Today is our last day of school before Spring Break!
We did a practice SAT Rhetorical Analysis yesterday, and I built a catch-up day into the schedule today. We used to have a full week of school before break, but so many parents would head out early, that we started just rolling the Friday before into the break. Teachers couldn't do much with half their students already gone. So, I'm normally resistant to an unstructured day as our final instructional time.
But, I have two team-taught classes and my team teacher went to a conference last week and was unavailble. I did my best, but lots of kiddos have a backlog of missing assignments they need to get finished.
And, we finished A Raisin in the Sun already. And we're on-track with the required grammar lessons. And I hate assigning busywork just to do work.
Not to mention, we're all either limping or crawling into this break. We're ALL tired.
So, I'm actually pretty proud to be using today let kids finish stuff. The folks who have been working hard and have everything done deserve a little rest (and to feel proud of themselves for being up to date).
When we get back from break, we go immediately into SAT and state-testing week. So, I really should read through those timed writings we did yesterday. It would be ideal to give the kiddos feedback on their writing when we return from vacation and immediately go into testing mode.
I'm tempted to take them home with me. Stick them in my backpack. Take them on vacation. Bring them back (unscored) from vacation. Stare at them on the dining room counter. Feel the shame and despair on Sunday night of break as I put them back (still unscored) in my school bag.
Instead, I'll do my best to read them while students are catching up on that late work. I really, really, really don't want to score them on break. I know that probably means I shouldn't even bring them home. But, I'll have more spare time to get stuff done.
This is a recurring struggle for me. Every break, I try to decide how much time to just take OFF and how much time to use to stay "caught up."
We did a practice SAT Rhetorical Analysis yesterday, and I built a catch-up day into the schedule today. We used to have a full week of school before break, but so many parents would head out early, that we started just rolling the Friday before into the break. Teachers couldn't do much with half their students already gone. So, I'm normally resistant to an unstructured day as our final instructional time.
But, I have two team-taught classes and my team teacher went to a conference last week and was unavailble. I did my best, but lots of kiddos have a backlog of missing assignments they need to get finished.
And, we finished A Raisin in the Sun already. And we're on-track with the required grammar lessons. And I hate assigning busywork just to do work.
Not to mention, we're all either limping or crawling into this break. We're ALL tired.
So, I'm actually pretty proud to be using today let kids finish stuff. The folks who have been working hard and have everything done deserve a little rest (and to feel proud of themselves for being up to date).
When we get back from break, we go immediately into SAT and state-testing week. So, I really should read through those timed writings we did yesterday. It would be ideal to give the kiddos feedback on their writing when we return from vacation and immediately go into testing mode.
I'm tempted to take them home with me. Stick them in my backpack. Take them on vacation. Bring them back (unscored) from vacation. Stare at them on the dining room counter. Feel the shame and despair on Sunday night of break as I put them back (still unscored) in my school bag.
Instead, I'll do my best to read them while students are catching up on that late work. I really, really, really don't want to score them on break. I know that probably means I shouldn't even bring them home. But, I'll have more spare time to get stuff done.
This is a recurring struggle for me. Every break, I try to decide how much time to just take OFF and how much time to use to stay "caught up."