Everything Starts Somewhere.
Sometimes, life is pretty predictable…
Today I’m going into school for the first time of this school year, with my new pony. It’s a day entirely composed of teacher meetings, “icebreaker activities”, updates, and FINALLY setting up our classrooms. The last part is the most important to me, and will probably have the least time attached to it.
Sunday night, one of my teacher friends texted me and informed me that she had been in for the “buyback” day. That included the production of “resources” that could be used in order to handle our classes…but we actually know that the other two teachers on our team will never stick to the lesson plans and schedules that we write up. Figure today, at some point, we will plan the first week…which is usually pretty straightforward. The most important parts of the first week are starting the business of class quickly (so that you are recognized as serious about the content), and getting a writing sample from the students.
The second part is profoundly important. As I understand it, the teachers in the grade before us did very little expository or analytic essay composition, so that will be a LARGE goal for this year. In order to have an idea of what we have to work with, we need a writing sample.
I tend to run a discussion driven class, but most of the students haven’t encountered that. As a result, Day Two (Wednesday) is going to be based pretty much entirely on setting up the practice for how a discussion works in class, and how to conduct ourselves. This is more challenging than you might imagine, but important to set down rapidly. Whatever question we discuss that day will pretty much govern the short writing sample that I hope to receive on Friday.
That suggests a Thursday class about expository paragraph structure, and the writing process, culminating with an “on demand” draft on Friday. Look at that…the skeleton of an early week’s lesson plan is pretty much present.
Putting some meat on those bones is going to be very important, but that will be delayed by Corporate, Administrative Nonsense.
Last year, there were a large number of “get to know you” activities, and a long heartfelt speech by our new principal. There was an analogy to a small town in Pennsylvania which has very little stress related illness, and a story from that principal about who he was “dedicating” the year to. That resulted in staff needing to “dedicate” their work for the year, and then share with others.
A part of me is really very sure that those things are meaningful to other people. Really. For me…I’d rather be left to lesson plan, meet my new co-teacher, and set up my classroom. I’m more about “doing” than about talking, despite my long winded posts here.
Tales of Adequacy! 