Week 7

So this week was cut short with faculty senate and administrative things but I was still able to finish up chapter 3 which was very important because I began to feel as if the class was going at a snail's pace. I do NOT want to get behind but I also want to make sure student's understand things. What I do not understand though is that I am taking my time with the subject matter and classes are still getting D averages on tests. AH!
Filming the first historical films took place AND I had to give them an extra day to film because we did not have school on Friday. This was good because on Monday Amy Kuhn can observe my student's participating in my Action Research and they will be editing which is something she enjoys so maybe she can help!
Friday was interesting. Some parts of the meetings all I could think about were my lesson plans or things I needed to get done but some other parts were very interesting. (for example the writing across the cirriculum). This got me thinking about my own abilities in writing and reading. It also got me thinking of including more writing and reading activities in my lesson plans. My action research class blogs every week...so they end up writing but my other classes get frusterated when they are asked to write a paragraph. SO I am going to start doing more writing in my other classes and helping the students write.
Last thing. I feel like most of my students have trouble with their study skills, writing and reading skills. I find myself teaching them how to take notes rather than social studies.
Lie...that was not the last thing, this is. I had to start two new rules to some of my classes to help with management. Two of my classes get sooooo off track soooooo easily and are chatty chatty chatty so by the advice of Ms. C here are my two new rules: No questions until after the bellringer AND when the bell rings that means no talking. It has helped a lot in one of my classes but the other classes is very very resistant. I feel bad because I began the classes being very open and talkative/interactive in my classes so the students began to get used to free speech and now since many students are abusing that power I have to have new rules. *sigh*