Students first week

This is the library bookshelf of my room. It has since changed and holds all the student binders. Each student within my classroom has to have a 2 inch binder or larger to hold a spiral of 180 pages, a set of dividers, and looseleaf papers, and a pencil holder with pencils and blue or black pens in it. The binder stays within the classroom, and the students always have their work.




Here is the view from the front of my classroom at an angle. The desks are no longer rows. I have changed them into groups of four for better Cooperative Learning. I also have made up a set of face cards for each class to change up the seating. Each student was given an index card. They put their name, period and on the bottom the face of someone in history that was pictured on the front. On the front is a famous person from US History. Each student received someone like Thomas Paine, Abraham Lincoln, etc... They cut out the person from the paper and glued it to the card. I laminated these cards and then I deal them out each day. Dealing these cards out by me has become difficult. So I took another page from Dr. Cunninghams book and I have designated a student to do this weekly. The student knows they must be prompt to class and deal them out quickly. So far it is working.

Well, other than feeling a little overwhelmed the first week and my feet needing the new shoes, I have to say I love teaching 8th grade. One of the things I didn't post about last Friday was that I learned at 3:30 that I would be teaching one class of 7th grade Texas History. I worked quickly and by the time I left at 5:00 I had a weeks worth of lessons in place.

The hour drive to and from work does wear on me. I have to make sure that I drink plenty of coffee before I leave in the morning and in the afternoon I have to make sure I have a cold tea or soda on the drive home. I have also had to learn to take a spare set of clothing, and to make sure that I have enough money for dinner or brought my dinner when I stay for students games. Yes, I attend their events. I get greater positive behaviorial response from them, no to mention it helps these students self esteem when they see that someone cares about what they are accomplishing outside of class. I always make sure to inquire on their other classes, what they are doing and how things are at home. I have learned a lot I don't want to know and stuff that hurts my heart. However, it allows my students to know someone cares and for them to move on through the day with little less of a burden.