The first week of school has now entered into the domain of the past. Something that had been met previously with anticipation, nervousness, and a bizarre combination of revulsion and excitement now must give way to creating and maintaining academic and personal notions of success. 7-1 Social Studies Students endured much in their first week. It was a moment in geologic time where scavenger hunts through an arduous textbook dominated, and survival (or minimizing embarrassment) made it a necessity to read signs on an almost hourly basis as well as claiming all needed items from “the table.” Ending this sequence was learning about the power of time and the purple prediction popper. At all points, I demanded that students “show readiness,” and in all of their minds was the visualization as to how this state of being actually looks. In the final analysis, the first week of 7-1 Social Studies was not geared to “getting to know one another,” but rather for students to “know thyself.” This theme of self reflection is what will frame this class, giving it meaning and purpose.
Now, students will begin to walk the line of academic rigor. This week will be an intense one for 7-1 Social Studies students. As we will flex out the schedule to allow for more core teaching time, this will increase the magnitude and forceful nature of the lessons. Students will start off the week in an acceptable enough fashion in the use of graphic organizers to configure the social setting of Colonial America. Their next adversary will be their first lecture in an unconventional format, the “New American Lecture,” where knowledge is chunked into specific portions in order to maximize student comprehension and focus. Students will end the week with their first significant assessment of the course, the Graduated Difficulty Task on Chapter 4. The first exam will be held on September 20 and 21. Hence, this week becomes a critical one for it will serve as the first steps 7-1 students take into the pantheon of scholarship. It is safe to say that the work of this week upholds the class mantra of continued improvement through means of consistent displays of personal and academic excellence
One of my reflections about the first week was that the 7-1 students who walked into my classroom, C105, possessed a desire to discover academic success. Simply put, I sensed that these students wanted to do well. They sought extra opportunities to display their knowledge and held the understanding that placing their trust in me would reap benefits in both knowledge and understanding. This “Sophia,” the Greek word for “wisdom,” seemed to emanate in all classes. Yet, I believe that while students “know of the path” that leads to academic and personal success, it will be this week that starts to display which students have the personal strength and intestinal fortitude needed to “walk along the path.” This week will be one of many that will prove there is a difference between “knowing the path” and “walking it.” (Extra credit can be obtained if students can identify from what movie and speaker the above line was borrowed. There were also some other movie references, and those can be identified, as well.)
Some other notes of interest would be appropriate at this time. I do hope to see all 7-1 parents/ guardians at Curriculum Night, which will be held on September 18, 2007 (Also, the first Julian Jayhawk Girls’ Basketball Game.) This evening is an excellent opportunity to meet your children’s teachers and sign up for Fall Conferences. I do hope to see all of you there. On another point of future dates, I am asking that all students bring a set of index cards to class on Friday, 9/14, in order to begin the process of reviewing for our first exam that will take place on 9/20 and 9/21.
Finally, I must offer my deepest apologies. I have made frequent mention to my webpage on the District website. Due to challenges that seem to lie in the technological domain, this is unavailable. I am taking all the possible steps to create the same links on this blog in order to make your lives (and mine) a bit less stressful. This will take time because like Neo from The Matrix, I seek to bring reconciliation between humans and the machines (or at least the server). I can only hope that my fate differs from his…
If you need to contact me, please feel free to email me at my district address at the bottom of this page, or contact me at home (I divulged this to all students within the first week.) You may also post a comment to this blog.
All best and happy hunting.
Mr. Kannan
Now, students will begin to walk the line of academic rigor. This week will be an intense one for 7-1 Social Studies students. As we will flex out the schedule to allow for more core teaching time, this will increase the magnitude and forceful nature of the lessons. Students will start off the week in an acceptable enough fashion in the use of graphic organizers to configure the social setting of Colonial America. Their next adversary will be their first lecture in an unconventional format, the “New American Lecture,” where knowledge is chunked into specific portions in order to maximize student comprehension and focus. Students will end the week with their first significant assessment of the course, the Graduated Difficulty Task on Chapter 4. The first exam will be held on September 20 and 21. Hence, this week becomes a critical one for it will serve as the first steps 7-1 students take into the pantheon of scholarship. It is safe to say that the work of this week upholds the class mantra of continued improvement through means of consistent displays of personal and academic excellence
One of my reflections about the first week was that the 7-1 students who walked into my classroom, C105, possessed a desire to discover academic success. Simply put, I sensed that these students wanted to do well. They sought extra opportunities to display their knowledge and held the understanding that placing their trust in me would reap benefits in both knowledge and understanding. This “Sophia,” the Greek word for “wisdom,” seemed to emanate in all classes. Yet, I believe that while students “know of the path” that leads to academic and personal success, it will be this week that starts to display which students have the personal strength and intestinal fortitude needed to “walk along the path.” This week will be one of many that will prove there is a difference between “knowing the path” and “walking it.” (Extra credit can be obtained if students can identify from what movie and speaker the above line was borrowed. There were also some other movie references, and those can be identified, as well.)
Some other notes of interest would be appropriate at this time. I do hope to see all 7-1 parents/ guardians at Curriculum Night, which will be held on September 18, 2007 (Also, the first Julian Jayhawk Girls’ Basketball Game.) This evening is an excellent opportunity to meet your children’s teachers and sign up for Fall Conferences. I do hope to see all of you there. On another point of future dates, I am asking that all students bring a set of index cards to class on Friday, 9/14, in order to begin the process of reviewing for our first exam that will take place on 9/20 and 9/21.
Finally, I must offer my deepest apologies. I have made frequent mention to my webpage on the District website. Due to challenges that seem to lie in the technological domain, this is unavailable. I am taking all the possible steps to create the same links on this blog in order to make your lives (and mine) a bit less stressful. This will take time because like Neo from The Matrix, I seek to bring reconciliation between humans and the machines (or at least the server). I can only hope that my fate differs from his…
If you need to contact me, please feel free to email me at my district address at the bottom of this page, or contact me at home (I divulged this to all students within the first week.) You may also post a comment to this blog.
All best and happy hunting.
Mr. Kannan
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