Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Today's objective

If it's August 15, I must be scrambling to get the new school year ready.

Today's objective:  Review and revise beginning-of-year paperwork (syllabus, rules, procedures, etc.).  Look over Wong and Wong's "First Days of School" and Sprick's "Discipline in the Secondary Classroom" as a refresher.
Draft new paperwork: Portfolio sheet and 2-year topic outline.  (Notably for Spanish 1 and the middle schools.)  Review portfolio assessment from Edutopia, Curtain & Dahlberg's "Languages and Children," and Shrum & Glisan's "Teacher's Handbook."
Get all paperwork possible ready to print and copy when I go in to school tomorrow.
Any time left over should be spent reviewing new "Michigan Learns Online" materials and setting up online supplies through CLEAR.

All that should only take me, mmm, 16 hours or so.  I should be done in time to start tomorrow's to-do list.

3 comments:

JohnCosby said...

Actually achieved: Syllabuses for the middle school classes. URLs for the class web pages. An outline of what a portfolio might include after 2 years (10 really good items plus some filler). Re-arranging some of the content in the Spanish II class--nowhere near the overhaul I intend to give it, but an opening chord to the symphony of revision. Looked over Wong & Wong. Re-visited my opening day activity.

Ray said...

Take some time to think about what you are going to do with the kids that didn't get it and what will will you do with the kids that got it. You are going to have kids that fit both bills. Is their a mastery level and when a student reaches it do they receive opportunity for extended knowledge or do they do busy work waiting for others. How about those who didn't get it, do you just move on and hope they catch up later. Taking the time to plan for interventions and extension will help to keep the learning for "ALL" students a priority and not the amount of content we teach. Depth is important and not quantity. (Note; all means all, which is to say any student that will live an independent life shall be guaranteed the learning of the content).

JohnCosby said...

Thanks for the reminder of the important tasks! I'm getting better at interventions and extensions, but it's still a section-by-section process. Now that you've reminded me, I'll definitely take the time to fill out that part of my curriculum table. I also appreciate that all means all, and that as well as I plan this, it's worth remembering that interventions are not one size fits all, just like initial instruction isn't one size fits all.