   | Is it a full moon? Is Halloween actually this weekend? Is something funky going around in the air? I am not quite sure anymore as this has most definitely been a draining, challenging and stressful week, with Wednesday being no exception and certainly feeling like Hump Day. The day was like a roller-coaster ride, with some encouraging highs in reading followed by a disappointing low in social studies. Here is a recap of a "Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde" of a day. In reading class, we began reading Chapter 1 of Jim Murphy's The Great Fire, with both classes doing an excellent job identifying supporting details for the main idea that "Chicago was a city ready to burn" (kind of like how Cubs' fans are likely feeling right now as the Mets lead 6-0 in the third inning of an elimination Game Four). The kids found some awesome supporting evidence, including there being a delivery of "two tons of timothy hay" to the famous barn that very same day, the city being equipped with 600 miles of wooden sidewalks, and some incredible foreshadowing with a |
fire taking place the night before that fateful Sunday night. Overall, I was really happy with the students' focus and effort during reading class. Here are some encouraging pictures (Note: Each student was responsible for finding one piece of text evidence while reading and used Post-It notes as markers of evidence).
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As for social studies, it was night and day for my two classes. The first class did a really good job staying focused during our tackling of the REACH Performance Task, in which the students learned about the first Olympic games. As for the second class, there was a concerning dip in focus, attention and attitude when transitioning from reading to social studies. This was especially disappointing as the results on our exam from earlier this week were not where they needed to be. Some changes will be coming to this class in the coming days as the focus and respect quickly needs to improve. I am very lucky to be working with great kids every day. There is no need, at our school, for us to make things difficult for each other.
Sixth grade is a challenging year for the kids, as they are undergoing many different changes. It can be difficult and frustrating at times, and I get that as a teacher. I was once a sixth grader and remember that it was a distracting year for me. With that said, it can be very disheartening when good kids let negative attitudes affect their approach to doing things the right way. Apathy can kill so much productivity. That was the case Wednesday. While I have high expectations for my students and can be challenging with work, I understand that my students are humans. I am conscious of this and try to be positive as much as possible. With that said, I wouldn't be doing my job if I was not honest. Being honest, the Wednesday's second social studies class was a very disappointing moment. Knowing these kids, they will bounce back tomorrow with better focus and ethic.
On a more positive note, the students did turn in their Write About Histories for Chapter 1. The projects looked promising, and I am excited to read them this weekend.
As for writing, we used class today to wrap up some loose ends with CNN Student News and the REACH Performance Task before moving into D.O.L. By that time, writing class was over, and I was ready for a much-needed prep to regroup. Here's to a better Thursday and Friday.
Sixth grade is a challenging year for the kids, as they are undergoing many different changes. It can be difficult and frustrating at times, and I get that as a teacher. I was once a sixth grader and remember that it was a distracting year for me. With that said, it can be very disheartening when good kids let negative attitudes affect their approach to doing things the right way. Apathy can kill so much productivity. That was the case Wednesday. While I have high expectations for my students and can be challenging with work, I understand that my students are humans. I am conscious of this and try to be positive as much as possible. With that said, I wouldn't be doing my job if I was not honest. Being honest, the Wednesday's second social studies class was a very disappointing moment. Knowing these kids, they will bounce back tomorrow with better focus and ethic.
On a more positive note, the students did turn in their Write About Histories for Chapter 1. The projects looked promising, and I am excited to read them this weekend.
As for writing, we used class today to wrap up some loose ends with CNN Student News and the REACH Performance Task before moving into D.O.L. By that time, writing class was over, and I was ready for a much-needed prep to regroup. Here's to a better Thursday and Friday.
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