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#Post#: 3685--------------------------------------------------
Re: Teaching
By: Jack Date: February 12, 2018, 4:13 pm
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[quote author=David M. Katz link=topic=349.msg3680#msg3680
date=1518472710]
How did the day go? Should we expect an updated spanking
report?
[/quote]
I don't want to answer that, David, because there's going to be
a BOTD coming down the pike soon, and I wouldn't want to
broadcast the result.
I will say that I did have to call more than a couple of people
down, but nothing too serious, and it was a pretty good day.
Today is supposed to be Scout day, but we do have a number of
sick members, and several people decided to avoid the gathering,
so the boys are having a more general 'catch up' day. My Webelo
troop is busily working on their next Arrow of Light
requirement, and they're actually ahead of schedule, so I think
they'll all be ready for Boy Scouts before the end of April.
#Post#: 3704--------------------------------------------------
Re: Teaching
By: Jack Date: February 13, 2018, 4:26 am
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BCA is closed today.
The thing is, with 800 students, we have a staff and faculty of
65. 19 of those are out.
It's not all the flu. One gym coach was having a knee surgery,
which had been scheduled for a while. One person had jury duty.
What actually prompted the closure was, on top of the other
illnesses that had been occurring, one teacher was going to be
gone yesterday and today after a death in her family, and
another's son is having an emergency appendectomy Sunday.
Yesterday, they had a maid service come in and work with the
janitor squad to do a heavy clean on the bathrooms, locker
rooms, drinking fountains, cafeteria, all the door handles and
railings, and anything else they saw that might be touched by a
lot of people. They did a regular cleaning on top of that, then
sprayed a bunch of Lysol everywhere. It's probably a good idea
at this point to let the place be closed just to air out a bit.
As a private school, things aren't as strict for us as for
public schools, but we'll still be expected to make the time up.
Since we haven't had any bad weather this year (so far), we'll
probably use our scheduled bad weather days for this.
#Post#: 3732--------------------------------------------------
Re: Teaching
By: Jack Date: February 13, 2018, 5:02 pm
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I have a BCA e-mail address. I checked it today, and it's kind
of blown up.
We finished our unit on the Count of Monte Cristso last
Wednesday, and started Hatchet, by Gary Paulsen Thursday. From
the e-mails I've recieved, I think way over half of my 37
students have finished it already. Of the 24 e-mails I received
informing me that they've finished, 14 of them started on the
River. Of those 14, 4 of them finished it and started Brian's
Winter. Of those, 2 have also finished Brian's Winter, have
started Brian's Return, and want to know why no one ever told
them there were good books out there. Several parents have also
written wanting to know what I've done with their sons.
Now I just have to figure out a way to keep the eager beavers
busy while I catch the rest of the classes up - I'm torn between
suggseting more novels of the type and suggesting they research
survival or Native American culture.
#Post#: 3736--------------------------------------------------
Re: Teaching
By: Zyngaru Date: February 13, 2018, 6:14 pm
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[quote author=Jack link=topic=349.msg3732#msg3732
date=1518562920]
I have a BCA e-mail address. I checked it today, and it's kind
of blown up.
Now I just have to figure out a way to keep the eager beavers
busy while I catch the rest of the classes up - I'm torn between
suggseting more novels of the type and suggesting they research
survival or Native American culture.
[/quote]
That is marvelous. With just two books you have inspired a
group of boys to read. It would be easy to say, it just takes
the right books, but it also takes someone to make those books
come to life.
My suggestion is to provide a list of suggestive reading for
those that are ahead of the rest of the class. That way they
don't get bored, and the rest of the class can catch up without
missing anything.
I didn't find survival as an interest as a boy, but I loved
learning about Native American Culture, because what the history
books tell us, is from the white American's point of view.
Learning the Indian's (Yes I am not PC) point of view is an eye
opener. Reading about the Trail of Tears from the Cherokee's
point of view. Reading the Battle of Little Big Horn, from the
Lakota, Northern Cheyenne and Arapaho point of view.
Learning about what it means to become a man in the Native
American Culture. What the rituals mean and how they are done.
How Native American boys are given names that mean something
personal to them.
Heck, being in Texas, you have reservations not far from you.
Here in Indiana (Indian Land) we have old battlefields but no
reservations or Indian Land anymore.
Indiana has no Indians anymore.
#Post#: 3737--------------------------------------------------
Re: Teaching
By: Journey Date: February 13, 2018, 6:25 pm
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Yay, that's great, Jack! So glad to hear that the boys are so
interested. :) Maybe you could do both so that the boys could
choose if they want to read or do research?
By the way, do you give them hard copies of the books or do they
read them as soft copies? Just wondering if you have difficulty
looking for 37 copies of books like Hatchet. Might just be my
location but that's sometimes a problem for me and my classes.
#Post#: 3747--------------------------------------------------
Re: Teaching
By: db105 Date: February 14, 2018, 1:41 am
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[quote author=Jack link=topic=349.msg3732#msg3732
date=1518562920]
We finished our unit on the Count of Monte Cristso last
Wednesday, and started Hatchet, by Gary Paulsen Thursday. From
the e-mails I've recieved, I think way over half of my 37
students have finished it already. Of the 24 e-mails I received
informing me that they've finished, 14 of them started on the
River. Of those 14, 4 of them finished it and started Brian's
Winter. Of those, 2 have also finished Brian's Winter, have
started Brian's Return, and want to know why no one ever told
them there were good books out there. Several parents have also
written wanting to know what I've done with their sons.
[/quote]
;D Ha ha! I knew they would appreciate Hatchet. It's so
readable.
#Post#: 3751--------------------------------------------------
Re: Teaching
By: Jack Date: February 14, 2018, 4:25 am
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[quote author=Journey link=topic=349.msg3737#msg3737
date=1518567904]
By the way, do you give them hard copies of the books or do they
read them as soft copies? Just wondering if you have difficulty
looking for 37 copies of books like Hatchet. Might just be my
location but that's sometimes a problem for me and my classes.
[/quote]
Remember - I own a book store. I order the books ahead of time
through Ingrams. Unlike most teachers, I'm able to afford the
books. We're asking the parents to donate any books their kids
don't want to keep, and I'm hoping to be able to write a lot of
those off from Magicats as a deduction (I think I can still do
that under the new tax code, but not even my accountant is
positive yet). Whatever - it's a good cause, and I can afford
it.
As for everyone's suggestions on what to do with the students -
everyone is going to be required to participate in class
discussion (even Gary and Asa). When we all catch up on what
was required reading, the students who are ahead will be allowed
to either read quietly in class or go to the library (Mr. P or
another teacher will be there to supervise - I checked with him
last night).
I would like to offer a prize to anyone who reads the entire
Brian's Saga and does a report on it, but I can't figure out
anything appropriate (I wish I could just invite the kids over
to my house for burgers, dawgs, and a viewing or A Cry in the
Wilderness). As it is, I will probably offer extra credit for
that or for anyone who wants to research something like Apache
tribes, Cree tribes, and compare and contrast.
[hr]
Maybe the worst thing about teaching in the mornings is that
I've missed my Monday morning racquetball games for weeks now.
While showering with my employees after the game isn't nearly as
fun as when they were in their teens or early 20s, I miss the
time together with some of my closest and oldest friends. It
might not happen every week, but I talked everyone into waking
up early on a Saturday, and we've reserved a couple of courts,
and we've all agreed to play a couple of games and have
breakfast before work.
#Post#: 3755--------------------------------------------------
Re: Teaching
By: Adric Date: February 14, 2018, 6:56 am
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[quote author=Jack link=topic=349.msg3751#msg3751
date=1518603903]
... I talked everyone into waking up early on a Saturday, and
we've reserved a couple of courts, and we've all agreed to play
a couple of games and have breakfast before work.[/quote]
Hope you can work all that in and still find time for Saturday
Morning Chat.
#Post#: 3756--------------------------------------------------
Re: Teaching
By: kalico Date: February 14, 2018, 10:08 am
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That's great the dome of the readers are finishing ahead and are
eager....
Enjoy your Saturday game sounds like fun.....
Hugs kal
#Post#: 3757--------------------------------------------------
Re: Teaching
By: Jack Date: February 14, 2018, 11:02 am
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[quote author=Adric link=topic=349.msg3755#msg3755
date=1518612963]
[quote author=Jack link=topic=349.msg3751#msg3751
date=1518603903]
... I talked everyone into waking up early on a Saturday, and
we've reserved a couple of courts, and we've all agreed to play
a couple of games and have breakfast before work.[/quote]
Hope you can work all that in and still find time for Saturday
Morning Chat.
[/quote]
Nope - I suppose it's possible I might make the last few
minutes.
I rarely make Saturday morning chat - usually it's because of
the boys. I'll miss visiting with everyone - especially those
who aren't able to drop by during the week, but that's just how
it goes sometimes.
[hr]
As for Hatchet - I guess DB is right. There wasn't one boy in
the class who hadn't done at least some reading on it. One boy
had left his book at school, and talked his mom into taking him
to the book store when he found out school would be closed.
I think everyone finished Hatchet today, except 4 kids, who all
should be able to finish it this evening. We spent about half
the class discussing what everyone thought (after determining
the furthest point reached by everyone). Because we were at
different points, we did silent reading the rest of the period,
and several kids stayed in class to read on the novel's they'd
started. None of the kids had read to the point in Brian's
Return where the Cree are introduced, but several were
interested in the Apache. I'd marked down a few ideas about
things to research. Several of them did that as a group effort.
Gary was going to stay and read, but he got his own idea, and
he started work on something else, but he wanted it to be a
surprise.
In other news that relates to a previous post:
Gary participated in the discussion, but he had to get up
several times, to stretch, or move a bit, or even just stand.
That's great - it's what he's supposed to do, and it does seem
to help him remain focused. However, by the time he stood up to
go to the library, he stretched again, and I realized his shirt
was untucked, and his pants were half way down his hips (or lack
thereof). :oops: Guess I'll talk to Mr. P about taking it easy
on him for that.
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