so last time i gave you my deepest, fullest reflections of how the year ended up, everything i've learned, and why i am the most enlightened person you have ever met (ha...) i thought people might appreciate a bit more light-hearted and informational post concerning what the end of the year was like... we'll break this up into a couple of parts.... 1. the test 2. after the test 3. what about next year?
1. the test - so the test they had to take was high-stakes, meaning if they don't pass it, they do not graduate. the results of the test are not back yet, but i will update as soon as i hear anything. regardless of how my kids do, i was extremely proud of the effort they put into the test. in years past, lots of the kids have left the open response sections blank and i know MOST of my kids at least attempted that section. some fellow TFA teachers and i cooked the kids breakfast on the days of the test and despite their accusations of "nobody wanting my ole stanky breakfast," the kids came and seemed to enjoy it. it is so difficult for them to express appreciation sometimes. one of them stood over my shoulder for five minutes while mustering up the courage to say "that was good." and then scrambling off. that breakfast and their ensuing effort on the test was most certainly the pinnacle of my year with the kids....
2. after the test - well if the test was the pinnacle that only leads one direction to go from there, down. haha. i didn't realize how much of my course was 100 percent built around that test, but it most certainly was. after it was over, it was difficult to get myself and/or the kids motivated to do ANYTHING. we did a project for a week or so which involved the kids managing a record label (thank you TFA.net). that worked ok, although part of the project was to answer questions like "what did you learn from this project?" and "what was the hardest part of this project?" as answers to those questions i got a lot of "man, i didn't learn nothing" as well as "the hardest part was listening to you talk without telling you to shut up." hahaha, those were fun to read. so yeah.... after the project, well..... some things got accomplished, but not enough, that is for sure. mom and erin came to my class one day to which the children responded, "that yo momma? ahhh, tell us baby stories! i hear yo son used to be fat? how he get so fat?" hahaha. i think they enjoyed it.....
3. next year - so we are starting what is called a 9th grade academy next year. i am so extremely excited about this that i don't even know what to do. the basic purpose of the academy is to give the 9th graders a year of transition into high school. our kids have a hard time transitioning sometimes, and i think this will most certainly benefit them. the 9th grade academy will basically run as a school in and of its self, and hopefully next year we will even apply for a charter. there will be no repeaters in the 9th grade academy, which may be one of the academy's strongest assets. i cannot fully describe the ill-effects a repeater can have on your classroom culture if you are not careful. with the addition of the academy, i will no longer be teaching algebra next year. i will be teaching a course called Keystone, which is difficult to describe. i will give a very short description, and if you are in any way interested, i will post the full description at the bottom for you to read. the short description is this - its basically a career focused course which gives the students a focus for high school. it equips them with essentials skills that many of our students do not currently possess (examples - organization, study skills, time management, etc.). i get to find out a lot more about my kids lives by teaching this class, and that excites me. it will be a whole new set of challenges, but exciting challenges nonetheless. i am currently in savannah, an update on that will come at a later point. things are going well... hope all is well for everybody. i am pasting the full keystone description if you are interested.
"Keystone is a career-focused course that sets the 9th grade students of Central High School on a goal driven path, which will be a launching point for future success in high school and college. Keystone is designed to invest every student in the idea that success in school is attainable. Throughout the year, Keystone will equip students with the knowledge and skills to set and attain ambitious goals for their futures. Students should leave with a clear purpose for the next three years and an ability
to articulate how their courses of study relate to their goals for the future. Throughout the Keystone course, each student will define success for him or herself after discovering his or her specific learning style and exploring the careers that are compatible with his or her interests and abilities. Interest inventories and personal profiles will inform students as they
go through this process. Organization and time management habits, decision making analysis, interdisciplinary projects and books, high-stakes test taking strategies and purpose studies, a study of how our shared past in the Delta informs our future, as well as an extensive focus on journal entries will all be a part of the curriculum of the Keystone course."
No comments:
Post a Comment