The week before Spring Break brings with it a sense of excitement and anticipation regarding our teaching assignments. Students will have a series of deadlines this week that will help determine the overall success of this task:
• On Monday, all homework assignments, study guides, and lesson notes will be due. If students wish to have these items photocopied for their classes, Monday would be the day to submit them.
• At the end of Tuesday’s class period, all visuals must be completed.
• Wednesday and Thursday will bring with them the submission of a “wish list,” or items students need for their teaching assignment.
We will also spend Monday and Tuesday in the auditorium during core extension in the auditorium listening to panel presentations from former 7-1 students. These individuals will engage in a discussion based on their experiences with this assignment. This type of discussion will lend itself to an open question and answer forum with our current students. For former students to see a younger version of themselves and for current student to see a prospective vision of themselves will represent a very compelling juxtaposition of time. I believe that such a forum will allow our students to have a better understanding of the course they will chart and how to navigate the real pitfalls that might be present. While we do approach Spring Break, our focus is on the successful completion of work and ensuring that our attention is present in this domain. On a more pedestrian level, please keep in mind that signed report card envelopes are due on Tuesday in Social Studies for a homework grade and that 3rd trimester progress reports go home on Monday with a signature due back on Wednesday. From teaching to group designations, construction of visuals, designing of wordles and graphic organizers, to developing lessons, instruction, and homework to different types of learners, we are approaching a sense of “Show Time” moving closer and closer. Once we return from Spring Break, students will engage in their teaching of students. This should last about two weeks and then we will be examining the ideas that arise from Chapters 11- 13, Industrialization and American reform, and Westward Expansion. Over spring break, I will post via the blog some thoughts as to the form this course of study will take. I believe that our intensive journey will reach a zenith with the ideas presented in these units. Please consider helping our students, your emerging scholars, achieve their maximum by asking them pertinent questions about where they are, where they need to be, and their thoughts on from where to where we have come. For example, an excellent topic of conversation would be for parents/ guardians to ask students how things are progressing in their groups. Who has been doing a really good job or who has been lacking in matching the group’s intensity are excellent topics to discuss. Asking students how they envision teaching the class, grading the homework, or how to maintain classroom order would all be areas of fertile chatting. I do hope that the discussions we are starting and initiating in class can be carried on outside of it with family members and parents/ guardians. Our journey is reaching its natural conclusion. While we have so much to go before our end, it is imperative that as we note from where to where we have come. Our voyage towards scholarship has developed quite a distinctive and beautiful arc. Happy hunting and all best. Mr. Kannan
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