Things have been busy since I've last blogged. Actually it seemed like things were pretty chaotic! Thankfully it is beginning to look like I've caught up with everything and can now take more time to keep everyone informed.
One big thing that I wanted to share was how awesome my kiddos did in the Christmas program. In the past it was near impossible to get any middle school/high school kiddos that would be willing to perform for the Christmas program. I was able to convince 3 grade levels to do something for the program.
I was most excited for the 7th/8th graders. In those two grade levels there is a decent size cluster of kiddos that are very talented dub steppers. I asked them if they would be willing to do something for the Christmas program if I found them a Christmas dub step song (I'll have to post the video when I go back and get the right cord to upload it to the computer). Needless to say we found a song and the kids put a lot of effort and practice into their performance. Most of the students were having doubts and thinking about backing out by the time the dress rehearsal came around. A coworker and I were able to convince them to continue with everything they practiced. They got a standing ovation! The excitement even continued when they performed it for their parents and the rest of the village!
Some of the sophomores had been working on making a Qbook for one of their classes. The teacher came to me and asked if the rest of the sophomores might be interested in taking what they wrote for their book and making it into a skit for the Christmas program. They spent weeks coming up with a script, making props, and practicing (That's another video I'll need to upload). They even convinced me to Yuraq during part of their skit!
I was very proud of my kiddos and all the effort they put into the Christmas program!
Tomorrow, begins a new semester and new ideas for my classes! With the help from a dear friend and coworker I have been able to map out the 10th, 11th, and 12th grade class. I spent a good portion of this weekend organizing test data (11th/12th), identifying areas of improvement, grouping students in learning groups, finding materials for the semester, and creating learning stations. I am excited that the students are going to be in control of their learning with the self-directed learning stations. Hopefully all of this will lead to good test results for the kiddos.
The freshman are getting into Catching Fire and it's exciting to see them getting so involved with the tribute that they've been assigned. It's also nice because none of them have been able to see the movie since there isn't a theater anywhere close by!
I'll keep you updated with everything that goes on!
