 44th President of the United States.
In honor of MLK Day and the Inauguration, here are a few lesson plan/activities teachers can use in their classroom. I mixed it up with K-12 activities.
The city of Philadelphia provided this great site for their teachers (PDF files):
Jointly Produced by the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the National Education Association (NEA) (PDF Files)
Education World does a nice job with some lessons on MLK.
Teachable Moments web site is amazing; they have some great stuff on here.
Source of Picture:
PS: My apologies for the messy appearance; blogger wasn't being nice to me. :-)
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Happy 2009!
Greetings and Happy New Year to all!
Just a few updates:
*Made it safe and sound to IL. Had a lovely time with my family. Stayed at my sister's new townhouse -it's gorgeous! My sister and I threw my parents a surprise retirement party and a great time was had by all that attended. My Mom, sister, and I shopped on one day at the outlets. Even spent an evening with some friends from high school. Overall, it was a nice break and felt awesome to just get away and relax.
*Mom, Dad, and Mia the Yorkie left IL on Jan 3rd for FL. They are taking their time getting down there with a stop in Alabama at a campground on the gulf coast. They are enjoying the warmer weather so far.
*Went back to school on Monday. We have midterm exams starting on Monday. 2nd quarter is shorter because of MCAS. My colleagues and I didn't get through all the World curriculum that needed to get taught for the midterm. We've been pushing our head teacher to talk to the Asst. Superintendent about changing the World curriculum (we teach two years worth of curriculum in one year due to the change in state testing). And, the state doesn't even test on World History - US History only. My dept (and I) are pushing that we eliminate the first part of World History (the kids are being taught this in the middle school anyway) and start with the Enlightenment and work our way to the present day.
*I'm debating on the direction of where this blog needs to go. It's time for a change. I've usually mixed it up with both. I either will keep it personal or keep it strictly professional. I'm leaning towards keeping it professional and talking only about teaching stuff. I'm feeling a bit burnt out after ten years of teaching and feel that maybe if I focus on positive teaching styles and activities and educational stuff that maybe I can get those creative juices flowing again. :-)
*The other main reason why I'm leaning towards keeping this blog professional is that I would like to keep the personal MDawg personal. I have a lot of issues (as does everyone else out there) and I find that I'm way too negative about my personal life.
So, I wish everyone a happy 2009!
Just a few updates:
*Made it safe and sound to IL. Had a lovely time with my family. Stayed at my sister's new townhouse -it's gorgeous! My sister and I threw my parents a surprise retirement party and a great time was had by all that attended. My Mom, sister, and I shopped on one day at the outlets. Even spent an evening with some friends from high school. Overall, it was a nice break and felt awesome to just get away and relax.
*Mom, Dad, and Mia the Yorkie left IL on Jan 3rd for FL. They are taking their time getting down there with a stop in Alabama at a campground on the gulf coast. They are enjoying the warmer weather so far.
*Went back to school on Monday. We have midterm exams starting on Monday. 2nd quarter is shorter because of MCAS. My colleagues and I didn't get through all the World curriculum that needed to get taught for the midterm. We've been pushing our head teacher to talk to the Asst. Superintendent about changing the World curriculum (we teach two years worth of curriculum in one year due to the change in state testing). And, the state doesn't even test on World History - US History only. My dept (and I) are pushing that we eliminate the first part of World History (the kids are being taught this in the middle school anyway) and start with the Enlightenment and work our way to the present day.
*I'm debating on the direction of where this blog needs to go. It's time for a change. I've usually mixed it up with both. I either will keep it personal or keep it strictly professional. I'm leaning towards keeping it professional and talking only about teaching stuff. I'm feeling a bit burnt out after ten years of teaching and feel that maybe if I focus on positive teaching styles and activities and educational stuff that maybe I can get those creative juices flowing again. :-)
*The other main reason why I'm leaning towards keeping this blog professional is that I would like to keep the personal MDawg personal. I have a lot of issues (as does everyone else out there) and I find that I'm way too negative about my personal life.
So, I wish everyone a happy 2009!
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