I think it is getting to be that time of year. Weather wise it could be 60 degrees and sunny or 35 and rainy. Everyone is in need of a break, which is further complicated by the fact that exams are next week, making this week an important week for grades. Plus, the addition of 20 minutes to the school schedule has definitely made each day last longer.
It is hard not to get frustrated, especially when students come to class without anything read. Today, only 20% of the students had read, making the discussion starters and activities I had planned really worthless. As a result, the discussion starters and the writing activity went out the rain splattered window and we read for almost the whole block - either individually or as small groups. I know it is tedious to read for so long, but I realize that the students are really feeling overwhelmed with all of the things they have going on this week and reading together took one of the things off their list. Plus, they need to be ready for their quiz on Thursday.
As a teacher, it is always been a difficult task about how to assess reading. You don't want to give a quiz everyday, but some students won't read if you don't. You want students to do well in your class, but you also want them to learn to take responsibility, which means doing reading homework. Finally, I just really want our review game to go well tomorrow, and it won't if they haven't been reading like they are supposed to. I want their grades to reflect their efforts and abilities, making grading sometimes really hard to navigate. Maybe the three half days can be invigorating for students and teachers alike for the push until spring break.
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