It's Friday!

Good morning! I've been up for an hour or so, but I was reading my email which has been bursting at the seams. I had a 120 messages and I checked it three times yesterday as I sat in class. I only have a half day left for my class, then I'll go back and present my teaching unit to the class in October.

You know, I try to match kids up according to strengths and weaknesses for group work. The stronger students help the weaker and both benefit. I'm famous around the school for saying, "I don't care if you're not with your friends because at your job, you will have to work with people you may find it hard to work with." I'm working with a lady on the unit for the class. I have the DEEPEST respect for the woman. She works hard, is brilliant, and she actually understands this new system for designing teaching units. I'm very sincere in what I said above. The fact is that we have VERY different learning styles (She needs quiet and I need to ask a lot of questions especially when I don't understand.) Well, you can see the conflict. She has been ultra patient with me.

I've tried very hard not to bother her but then I can't meet my own needs for learning. I end up sitting there frustrated. Anyway, maybe I need to rethink my own grouping of students. Maybe both students are too frustrated by to learn what they need. I'll have to think about that.

I haven't taken a class since college and I've forgotten what it feels like to be totally, to not understand what I need to do. I've forgotten what it's like to have to wait for my turn with the professor. I've forgotten how hard it is working with a small group when learning styles vary so much that it interfers with learning. I'm frustrated and I'm a grown up. Now imagine you're 12 and you have to be at school when you would rather be four wheeling, playing on the Internet, or watching TV. Guess if nothing else, I'll try to keep that in mind when school starts again.

As far as the unit design, I'll learn it eventually. There are a lot of parts and once I have made all the connections to the different parts, I'm sure the steps will make sense and become easier with practice. Hmmm... kind of sounds like the way math is taught. Guess I'm learning more than a new way to design units. Imagine that! I hope this can help me remember what those 12 year olds are feeling when they step into MY classroom.