Back to School (Already)

I have the privilege of teaching in a small, public charter school that operates on a modified year-round calendar. This is my fourth year here, and after teaching for thirteen years on a traditional ten-month calendar, I must say... I LOVE IT! Don't get me wrong, I miss the lengthy summers associated with the traditional calendar, but on our schedule, we teach for nine weeks followed by a two-week track out. For us, this track out lands at the end of September and the beginning of October (and the middle of March in the spring), the perfect time for cooler weather; the perfect time to enjoy my morning coffee on the screened porch; the perfect time to recharge for the next nine weeks. While my summer is three to four weeks shorter than the average teacher's summer, let's be honest: the longer the summer, the more difficult it is for us and for students to get back into the swing of things. And if you were to ask our high school students, most of them are ready to be reunited with their friends by the end of July. The majority of them get almost eight weeks off for summer, anyway. Teachers' six-week break offers enough of a respite to be ready to jump in when the end of July comes roaring at us.

This year, our school is implementing several changes; and while I am always ready and willing to try new things, new things can often be a bit intimidating, especially when it affects such a large number of students. Over the brief summer break, our school leadership team decided to implement a SMART (Students Maximizing Achievement, Relationships, and Time) block prior to lunch so that students can receive extra help or interventions in the event their grades drop below a 70. I am excited to see how this new schedule will affect our students' overall performance, and I hope to be able to use this time for AP enrichment, as well. I am hopeful, too, that this will be a time for reading and reflection for those students who do not need extra help. I teach seniors, and part of my requirement is choice reading. This extra twenty-five minutes of the day is a great way for these students to relax and actually enjoy what they're reading. For others, it will be a time they can make up work missed after an absence or even to ask questions for clarification on assignments they may be struggling to complete. Even though our students lost fifteen minutes of their previously fifty-minute lunch, to my surprise, I've only overheard minimal griping about it. One of my AP students mentioned today how grateful she is for this SMART block because it is scheduled time during her day when she can work on homework. She plays volleyball, and their practice sessions are at 5:30 in the morning. This SMART block truly is, for her, a maximizing of her time. This is going to be an exciting year!

I think I'm most excited about the seniors I get to teach this year. So far, I am really impressed with them. They are polite, conscientious, and willing to try new things. Several of them are actually excited about my class! I hope it's contagious! Here's to an early but awesome beginning of our new year! May yours be as exciting as mine!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

My Teaching Manifesto

Image
As I sit at my desk in the middle of week two with students for the 2018-2019 school year -- the start of my 19th year in this career -- I reflect on who and what I am as a teacher. Some of these things may seem simple and basic to the teaching profession. Teachers with a passion for their content and their profession project that onto their students who will, invariably, have more passion for their own work; teachers who set expectations and consistently enforce them will have students who rise to meet -- and often exceed -- those expectations; and teachers who show their students they care by being accessible to them when assignments (or life) gets tough form lasting relationships that will not only translate well in the classroom but will often build student confidence in their abilities to continue their march toward higher learning and adulthood. Unfortunately, I often hear stories from students who have had experiences with teachers who do not celebrate their successes, big
Read more

A Reminder for my Graduates

If you've ever been a student in my class, you know there are certain phrases that are staples in my room: Your voices matter. Your opinions matter. Happy (insert day of the week)! (Every Friday) Happy weekend! Make good choices! There are many choices I wish I had considered in college. I wish I had made the choice to find out more about the opportunities available to me on campus. I didn't take the time to research Christian groups to join, so I missed opportunities to fellowship with like-minded students and make a difference in my community through services projects. I didn't know there was a clogging team on campus until the end of my sophomore year, so I missed two years of doing something I loved because I didn't choose to research. I wish I had looked into the possibility of studying abroad. I made assumptions about the program and didn't even look into it because I figured it would be too expensive. Turns out, it isn't much more expensive than a s
Read more

Squad Goals

Image
Several years ago, while working in a traditional public school, our teachers were saddled with yet one more flaming hoop through which we were expected to jump happily, all while carrying the paper work that went along with it. Professional Learning Communities, or PLCs, became more of a hassle than an opportunity. For years, our teachers were communicating and planning with each other; but for some reason, having to document the whole process for someone who likely did not even read it made it much less enjoyable. This forced process also made it much less productive. Since the beginning of structured education, teachers who genuinely care about the success of their students have been working with other teachers in their discipline or even across curriculums to improve their own practices. Now, with the world at our fingertips, educators across the globe have found new and meaningful professional learning communities, and it has been the single most effective professional development
Read more