Some weeks go by so fast, and others are so agonizingly slow you really don't know how the end will ever come. It has been a good week though.
I started my application for graduate studies, so now I just need to take the test and post the results before I can finish my application. I'm pretty excited about it. I mean, I have the time now, and as we get older and have more responsibilities, it'll be even harder to get then.
I started a book with my 7th and 8th graders this week. Oh, how I look forward to this time every quarter! They beg me to do books, and it's so cool to see them so in to learning! Plus, they go from being rowdy, off-the-wall, crazy to silent, following-along-in-their-books little angels. I had to buy books out of my new teacher money because the economy has teh school on a buying freeze right now, but I'll tell you that it was totally worth it to have peace in the classroom. Last quarter we read Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli with my 8th graders, and they begged and pleaded for me to get the sequel to read this quarter. I just kindly encouraged them to take the initiative and read it on their own. They all have. Then I read The Giver by Lois Lowry with my 7th graders, and they all wanted me to get the sequels to read in class as well! Too funny. This quarter I am reading Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan with my 8th graders, and some of the same kids who initially complained about reading Stargirl are complaining about this, but they'll get over it. My latino students are ecstatic about it because they finally get to see themselves in literature. It's pretty cool. My 7th graders are reading Louis Sachar's Holes, and let me tell you how much they were pumped to read this book.
I just applied for a grant to buy 10 more class sets of books to share between the teacher across the hall and me, so we'll find out in a few months if it goes through or not. If reading books every quarter helps the class this much, here's hoping we get it!
I started my application for graduate studies, so now I just need to take the test and post the results before I can finish my application. I'm pretty excited about it. I mean, I have the time now, and as we get older and have more responsibilities, it'll be even harder to get then.
I started a book with my 7th and 8th graders this week. Oh, how I look forward to this time every quarter! They beg me to do books, and it's so cool to see them so in to learning! Plus, they go from being rowdy, off-the-wall, crazy to silent, following-along-in-their-books little angels. I had to buy books out of my new teacher money because the economy has teh school on a buying freeze right now, but I'll tell you that it was totally worth it to have peace in the classroom. Last quarter we read Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli with my 8th graders, and they begged and pleaded for me to get the sequel to read this quarter. I just kindly encouraged them to take the initiative and read it on their own. They all have. Then I read The Giver by Lois Lowry with my 7th graders, and they all wanted me to get the sequels to read in class as well! Too funny. This quarter I am reading Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan with my 8th graders, and some of the same kids who initially complained about reading Stargirl are complaining about this, but they'll get over it. My latino students are ecstatic about it because they finally get to see themselves in literature. It's pretty cool. My 7th graders are reading Louis Sachar's Holes, and let me tell you how much they were pumped to read this book.
I just applied for a grant to buy 10 more class sets of books to share between the teacher across the hall and me, so we'll find out in a few months if it goes through or not. If reading books every quarter helps the class this much, here's hoping we get it!
3 comments:
I'm so glad you decided to be a teacher steve, it seems perfect for you.
BTW Stargirl and the Giver are two of my favorite books ever. Did you know they are making the Giver into a movie?
Those are all such fantastic books! Way to go Steve for getting your students excited to read the sequels by themselves. That's what it's all about.
Sounds like you are a great teacher! I probably would have loved you- ok, that sounds sorta funny but you know what I mean. Keep that up- I'm sure you love it!
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