Anyway! My first three days at JMS were amazing. Wednesday was our first day, and it wore me out! I had eaten dinner, showered, and gotten in bed by 7:30 PM and I slept until 6:15 the next morning! But apparently that was just enough sleep to get me through the rest of the week, because I was just fine on Thursday and Friday!
I have a total of six reading classes. I'm teaching regular reading this year. My smallest class has 17 and my largest class has 27! In the class of 27, 20 of them are boys. I think that will be challenging because it's the last class of the day.... and 7th grade boys are so silly! I mean, they giggle like little girls. But they are so funny!
I'm teaching four students from my first school. It is good to see familiar faces! One of the girls was actually in my class. She is a sweetheart and I'm glad to have her again! She has grown up so much. She looks so much older than when she was in fifth grade! I hardly even recognized her.
My new school teaches through "Project Based Learning". Normally when people think of projects, they think of papers or posters or three-fold boards. That's not what this is. These projects are relevant to their lives-- they solve real problems and they make a product that reflects that problem. They learn the curriculum while making the project-- teachers rarely direct teach anything. Teachers facilitate workshops that review the material needed. The students realize what they need to know by looking at the project rubric, and they end up asking the teacher to teach them. It's a really neat concept and I'm really excited to use it. I think it will make the learning much more exciting for my students! I'm not going to share what our first project is quite yet.... but I promise I will soon! I'll give you the concepts though-- poetry and Texas regions. Bet you can't figure out how we're combining those! :) :)
Seriously though, this is the coolest school ever. It's a beautiful building, an amazing teaching philosophy, incredible & encouraging co-workers, and a very uplifting environment. I am so excited about this year! I think that after teaching at this school, I will never be able to teach in a "normal" classroom again!
I wish I could say there is more to update on, but really... there isn't. School has taken over my life the past few weeks! I spent last night with my girl friends at happy hour and shopping, and today was spent shopping with them again as well as painting. I bought two pairs of shoes today... I really need to stop that!! I'm a shoe addict. Besides that, my life is consumed with school!
However, one week from today a part of my life will be consumed with college football. I CAN'T WAIT! Roll Tide!
No comments:
Post a Comment