I'm Not a Horrible Teacher...

I'm not a horrible teacher who was too lazy today to come up with fun activities for her lessons. I'm just sick.

They weren't lying about that part of your first year teaching: "Plan on getting sick a lot. Overdose on Vitamin C. Use hand sanitizer frequently. Etc. Etc. Etc."

So today became an explicit instruction day - I created an assignment explanation sheet that outlined all of the little assignments that would need to be completed for our next class project, including due dates, explanations and the final rubric. Say what? I'm that on top of things when I'm sick? Oh yeah.

Actually, it was just easier to do some explicit instruction by going through each of the assignments (while having students write down the due dates in their planners), than having an activity. And, I realized after my midterm evaluations that I can/need to be more explicit when I give instructions for assignments. If I'm going to hold them accountable for the assignment, they need to know exactly what I expect.

In defense of my boring lesson, I did have them do a white board discussion in answer to the question: "Why is Mrs. Brown having us learn how to write different genres?" Did I get some sassy responses like, "Because she likes chicken," or "Because that's what she does," written on the board? Oh yeah. But then I had responses like, "Because we're going to need to know these things for our careers," and "So we can become better writers and readers!" and "So we know how genres work and how to use them for our own purposes."

Wowza. Yes.

Then I went through the assignment with them, had them make a list of what genres (from a list of three options) they would like as their first choice, second choice, and third choice. This is my attempt at autonomy while still keeping some kind of control. We'll see how it goes. I explained that I reserve the right to put them in the groups I thought they would work best in, and I would do my best to make sure they all got their first choice, but I wasn't making any promises. I also told them that I reserved the right to make them do the assignment individually (instead of with a group) if they showed me that they couldn't handle the group work.

So, essentially, it was a day of setting expectations for the next 2.5 weeks.

And though I felt like it was a waste of a learning day, it wasn't. You have to plan time for setting expectations and teaching procedures because that is a valuable part of learning as well (though it's not something they include in that all-powerful Common Core). Lesson learned and appreciated.

My thought questions for the day:
- Why are 8th graders so apathetic? My 7th graders ate up the idea that I was teaching them strategies that they could use as life long skills, but my 8th graders wouldn't buy it. What happened to them in school that made them so indifferent?
- How on earth am I supposed to be human as a teacher? I can't leave my classroom to go get a drink when I have a coughing attack because I'm supposed to be their supervision as well as their instructor. If anything happens while I'm gone, I'm accountable. Do I trust them enough to have them follow my expectations without me there? Sometimes... But thank heavens for sweet students I know I can trust to run and fill up my water bottle! Those coughing attacks like to come at the most inopportune times.
- Why on earth do I ever plan on getting things done over the weekend? It never happens! That large stack of papers sits on my couch/desk at home and goes untouched until Monday morning when they go right back to school. I think I should just plan on leaving work at work every weekend. Must. Have. A. Life.
- I get to be a part of my first IEP team on Friday (where we talk about the needs of a specific student in the SpEd program). What on earth should I do to prepare? Am I even qualified to be the GenEd rep for that meeting?
- When can I go home to put on my PJs and get some sleep?

Oh sweet, undeniable sickness, please go away. I don't want to be Mrs. Brown with a man voice anymore...

:D