While I still think eternity is overstating it a bit, we can and will have a long lasting effect that goes far beyond our classroom, beyond our careers, beyond our lives, maybe even beyond the lives of our students. What you do is important. What you do is meaningful. Have a great week and yield your awesome power for the good.
3 -- Tests This Week
I am testing in all my classes this week. Algebra II is Tuesday, Algebra I is Wednesday, and AP Statistics is Friday. I worked on writing the Algebra II and AP Stat tests today. I am weirdly proud on the Algebra II test; I have no idea why. I had already decided to allow for test retakes in Algebra I and Algebra II for students who score below 75%, and, after writing the stat test today, I think I will allow for retakes in that class as well. Last year, my tests consisted of 20 AP style multiple choice questions and 3 AP style free response questions. This year, due to the change in our schedule, I have had to cut the length of the tests way down so know it is only 10 MC and 2 FRQs per unit. This is nowhere near enough questions to get an accurate measure of their knowledge, but I don't want to give a unit test over multiple days, and I don't have enough time to entirely rewrite my tests or to give chapter tests.
How are your AP Stats tests structured/timed/scored? Do you/have you used retakes?
2 -- Runs This Week
I used to be a pretty good athlete, but I've never really had good health and fitness habits. I like running and it is an important part of my mental and physical health. It helps me clear my mind and helps me be less exhausted during the school year (Napping is also an important part). I really wasn't prepared for the rigors of teaching and I haven't adapted to it too well. The negative issues like poor interactions with students, parents, and coworkers, paperwork, and bureaucracy really exact a mental toll, and poor health habits combine to make the job incredibly draining. I've been working on a couch to 5k program and I'm right at the end of week 6, which is awesome except that I've been working on it for 9 weeks. The plan is for three runs a week but I've been averaging two. I'm planning on a run this evening to start the week of right.
What do you do to stay mentally and physically energized for the long school year?
1 -- Week Until My Daughter Is Due
She's due on the 16th. I feel pretty comfortable with becoming a dad, or at least I'm redirecting my anxiety. I am planning on taking two weeks of to be at home with my wife and the baby, but I am not at all ready to leave my classroom for two weeks. Two weeks seems like an eternity to be gone from the classroom, but a nanosecond to be with my growing family. My experience has taught me that it will all be OK, but I know I don't have two weeks of sub ready lesson plans beginning at some unknown date. I also don't see the point of leaving sub ready lesson plans since they have NEVER been executed properly when I have. Last year my sub instructions were literally to give the students a handout with instructions for an activity and select a few volunteers to help make the graphs. It was supposed to be entirely student run. All she had to do was pass out the stack of handouts that were sitting on my desk with the note labeled "Sub Instructions." When I got back to school the next day, I noticed the graph didn't look quite right and the sub comments didn't make sense. I asked the students how far they got on the activity. They stared at me blankly. I then asked what step did you get to on the handout. Finally, someone spoke up and asked "What handout?" I was dumbstruck. I'm afraid that I'll come back after two weeks and the same thing will have happened. It's especially frustrating since I take the time to actually write sub ready lessons. That activity wasn't just a time filler, it was an introduction to sampling distributions.
Have you subbed? What are your recommendations for leaving sub plans?
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