Post date: Oct 16, 2011 7:0:34 AM
Happy Saturday.
Usually I write to you on Fridays, but yesterday from after school until almost midnight, we were moving my wife's voice lesson studio out of one location finding places for "all that stuff" here at home. Then, today I had a Google class to teach at Foothill College (so bummed I had to miss Fall Festival). Time now, finally, to relax now and reflect back on the week.
English: This week the students should have read the first six chapters (or more if they like) of the Bridge to Terabithia and then answered half of the questions I posed. Of those, they will post one on their online portfolio soon. I am more excited, actually, about the next two phases of the BTT analysis. With the assistance of the Book Club parents and groups, students will be writing about various issues or themes raised in the book. Messages abound and are easily supported, so I expect some tight analysis and relevant supporting details.
In the vocabulary world of ELA, the students' comp books were combed by me and a team of amazing parents who spent hours carefully reading each student's word-definition-sentence assignments for the past 6 weeks. We kept the bar high, expected accurate and articulate work, and graded their work accordingly. The scores vary widely and are not high overall, but there will be many more iterations of this process to come during which the quality will likely be higher across the board.
Science: In the experiment of the week, the kids explored the relationship between centripital and gravitational forces using a simple device and a guided questioning process. To apply the concepts of chapter 6 to real life situations, I showed the kids various scenarios via video, diagram, or description. Although the iFly trip isn't until May, the scientific principles involved are being learned now, so we diagramed the facility and analyzed flight videos.
The highlight of the week in science was our trip to the Exploratorium. Every exhibit in that massive building is interactive and offers an engaging experience that usually takes an elusive science concept and makes it tangible and understandable. The kids did have to document their experiences at some exhibits of their choosing and then enter that text into a form. Check out their postings here -- impressive stuff!
Thanks to Parents: As with most of my personal writings (journal, etc), when I re-read them later on, I wonder to myself just what I was so scared of at the time that I wrote. In this case I'm referring to a previous Friday night's email, in which I said that I was very nervous about having parents in the classroom and my insecurity as to how to best utilize their time and talents. Well, 10 schooldays later I am feeling anything but nervous, and also so very glad that I get to work in a school where parent involvement is integral to the program. It was such an amazing thing to have parents work in reading groups as well as help me with various tasks (kid-centered or not) throughout the week -- even some quite mundane jobs. My most sincere thanks to the parents who facilitated literature circles and the other 8 parents who came to do whatever needed to be done on my list. It is great to have parents and students who have been through this (many times) before!
Challenging Values: A few times this week I was able to have conversations with parents who are concerned about the conduct of a few students and the values (or lack of) that are guiding some of their behaviors and interactions. It is always hard to watch as kids test limits, develop "flexible" levels of morality, and strive to express independence (or conformity) in unseemly ways, but those are important developmental processes. That said, it is up to us adults to reflect behaviors, define some bounds and empower positive expression of individuality. The kind of behaviors that the parents described are not atypical, nor completely excusable, but the kind of character "education" and values clarification that it will take to increase student awareness and instill authentic and lasting change, will take some careful planning and implementation on my part and some maturity and vulnerability on theirs. I hope that the kids and I eventually develop a rapport that will allow us to discuss and explore these issues sometime this year.
I better click "send" before midnight, lest my greeting become invalid. Thanks for enduring my ramblings. As always I appreciate hearing from you and greatly value the time I get to spend with the amazing 8th graders at DCS.