This just may be the magical year...school-wide, the kids have been so good that there has been no need for Saturday School (where evil children do hard time)....almost all my students are doing all their homework...the normal distribution of grades in each class is abnormally skewed in the happy direction...and last Monday I got spontaneous and straight-up raucous applause from my Seminar class that had no idea what I meant!
All I said was, "Today will be our first Stupid M. Play-" and whoooo, boy, they just about woke the dead! A former student is doing some volunteer hours with me before she leaves to teach English in Korea, and I am so glad I had a witness. These are kids who want to be involved, jump in, learn! HUZZAH!
(I should add that to the magical year list--someone actually volunteering in a middle school classroom for nothing more than a diet Dr Pepper and the warm sense of satisfaction from helping others--)
Anyway, the only nonmagic is my study skills class. I had visions of transforming them, but really, my vision is much more literal now: come in, get to work, be productive. So far, they come in. The other two steps are next!
But I may have to call Disney: This year has the makings of a feel-good hit!
Wow sounds like a great year and the applause sounds awesome haha, maybe there are rumors going around about what a M. play is before they even reach the classroom?
ReplyDeleteCould be; one former student suggested that DP has a collective memory! I am just thrilled. I haven't read the book link you sent yet, but I will. I just have grades due and 31 memoirs to critique....and THEN!!
ReplyDeleteMemoirs? Sounds fun. We had a college writing assignment to write our own memoirs, was pretty fun. And no problem, I know you're quite busy!
ReplyDeleteIf everyone continues to get all homework turned in 100% of the time will they be rewarded? I believe my class got to go to Hard Rock for that before whoo
Your class was the first and last to get that (well, another period went that year, too--a magical year as well!)...I wish we had the money to fund this idea. I love group incentives and positive peer pressure!
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