Being Reminded Why I'm Here

Fair warning.  This isn't exactly about TLS, not directly, BUT it is about the journey and it is about teaching.

Today was a bad day.  The kids are doing Romeo and Juliet.  They are loving it.  We discuss and preview the scene.  Then we read it in class.  We will watch two movie versions of the play during which we will note which lines of the play are used and to what effect.  We will discuss original intent and changes in tone, theme and message and we will discuss who made those choices, actors, director, editor, etc.  The kids are fighting over who gets what part each day and they have all decided that Romeo is a pathetic excuse for a human being and Juliet is an idiot for falling for him.

Yet today was a bad day.  It had NOTHING to do with TLS.  The details are unimportant.  Stupid, petty, sophomoric behavior ruined my day.  It happened, I dealt with it as best I thought I could and then I spent the rest of my day second guessing myself.  I'm like that.  I even called my dad and cried a little.  He reminded me that I am putting everything into this, stress and emotions are high....  Today would have bothered me regardless, but, he's right, I feel everything more right now.  In a lot of ways its like my first year teaching, except I don't have the unknown as comfort.  After twelve years and four schools I know what can go wrong, I know the worst case scenarios.  I know that sometimes a bad day can be more than a bad day by the time it's over.

I graded papers, answered emails, wrote plans, watched/directed a play rehearsal and drove home.  Then I gave into my own self destructive tendencies and (gasp!) ordered pizza.

The 21 year old who delivered my pizza was a former student.  He was a great student.  I had his brother, also a great kid, too.  I also attended his Eagle Scout ceremony and worked with both boys through the Boy Scouts.  We chatted for a minute about his plans for his future.  He's getting his degree in journalism.  He said, "If I write something someday, Miss Williams, will you read it?"  I answered, "When you write something someday I will be pleased and proud to read it."  He smiled and went to do his next delivery.  He'll never know that emotionally speaking, he saved my life tonight...

Sometimes the stress gets to us, sometimes that stress isn't even important stuff, or about important stuff, but it gets to us and we question everything, and we want to quit.  Then God sends a messenger, an angel in disguise, a gift, to remind us, why we are here.  For a minute I lost sight of what I was doing.  I needed to be reminded.  Not only was the message perfect, it was at the perfect time which just goes to show I am on the right track, I am in the right place and the rest of it doesn't matter.

Like I said, technically this post is not about TLS.  I posted this because I wanted to record the moment, to remember this for the next time and I thank anyone who is reading for their support, patience and willingness to read what has technically nothing to do with the program this blog is about...  But this is what TLS is about.  Reaching students.  Making them readers.  Making them Critical Thinkers.  Making them Writers.  Making them everything they can be.  That is what being a teacher is about, too.  For a second I forgot.  But now, I remember. 

And I am so very, very thankful.  Tomorrow is going to be a great day.  One of many.

Test for Unit Two and Hiatus!

Yesterday we watched the Season Finale of Season 1. I let the kids watch it straight through, no stopping (much) and not graphic organizer. The kids loved it! Right up until the car crash at the end. Then I explained that the test was Friday and (!) they all had to do well, they all had to do their homework and things needed to go well for the next two weeks while we read Romeo and Juliet so that they could come back from "Hiatus" or in the SPN community what we call "Hellatus" though I didn't tell them that, and we could go on to Season 2. If they didn't do well on the test, didn't do homework and didn't work on Romeo and Juliet we were done with Supernatural.

The kids nearly rioted. There were threats made in general about anyone not getting their work done. There were proclamations made about who would die if they didn't get to see the second season. There was also a lot of wailing about who better not die in the show!

So today is the test. We will have to see how this goes.

Marigolds and Something Wicked

Today we read the story Marigolds in preparation for watching the episode Something Wicked tomorrow.  I have a really good version of the story being read on tape and so I played it for the kids.  To see a whole class, 29 children reading, with their pen in their hand making notes on their text was a sight to overwhelm the heart of any English teacher.  Then I had my mountain top moment.  One of my kids who is served through Special Education was not only following along, avidly, but he was making notes in the margins spontaneously on his own with great insight.  This was a kid I could barely keep awake in the beginning and who I was told by others was lazy, and I shouldn't expect too much from... 

In my head, I knew this would work, I believed this was a method to reach reluctant readers, to help show students the relevance of Language Arts and teach Critical Thinking Skills and I knew the kids would love the show (Supernatural) and that would be a big point of engagement, but I admit, I was worried...  What if they only paid attention to the show, thought it was a gimmick and just ate the frosting, leaving the vitamin fortified, fiber filled cake underneath, uneaten on their plate...

So, I also admit this.  When I saw that young man's notes on his paper, I might have cried, a little.

Literature was taught Supernaturally today!

Unit Two: On our way to Salvation!

So we had the first week of Unit Two.  In Unit Two we finish Season 1 (Unit, Season, Semester, Period, anyone confused yet?) 

We have had a couple of quizzes and we have to keep reminding them that they have to keep working and working well to get on to the next episode.  Hopefully the "hiatus" while we do Romeo and Juliet in the more traditional method will also help motivate them to keep working. 

This is what is hard for me.  I can see they are enjoying it, and I think they are learning, but the December standardized test (EOCT) is a long, long way away.  It's not enough for them to do as well as everyone else, for me to prove a point, they have to do better.  Then there is the struggle not to try to do things to teach to the test and skew things.  I actually asked my dad, (an ethics professor) if the fact that I spend considerable time praying for the kids and that they do well on the test, was skewing results.  He laughed at me and said not as long as I was praying that they were learning...  cause that is the goal here.

I have to remind myself about that every once in a while.  The point here is the learning.  I think this method will work (and I have supporting evidence so far) and I think it needs to be considered in main stream education.  I am gathering more evidence to prove it.... Everything else is gravy, right.

The motivation factor continues to be fun to watch as the kids goad each other toward homework and quiz grade goals to get to the next episode.  I find that funny as the episode is actually part of the education and not actually a reward.

The other thing that weighed heavily on me last week, but I think I have reconciled is that this is a horror based series.  Sometimes it is a bit dark and I have to balance that with necessity.  Even with it being prime time and even before some of the newer less stringent censorship laws, there are some moments that can be a little tense...  (Which is why we like it at home, and it interests the kids, but I put on my teacher hat and suddenly I get a little nervous!).  When I was putting all of this in theory, it was simple, but watching the kids faces (rapt though they are) can be a little daunting sometimes.  That is why I went ahead and decided to forgo Shadows. 

then the kids come marching into class and announce they watched on their own at home anyway and they think I am a wuss...  Oh well.  Listening to the literary discussions is worth it.

Today we watched The Benders.  Most of the class read "The Most Dangerous Game" so the conversation was pretty good and I really look forward to reading journals and homework on this.

I also have assigned the kids their Monster Project to be due next Friday.

Unit Test 1

This is always a tricky thing, the first test in a class.  It is as much about the students understanding how you work, what you want and what you expect as it is about what they actually know. 

That said, the kids did beautifully.  Most passed and overall there is a definite indication of comprehension.

Meanwhile they are still working and paying attention.

I am really surprised about what a motivator, Quid Pro Quo, to watch an episode is.  Who knew? 

We say Asylum yesterday, Scarecrow today (though I preempted that final scene and simply TOLD them what happened.  I think I may end up skipping Shadows too.  It is really dark for a classroom and I don't have great lit to go with it yet).  They loved Asylum and the whole discussion about assumptions was amazing.  They read the Lottery and then when they were watching Scarecrow it was like watching lights come on.  The episode made the story make sense to them.  The conversation about sacrifice and the good of the many outweighing the good of the few was really a joy to listen to as a teacher. 

Their journal and ticket out the door answers are getting better, especially when they write on the computer.  We have this three weeks to finish season one and then we are on hiatus to do Romeo and Juliet.  If there are problems with kids performance or parents then we will go back to traditional methods after R&J rather than do season 2, but I think things are continuing to go well on that front.

Today, we are also becoming part of the supernatural superwiki family.  I really hope this helps get the word out about TLS.