[meant to post this LAST weekend, but …. ] As usual, my plans fell apart almost as soon as 2023 was underway. Students came back to school in pretty bad shape. For weeks they struggled to engage, their stamina for learning and effort was almost as limited as at the beginning of the year. AND […]
Category: teaching
When Giving Up is a GOOD Choice
I spent my own money, close to a “grand” to attend a module for a particular teaching method I have dabbled with but never been officially trained in. The week before it started (5 days before) a dear family member died of covid. The second week of the 2-week course I took ill on Wednesday […]
An End, and a Beginning
The summer was not “as advertised” this year. I remained ill for another few weeks, though we had a lovely visit with my grandfather in Ashland at the end of July and saw several plays (LOVED LOVED LOVED Richard II!!!). Was too exhausted, though, to try for the second silk painting session. Hoping for at […]
Long silence but not low effort
This school year has, predictably, been a time of extreme effort on my part. I rarely have time to just sit and enjoy fun things, when I do sit I am usually working on a small present or reading the news. I feel inadequate most days, knowing that there are so many more strategies I […]
Ready for Customers!
I think of my students as my clients, or customers. I provide a service. They benefit from my instruction (although as with a dentist it isn’t always “fun”) and I have a purpose. Here is the view looking toward the front of the room as I got ready to leave today. Student desks lined up, […]
Making Progress
The classroom as I left it this afternoon about 1… I have things cleaned, I have things (roughly) organized. I have also planned the first day (need to get the materials pulled together). I am ready for tomorrow! And almost ready for the first day of school.
Preliminary Progress
One pic, as the room looked late this afternoon…
A full week teaching!
I am still having pretty much the time of my life with the 7th and 8th graders I get to work with. There are plenty of things that are confusing, but I have so much support that I only have to ask a question (or if I have to fix things retroactively) and I get […]
The first week…
I don’t have the energy to talk about everything, but after 6 FULL days of preparation, this is what the classroom looked like Tuesday evening. And, after three days it still looks pretty much the same. Next week, we’ll start some really important learning — educational tasks but not very much new yet. For now, […]
RADIANT HEAT!!!
This was today’s “reveal” — Moving up the driveway: (Murphy is Mother’s dog!)