Ups and Downs

This past week was full of ups and downs... but mostly ups.

I'm still working on my LAMP and I've learned quite a few valuable lessons. I learned that sometimes you have to modify your plans if you want your kids to really learn.
For example: I presented a powerpoint from Jostens about yearbook alternative copy. My 3rd period was pretty attentive but my 7th period was NOT. They were the absolute worse I've ever seen them. They were talking the ENTIRE time I was talking. I had to reprimand them literally about every 3 minutes. They weren't paying attention. Out of the entire class I felt like maybe 4 or 5 were actually listening. It blew my mind, to be quite honest. I always count on my students paying attention to me because they like me and respect me. But Thursday, that wasn't enough. In fact, I was probably too nice about it because I have a hard time bringing myself to yell at these kids that I've grown so close to.

So, after that experience I had to re-evaluate and ask myself, "Did they really learn what I put out there?"
Like Mr. C and Terry have said before, "You're teaching but they may not be learning."
Which makes me ask... what exactly is teaching if you are trying to do it so hard and they still don't pick it up?

So I decided to be a reflective practitioner and put in an extra day in my LAMP explaining alt. copy AGAIN. I think it was pretty effective though. But we'll see when we start the projects on Monday.

So next week, we're going to wrap up my unit and start another short unit. I'm thinking the unit about staying unbiased would be fun and quick to wrap up and then try to plan my next unit about photoshop and Gimp. I've never used Gimp before so it will probably be quite a challenge but it'll be okay... it always is.

Goals
*Plan another unit
*Find fun journalistic things for them to do on Fridays
*Start charting my LAMP information

Oh, and I'm judging a talent show on the 30th! Cool, huh?