Mrs. Swank

It looks like the honeymoon is over.  I am starting to deal with the chatty junk now and not loving it.  I love my students individually but when they get into a group they just cant stop talking!  ARG!  The worst is those students who just cant get along.  Here we are finishing our Holocaust lessons, where we have spent time learning about the atrocities these poor, innocent people faced and I have students arguing and bickering over the dumbest things.  I wish they could see how lucky they are to be able to go to school, to have clothes and food.  It makes me want to pull my hair out.  I find it so ironic that the students will become upset at the prejudice and discrimination the Jews faced but they are so quick to judge and hurt one another.   Will I EVER EVER get through to them?   I can only hope.

Well, I spent my entire Friday grading only one class of journals....5 hours went by and I had only finished 15 journals.  While I may be in over my head with grading these journals, I am finding out that my students are amazing.  They are so insightful, way more than I  imagined and way more than I was at that age.  I am so glad I decided to do journals this year.  I am getting to know so much about them and to hear their opinions and views on things that we dont have time to cover in class.  I can actually have a dialog with them through writing which is so cool.  I just wish it didnt take so long to grade them all but I feel that I cannot do the kids justice unless I comment on each entry.  I am going to try to just take it one at a time and do my best to get them all graded.  I cannot believe the quarter is almost over.  It feels like it just started.

Today was a great day to be a teacher.  I was in the midst of teaching a mundane topic (writing a BCR) when the students erupted into a meaningful discussion on whether or not they think that a tragedy like the Holocaust could ever happen in today's society.  They brought up such good points on racism and prejudice and how it is still alive and well today.  They spoke about how it is their responsibility to not be bystanders and to speak out against injustices.  There was philosophical talk about why we cannot achieve peace and why criminals and murderers do the things they do.  At one point a student asked if we could have an organized debate over the question of whether an event like the Holocaust could ever happen again.  Needless to say, I felt like a million dollars today - I felt the reward of being an educator-seeing your students thinking! 

As I continue to plan for the 2009-2010 year I am so excited for our persuasive writing unit.  I hope the students feel empowered by what I am going to have them do.  My main goal for this year is to have the students be involved in things that give them a choice and a voice!

As the time quickly approaches going back to school, I am anticipating starting a new year.  I miss my students from last year dearly and my new students have big shoes to fill!