Every new school year begins with some trepidation and loads of excitement. My summer has been spent learning, renewing and preparing. I have terrific ideas and goals, but will I be able to implement them? There are numerous curricular materials I am provided with, but I need to pick and choose what to use and what to skip. So much of that will depend on the students and the day. I want to go beyond my classroom textbooks. I have some wonderful projects and activities, but will there be enough time? Will I be able to be flexible and follow the most appropriate lesson for the moment or will I be too concerned about staying with the syllabus I have carefully crafted and which is tacked to every student's refrigerator?
Of course, everything begins with the Washington state Essential Academic Learning Requirements (EALR's) because I need to make sure my students are meeting those requirements. The Grade Level Equivalencies (GLE's) are the standards broken down by grade level. I need to be familiar with three levels because I teach 6th, 7th, and 8th grades. I also need to know the standards for at least two subjects because I teach Language Arts and Social Studies. The Communications standards are essential for all subjects, and if you hope to integrate curriculum, you need to have a working knowledge of the other standards as well.
Balancing the list of requirements in my head, with the best way to help students learn them from the newly adopted text books for Literature and the lessons, projects and activities which I have discovered or developed, will be the constant work of my year. However, no matter how well I plan ahead, the needs of the moment will dictate the day. If students are struggling to understand, I will need to change my tactics. If a fire drill or phone call or news event changes the pattern of the day, we will have to adapt.
The wonderful interview I did this summer with Dee Eberhart as a part of my Teaching American History grant stands out in my mind. Will the lessons I have designed for my students to develop interviewing skills for writing work well with my text book? My interview delved into Dee's experiences liberating the Dachua concentration camp during World War II and his candid thoughts about war and soldiering. I hope to use my interview as a model. There are other wonderful interview models I have found online, as well. Unfortunately, the other schools in my district won't be including interviews as part of their writing plans unless they go outside the text writing tasks. The interviewing skills I teach will help my students understand history better, but my planed goals are more related to Communications and Writing EALR's. Will there be enough time to do all these activities well? Will students become distracted as they conduct their own interviews with family? Will technology use (digital stories) enhance our plan or take too much time?
It’s a balancing act, to be sure.
So, there I was, 3:00 a.m. the day before the official start of the 2009-2010 school year. I couldn’t sleep although I really needed it that night. What would the next day bring? Will I be able to accomplish everything I hope for my students? I've done all I can to prepare. Ready, set, go! And now, we’re off!
Irene Smith is a guest blogger and teacher in the Yakima School District.
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