Thank
goodness that it’s the last Friday in May, and once again, I am joining JulieFaulkner and other bloggers in reminiscing about my month. And although many teachers and students may
already be finished with their school year, our last day isn’t until
June18. This is late for us as we are
typically finished a week or two earlier.
It’s really been a long haul lately, so I’m looking forward to relaxed
days ahead!
1. Prom
I have to
admit that after attending 11 proms (several as a student but most to help
chaperone), I’ve become a little weary of them.
But surprisingly, this year’s prom was more fun than ever! Our school always holds its prom, which
includes dinner, at the local convention center. This year the organizers moved the prom to an
upstairs ballroom that had a wall with floor-to-ceiling windows and a gorgeous
view of our bay. Most importantly, the
boys looked handsome, the girls looked beautiful, and all of the students appeared very grown up! It inspired me to search for some of my own old
prom photos. My dress was much less
sophisticated than the girls’ dresses today, and the 1980’s styles crack me up!
2. Teacher Appreciation
The best
gifts that I received during teacher appreciation week were the cards and
heartfelt notes written by students.
This year I received one from a student that I have taught twice, once
in creative writing and more recently in Advance Placement English Literature
and Composition. Even though our A.P. class was challenging and fast-paced, she arrived to class every day
with a smile. In her goodbye card to me, she included a two of her
favorite quotes from our classes. I’ve
displayed her note where I can be reminded of the reason I teach.
3. Character Jigsaw
I tweaked a
character writing activity that I’ve used as an instructor at summer writing
camp to use in school this year, and it worked so well that I turned it into a
TpT product. Since my students can be unwilling
writers, this creative writing activity simply engaged them in the act of
writing. I made “jigsaw” cards
with text examples from classic stories that review the four methods of
characterization: physical description,
actions, thoughts and speech, and other characters’ reactions. Students
randomly selected four of the cards and then they wrote their own
character sketches with the text examples for each method of
characterization.
4. Into
the Wild
In a
different class, I have reluctant readers, and although I would usually guide
the students through literature circles right now, I decided to use a
whole-class reading for them. I chose Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer. The book
recalls the misadventure of Christopher McCandless, a young man who traversed
the western United States before heading into the Alaskan wilderness by himself. Unfortunately, McCandless succumbed to the
elements and never left The Stampede Trail alive. In addition to telling about McCandless’s odyssey,
the book makes meaningful connections with romanticism and transcendentalism. My students have responded positively to this
book, excitedly discussing it in class and asking to read his sister’s book, The Wild Truth, which gives insight into
Chris’s childhood tribulations.
5. Fighting Burnout
This year my
burnout began in March, and I have been trying to ignite my energy and
enthusiasm for work. Even though I love
teaching, I find the grading of the innumerable papers to be tedious. Student
negativity can also take its toll on me. Additionally, teachers in my community
have learned that not only will they not receive their contractual step next year, their
salaries will be reduced by taxes and increased health insurance costs. One way that I’ve handled my burnout is to
take frequent walks in the sunshine after school. And now that my A.P. seniors have graduated, I've once again begun to read books for my own pleasure.
What suggestions do you have for avoiding
burnout? Please post your ideas in the
comments below!
