Post date: Aug 30, 2014 4:24:0 AM
At A Glance (I'll put this part first from now on):
1. Team building & creativity activities are going ok, but there is still some necessary improvement to be made for our class.
2. Current events started this week and will be a yearlong routine for kids. They need to "host" one discussion each week.
3. All parents are invited/encouraged to teach something to the class for an hour or so, any time in September
4. Class meeting on 9/16 will focus on curriculum, class jobs, and decisions about this year's field trips and overnighters.
Dear Room 25,
With our first full week under our belt, I think that we are ready to start adding some more academic endeavors into our days. Although the teamwork- and creativity-building activities need to continue, the daily routines from now on will focus on the specifics of science, history, and English. The engines seem to be running well and I'm eager to move forward with this group as we let out the clutch and start covering new ground.
Recap of the Week:
The lion's share of the activities that I built into our schedule were those that are supposed to help kids become more creative individuals and to help the class work better as a team. The kids participated in the teambuilding activities with widely varying levels of involvement and benefit. Some stay with the challenge and participate thoughtfully and actively. Others go along with things as passive participants. And a few others are "in" only as long as the activity is entertaining, or they alter the activity to make it more entertaining for themselves. I have debriefed each activity with the kids and given honest feedback (as have they) and so I see growth and in that area, but I'll continue to push towards the kids towards becoming experts at teamwork and group problem-solving. More progress was made in the exercises on developing diverse thinking and creativity. The 8th grade teachers got together weeks before school started to create/assemble a set of activities that help learners think (and act and produce) in more creative ways. The components we are targeting are fluency, flexibility, elaboration, and originality.
Another "getting to know you/us" activity was the review of the Aspects of Us spreadsheet and the formation of a class Jeopardy game. It was fun to watch the kids create questions and quiz each other.
There were two things in the more academic realm. This week we started a current events routine that will continue all year. One time per week, each kid has to find an article about an important current event of personal interest, write a summary and some questions, and bring the article to school for further discussion with peers.
Since so many of the kids are intrigued and attracted by online games, I had them peruse this list of educational "games" and try out a few. The results are inconclusive (blasé) but I do think that I should work with the kids to find and utilize the most effective digital learning tools.
Parent Guest Teachers (link)
As I mentioned in last week's newsletter, I would like parents or other adults to come to class for about an hour sometime in September, to teach/demonstrate/play something with the class. I explained the idea to the kids on Friday and you should have received an invitation from them yesterday. Two parents have already come up with great ideas (Gina's Meatloaf Expo and Thomas' Virtual Day-In-The-Life in Germany) and when the rest of your talents, resources, and creativity are added to the list, the class and I will get a set of experiences unavailable anywhere else. I'm being a bit pushy about this because I really believe that this is the type of thing that should happen at a place like DCS, and because, honestly, I don't think that I have the repertoire of lessons and activities to fill every day of the month with the caliber of great, novel, and important stuff that we as a collective group can. Plus, the planning and in-class time can count towards your classroom hours or serve as a "get out of jail free" card for those times when you can't come or just want a week off!
Class Jobs & Meeting (link)
On September 16th we will have our first class meeting from 6:30 to 8:00. You'll spend about 45 minutes in our homeroom and 30 minutes with Mr. Dowling and 30 minutes with Ms Leftwich. During our time together we can discuss class-specific issues, play some games, and create a draft list of which of you would like which of the classroom jobs. Many of the jobs are not tied to a specific day and time but we do have to make sure that everyone contributes and in a way that best fits your schedule and preferences as well as the kids' and my needs.
Upcoming Events:
September 1: No School (Labor Day)
September 4: Selective Sign-Ups for 8th graders
September 10: Tie Dye Event
September 13: International Potluck
September 16: Room 25 Parent Meeting
September 22: Fall Portraits
September 22: Google Science Fair (field trip)
September 29: Selective start
October 3: Room 25 to Ropes Course
October 15: Room 25 Parent Meeting 2
October 24: Teacher Learning Day (no school for kids)
October 25: Fall Festival
October 27-31: Fall conferences
October 30: 8th Grade to "Sweeney Todd"
November 11: Veteran's Day (no school)
November 24-18: Thanksgiving Break
December 11-12: Room 25 to Balclutha, Age of Sail
December 22 - January 9: Winter Holiday
So, please let me know if/what ideas you are forming about what you could do with/for the class for an hour in September.
Chris