A Fresh Week

It's Monday, Week 4. There are times I feel like it is my first day, times I feel I've been doing it forever, and times that I just can't keep up! All of it is exhilarating!

Today, the usual - Daily News, Announcements, reminder about responsibility and respect.
Today, the not so usual - I gave the students a brief idea of what I would be "teaching" on Tuesday. Sure, it is a Learning Styles 'Quiz', but Amy wanted them to be prepared. That was easy.

Again, Amy split the classes into 2 groups - one for laptops and the other for ALWFC. I had the first 2 hours of laptops. I figured out one problem: lack of attention and listening on the part of the students. I'll have to look for a lesson that "grades" them on their attention/listening skills...maybe. When the students were using the laptops, they could not focus nor stay on task. I started to think it was me who was the problem - which would end my teaching career immediately! Then, I remembered all the other people I "taught" through the years, and figured it wasn't me. So, I tried something that worked, but I didn't like using - I gave them specific direction and time to accomplish the directions or they would lose laptop use for the 1/2 hour. Ugh...I hate punishments! I also hate when they work - which they did!

I have to say that during H2, the first 1/2 with all boys went much more smoothly and with out all the drama of the second half of the hour, with the girls. Now, boys have their drama too, but they are easier to put back on task. I think I'll have to get my Ed Psych book out and re-read the chapter on how to herd cats!

I did get to use elmo-cam the second half of the day, when Amy supervised the laptop users. It is a very easy piece of equipment, and doesn't make me have to think backwards (as in, my right is my right and not my left) when I use it. I reviewed analogies, using words from ALWFC; then I gave them instruction on answering 9 questions from the last chapter of the book. It looked like a lot, but, once students realized they only needed to write one sentence and that all the answers were in the book, the tension in the room released.

We moved on to spelling - I gave them their spelling list (showing it through elmo) and their worksheet (again, elmo). I asked if anyone knew the definition of an adverb and, although the 'answer' is on a poster in the room, no one could answer my question. *sigh* So, I reviewed the definition and use of the adverb, explained that was the Unit 11 Spelling concept, and let them go.

Now that I've mastered elmo, we just need to get the ActiveBoard calibrated so I can master it!