Yeah, yeah. I realize it’s Sunday, but I played all weekend, so cut me a little slack.
Last week was Week 9, and…hmmm…I really should start writing these posts on Mondays each week and add to them, because I keep forgetting everything I want to tell you about each week.
Because it was the week before finals, I didn’t want to start any new literature readings. So, I chose to focus, instead, on grammar. This is a benchmark I have to hit anyhow, so what better time than the present?
The advantage to assigning my students autobiographical essays at the start of the year was that I got an early glimpse into their writing skills.
While some of my students do not need help organizing their thoughts, all of my classes are in desperate need of grammar lessons…especially where commas are concerned.
And so, that’s what we did in my 11th and 12th grades. My 9th graders worked on nouns. I know. It’s very elementary, but they haven’t had a lot of grammar education, so I wanted to start at the beginning.
My 6th graders worked on identifying subjects and predicates. I figure this will help them learn how to identify incomplete sentences when they write.
My sophomores were the only ones who got out of grammar. Instead, they worked on their short stories, which will count as half of their final exam grades.
Of course, my classes had vocabulary test…which meant Vocabulary Bingo on Wednesday!!
This was CoreofLore’s bingo card after our last round. He is a fierce competitor.
By the way, most of my students moved their blogs over to WordPress after edublogs kept insisting on inserting stupid ads across the tops of their posts. My heart has been singing songs of joy when I hear them talk about their blogs during class. Some will even say, “I’m going to blog about this, Mrs. AuburnChick,” as if that’s a threat. I laugh and say, “You just do that!” They have no idea that their reverse psychology tactics are not hurting me one bit! heehee
BigTimeGleek wrote a particularly heartbreaking post yesterday. Please head over and read it. After 9/11, this country was paralyzed and became Muslim-phobic. Her personal experience serves as a good reminder that this country is a melting pot, and we need to be respectful of one another, regardless of what religion we practice or what side of the political spectrum we’re on.
Gigglingbutton posted about procrastination. Poor girl. These kids are so overwhelmed with college classes and Junioritis, that it’s hard to get everything done!
MartytheSmarty blogged about being sick and cranky. She even had the nerve to say “Whatever” to me the other day. 20 lashes with a wet noodle to that one!
Seeking Life blogged about her amazing bike ride and snorkeling adventure. I fear I’m going too easy on my students and might have to give them more to do since she had all of this free time! heehee
In other class news…my 9th graders opened up to me on Thursday about feeling like all of the other teachers they’ve had over the last few years haven’t liked them much. This is a tougher group, but they are very good to me, and we have a special bond. They are having a hard time adjusting to “high school” work, but I am determined to push on and continue to show them that I care about them both as individuals and as students.
So, what lessons did I learn last week?
Actually, I can only think of one main lesson I learned…that is to be very careful what I say to students. We, as adults, have the power to build up or tear down the confidence of our youth. Whether we cross paths with students at church, at school, or even at the mall, we should ALL be ever mindful of this.
Proverbs 25:11 says that, “A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”
Positive words stand out.
Please pray for me (and my students). This week is finals…my first as a teacher. I am nervous. I want to be fair. However, I want my students to understand that “learning” is different from “memorizing.” Finals are designed to remind us that we need to absorb the lessons presented each day and incorporate them into our total being.
Don’t forget to check out my students’ blogs! They have figured out that they can check the stats on their blogs, and, like addicted bloggers, they like watching the numbers creep up!
AuburnChick's Adventures 
To you and your students…good luck on finals!