Post date: Aug 27, 2011 12:3:6 AM
Hello Parents of DCS Room 25. This is the first of a series of (usually) weekly newsletters that you will get from me throughout the year. Each time I hope to write about just a "Couple of Things" -- a summary of the week, a preview of upcoming events, general class issues, and maybe other random highlights. Then maybe I should call it the "Coupla-Three (or 4 or 5...) Things" Newsletter.
Item one on my list this time is about the responses that I've received to the questions I posted on the online form. As of today, twenty parents of my students have responded, each with a level of detail and insight that has really helped me get to know quite a bit about your kids even before the first day of school. If you haven't filled it out, please feel free to do so. Reading the results, I noticed some very common threads that I would like to reflect back to you as if you were one voice. First, what you value in DCS is the strong community, the developmental teaching, and the personalized attention that your student receives. Your students are quite smart with diverse talents and needs, but who all respond best to an engaging curriculum and meaningful, challenging work. You also value a teacher who knows and cares about the students as unique individuals, has a good sense of humor, and can assert their authority when needed. You view technology as a double-edged sword -- a powerful resource with great potential, yet often misused/overused and/or not well connected to the curriculum. Lastly, as volunteering parents, you hope to do important work in the classroom and with the students. You expect and appreciate a clearly defined set of tasks that use your time well, take advantage of your talents, and allow you varying degrees of autonomy and independence. You prefer to leave the subjective aspects of grading to me. Thanks again for all the great input -- I will use it wisely.
Since selectives don't start until October, our homeroom group will be together full time for most of the days. During the mornings we will establish the academic routines and rotations (between English, science, math, and history) that will continue throughout the year. The afternoons, however, will be involve more team-building activities, art/craft projects, inside and outside games, and a variety of other things that are of a more relaxed nature. This is valuable time for us and facilitates the growth of interactions and relationships that will serve us all year.
The ropes course is a powerful team-building and personal growth activity that we will do as a class on Friday, September 9th at Redwood Camp in Felton (near Scott's Valley). The experience is truly amazing. I have an idea for this year's trip... how 'bout, for whoever wants to, we extend the ropes course trip into an overnight retreat? This would be an optional trip, but one that I think would be very fun and meaningful. I have been in contact with Shami Benjamin, the Conference Center Coordinator at Mount Hermon (through Dale) and will take a visit sometime next week to get more details. The Ponderosa Lodge has bunk-bed lodging for $10 per person (groups of 8), and the lodge can provide dinner for $14 per person (or we can walk to town for dinner). There are many activities that I would like to incorporate into this overnight including games, hikes, readings, and possibly a quick beach-trip for Saturday morning. Please let me know what you think about this idea and whether or not you and/or your student would be available/willing to participate.
Classroom Needs: One thing that has impressed me tremendously about DCS is the willingness of parents to help out and contribute generously of their time and resources. This week's request is for games that I would like to incorporate into the the English and science curriculum . A lenthy visit to Toys-R-Us has given me some great ideas of ways to use games such as Taboo, Apples-to-Apples, BuzzWord, Boggle, LastWord, Headbanz, Sort It Out, Pictionary, Word on the Street, Cranium, Scattergories, Gestures, and Catch Phrase. If you have any of those games at home that you don't use anymore, or if you are willing to get us a used set from Amazon or Craigslist, I would certainly appreciate it.
Thanks: Some people (parents and kids alike, some not even from our homeroom) have helped greatly to get the room ready. Thanks to Vernon, Douglas, Riley, Kyle, Isabella, Brittany, Jacob, Joe, Alison, Kerry, Dale, Nicolai, Helen, Liqun, and Cindy.
Last topic: Until last year at this time, I had never been in a school like quite DCS before. It is an amazing place with huge heart and amazing opportunities. It was a bit of a challenge at the onset of last year to rethink some of the assumptions and attitudes that have been pounded into me over the previous 20 years of instruction in large public middle schools with its almost blinding focus on policy, conformity, and academic achievement. Over the year, I was able to rekindle some of the innocence of my first years of teaching and reveled in the excitement that comes with that freeing perspective -- building a new (to me) and open curriculum is exciting. The adventure continues this year and with it comes an eagerness to explore new things, the hope for some wonderful travel companions, and also a bit of fear of the unknown. As long as we (you and the students and the staff and I) work to our strengths, communicate clearly, and support each other, the journey will be as rewarding as the destination.
Thanks for taking the time to read my Sunday ramblings and feel free to reply with any comments, suggestions, or additions.