This was a short week at Poudre High School because of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on Monday. With a four day week, there is a four day schedule, which is always different from the regular five day schedule, so there was some adjustment.
This was also a busy week because I also started teaching at Front Range Community College two evenings a week. So, Tuesdays and Thursdays, I get up at 5:00 am and go to the gym, then I head to Poudre High School for a full day of working with students, teaching, planning, and grading, and finally, end up at Front Range Community College teaching two classes before ending my day and heading home for bed. This week I was able to go home and see my daughter after Poudre High School and before Front Range Community College, but I imagine that as the semester goes on, I will not be able to do this. On top of everything this week, my daughter has been sick. Luckily, I have a wonderful husband who has stayed home with her. An upper respiratory infection doesn't get down a 2.5 year old for long. She was bouncing and playing when I saw her this morning.
I digress, sort of. This week has been a week of managing. I say managing because I have been learning to manage my classroom better and learning to manage my lessons better. I also say managing because my schedule (as seen above) also requires this kind of management. In the Entrepreneurship classes I am teaching, the students have finally turned in a completed project. Having graded this project, I have now been able to determine how much of the information that I am teaching them is being understood and learned. I have been managing those submissions and meeting with students to ensure that they know what is expected of them on these projects. In my meetings with students, I review how to improve those submissions and their grade on the assignment. I find myself repeating what I say and how I say it so that all the students understand in their own way.
I continued to struggle this week with cell phones, computer usage, and general rude behavior. In the 5th hour Entrepreneurship class, I wasn't restrictive enough; however, I corrected this in the 6th hour Entrepreneurship class by making the students keep their hands off the keyboards and pay attention. I also enforced the headphones and cell phones rule that I put in place on the first day.
It has also been interesting in some of Mr. Long's other classes with respect to classroom management. International Business has been going through presentations given by the students on their Country Project, but there are students in the class that are texting and talking during other students' presentations. Mr. Long has given warnings to students, and the next step will be a seating chart.
The 3rd Hour Economics class doesn't have as much of a classroom management issue because it is such a small class; however, the 4th Hour Economics class has 26 students, and they are chatty. They are all great kids, but they enjoy speaking up and having side conversations in class even when the teacher is talking. I have sat in the back of the room to try to keep the talking to a minimum, but they finally did require a seating chart, which was implemented today. After implementing the seating chart, the students paid better attention and there was less side conversation.
I do feel that I have succeeded in the 6th Hour of Entrepreneurship in getting the students to understand the expectations and turn in completed, professional work. This has been accomplished by sitting individually with many of the students to go over their work and get them on the right track. The 5th Hour has been more of a challenge. While some of the students are responding to the lessons, there are quite a few of the students who have not turned in work and are behind on their projects. They also show a slower rate of learning than the 6th Hour class. Today, the 6th Hour class had completed their second projects, while the 5th Hour class is behind and will need time next week to finish their projects.
This week has been another opportunity for me to try new techniques and improve my communication skills with the students. I look forward to next week, when my supervisor, Carol Ann Hixon, and my mentor, Mr. Long, will observe my lessons and provide feedback for improvements. It is also my first seminar meeting with Mr. Buffington at Poudre High School. Looking ahead, it will be another busy week.
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