This week was an improvement from last. I feel that students were settling back into the routine of classes and school as they start the final push towards the end of the school year. I felt that it went very fast, too. My SA left for Vimy on Thursday and I have been working with a TOC. Its always interesting and insightful to hear the opinions of other educators. I think this is a positive experience for me to go through during my practicum.
My grade 8s were very talkative this week. I had to talk with them both classes. On Thursday I kept two students behind who were especially bad. We had a productive conversation about respect and what that looks like in a classroom setting. I let them know that this was their warning. If the issue persists they know they will be moved to new seats. This week will tell all for those two. I remain optimistic they were serious with their apologies and acknowledgement of the issue at hand. They are both very good students. They engage in classroom activities, ask insightful questions and do well on all assessments. They just talk A LOT!
This week also saw me dealing with the school counsellors over a student in my Socials 8. I held a pop quiz and structured its timing so that the class had just worked on a review together. Students did well with the class average at 10 out of 12. The student in question got 2 out of 12. He is an ELL student and I have been told his parents speak no english at home. I pulled him aside this week and asked him if I could do anything to help him, moving forward. He was clearly ashamed of his lack of understanding of english and would not look me in the eyes while we talked. He continuously said he did poorly due to a lack of attention to class material. I do partly believe that statement, however, it runs deeper than that. After talking with the counsellor it became clear that this student had fallen through the cracks and was in classes that are too advanced for his level of english. I have talked with my SA about this and I am hoping to spend a bit more one-on-one time with him in class. I hope that next year is a turning point for him. He needs more support.
My grade 9s were my highlight. They did well on their tests for the New France Unit and we quickly jumped into the fur trade with a lot of excitement. It was nice to tie the two concepts together. Students seem to really be making sense of the timeline. I’m going to be sad to say goodbye to the grade 9s. They are a lot more work due to the large class size but they are fun to interact with. They get excited about the content.
Grade 10 was moving deeper into the social issues of World War II. We looked at The rise of Hitler, Anti-semitism, Japanese aggression leading to pearl harbour and finally Japanese interment in Canada. Students like this content. I think its one of the first units they can actually connect with. Maybe a grandparent or great-grandparent lived through the event and they’ve previously been exposed to it in some context.
I have created a bit of work for myself by allowing each of my grade 10 classes how they want to be assessed for this unit. Of course one class picked a test while the other chose a project. The decision to be assessed in a format they pick was, I think, a powerful exercise for them as students. The project has been introduced and students seem excited about it. I will give them one more work class this week to prepare for their presentations.
This week also saw an exchange student come right out of this shell. He is from Germany and he clearly connects with the material for this unit. I think prior knowledge is a huge confidence booster. We examined the Rise of Nazism this week and the student was more engaged than ever before. I hope this week sees the same level of engagement with the material being covered.
Finally, the 11s. I feel that this class is my least engaged. They are all great students, very respectful and many are very talented in other areas of academia. Yet, I just cannot seem to crack them, I thought I had them after week #7 but I am not so sure after this week. Their level of energy is always so low. I find it hard to get them excited.I am going to get them moving this week. Up and out of chairs. Working together. I am going to use my same timeline activity from my 10s two weeks ago but this time focus on events of the entire 20th century. I am hoping movement sees a change in their classroom engagement.
Highlight of the week: Talking to the counsellor about my grade 8 student. I trusted my instincts and I got it right. I want to help this student and I think any information the school obtains is vital. I hope my conversation with the counsellor further encourages administration to take appropriate steps in getting this student into the classes that will help him further his understanding of topics at hand and the english language.
Also, talking with students about Kendall Jenners pepsi ad and comparing it to protests in reality. It was very interesting to hear students perception of the situation.
Goals for this week: Finish strong! 8 days to go. I want to wrap up units in the next 3 classes of each grade. It will be ambitious but I can do it. Looking forward to the challenge.