We just completed the first session with our new students. I was super excited about this term because I was getting to teach the books I'd get to choose.
I chose Hatchet by Gary Paulsen, Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom and Skipping Christmas by John Grisham for the first term. It went INCREDIBLE. The students were reading ahead, the discussions were great and it really felt like their love of reading wasn't stunted like it felt like it was with the past books.
I don't know which I enjoyed more. Developing the reader's guides for the students or listening to the discussions about the characters.
This term the books are the same with the additions of Thornton Wilder's Our Town and John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men. We're two days into classes and the students are already into the groove with the new books.
I also tried something new this session. I developed a Google calendar for each of the classes with their reading assignments for each night on there. I gave them all the link for them so if they've got a birthday party one night they can plan ahead or perhaps a light night of homework in another class.
I'm riding on a teaching high right now and it feels good. I definitely need to find a similar feeling in teaching in the states.
No comments:
Post a Comment