I am convinced the first day back after the Christmas and New Year holidays is the toughest one of the year.
We stay up late, eat all the wrong things, and get all off schedule. We travel, play video games, read favorite books, ski, and sleep late. And, then, we go back to the routine of school.
The last thing my students wanted to do today was work.
And I felt the same.
Yet, I started the day with a tradition our English teachers started last year–each of us reciting a memorized poem to the entire student body to introduce our school's involvement in "Poetry Out Loud."
As the minutes clicked away, I felt myself becoming more and more nervous, sure I would trip over a word or forget a line. My poem, "When I am Asked," by Lisa Mueller, was short enough and meaningful to me, yet I began to feel my heart pound.
And then it was time. Other than one long pause before a nearly-forgotten line, I was, well, ok.
The experience made me much more empathetic about what I was about to ask of my students. They will be memorizing and reciting a poem, reading Antigone, studying Greek tragedy, and writing a one-act play. Oh, and they will be sharing the planning of how we will handle all this.
So, I adjusted my lesson plans on the fly, wanting to slow down today. I wanted to have a chance to greet them, talk about their time off, to share where we will be going this semester. Let them wake up. It was good to see them smile and laugh.
Sometimes taking a step back is better than full steam ahead.
Month: January 2009
Twtpoll: An easy solution
Thanks to @heyjude this morning, I was able to create a quick poll to see what kind of people are in my PLN on Twitter. Of course, the results would be stunning if more people had responded. But it's interesting to see how easily a poll can be created and used in the classroom.
Want to participate?
Click here…
A calming perspective
Darren Kuropatwa, a member of my PLN, posted this video on our private ning. I wanted to share it here since it presents what I believe is a balanced perspective for those who think technology and social media are isolating and detrimental to relationships.