Our school spent the week doing Waiver Days--time to give more individualized help to those who have not yet passed the TAKS test and give a week off to those who passed all four sections of the test last year. I think it's a terrific idea, but our implementation of it needs refinement. Of course, you always learn from doing and we will definitely make improvements for next year. I particularly hope that we can help the seniors who are retaking the test spend all their time focused only on the subjects in which they need help. I hate to see them spending time with ELA or something else they've already passed, when they are struggling with another subject. Still, I felt very pleased with the effort we made and I know that many students benefited from it. That's what really counts. Plus, I learned a lot and am even more determined to push reading, reading, reading on our campus. I would really love to see us read a book as a campus. Everyone would read it and all content areas would create lessons including information or situations from the book. We could have small group discussions, after school activities, maybe even get the author to come and talk to the student body. I think it would be a wonderful thing and a great boost to our reading efforts. So many of our students speak English as a second language and I am confident that more reading will definitely help them in their language acquisition. Plus, if they read and comprehend English better, they will perform better in all of their classes. Sorry if I sound like I'm on a soapbox, but this is really, really important. I also want to propose some new ELA electives for next year--certainly creative writing, but also readings in various genres. I'd love to see us offer a Latino Literature course, an African-American Literature course, a women's lit course. I think we could get kids who "don't read" to do so by presenting them with works that really interest them. If anyone has an opinion about this theory, I'd love to hear your ideas....
So, back to Waiver Days. Yesterday the ELA lesson was planned to be on test-taking strategies. Rather than spend another day in class, the teachers tasked with planning the lesson came up with a "show" filled with skits and silliness and ELA teachers making fools of ourselves while making some important points and sharing some helpful tips for the upcoming ELA TAKS test. I was in two skits, in the first I was a sarcastic teenage daughter (the kids in the audience got a laugh out of a gray-haired lady as a teenager) who didn't want to try on the TAKS test, and in the second I was a burnt-out teacher who wanted to give up on test day. I was also one of a trio who sang a crazy TAKS version of "We Will Rock You." It was all zany and fun and silly and I think we actually did make some very important points. I think the kids had a good time and I know I'll never forget the tune to "TAKS Rater." In our final performance of the day, I even did a cartwheel onstage, amazing the kids who don't seem to think that "old" people can do such things.
Then last night, our whole family, along with Kara's boyfriend, went out to dinner to celebrate Julie's birthday. It was fun to be together and Mike and I got to have Kelly and Shannon ride with us. They are wonderful little boys. Shannon told me what he's been learning about Abraham Lincoln. I was impressed--both boys are reading well and doing very well in school. They're smart and curious and eager to learn and I love spending time with them.
So, next week we're back to "normal" classes. I'll be happy to see my usual crew of kids again, but it was nice to get to know a few new faces this week and I hope I helped them and that they will be successful on the upcoming tests.
4 comments:
I sit, all amazed. Cartwheels have *always* been beyond me, and I hope to spend the first 2,000 years or so of eternity, cartwheeling through heaven once I have figured it out.
That makes me laugh. One of the best memories I have of my dad is of him teaching me to do a cartwheel in our front yard. He was about 50.
I do have brilliant children, don't I?
Dinner was yummy, thank you. And it was fun to all be out together.
My high school English teacher was a lot like you and I have never forgotten the things she taught me. You aren't just helping them for a test - they will remember the impact you had for life!
Post a Comment