Many people have mentioned that you like that I share my failures. It makes sense because we all like to see that others are human as well and (sometimes) fall flat on their face in class. See my previous #confessions here. So here are 10 trimester 1 #confessions.
- El Pingüino stopped making his rounds to English speakers in class soon after this post was published. As with many management techniques I was not consistent enough to make it work.
- I rarely plan our baile viernes in advance. Usually I pull up the playlist and let 1st hour pick the song of the day.
- A student made it through our Costa Rica/Robo en la Noche unit only to believe that the book took place in Puerto Rico.
- We did not do any free reading the last 3 weeks of the trimester. Both upper level classes were reading novels and I figured we all needed a little break.
- There was a two week struggle with a parent over 2 points lost on a late student assignment.
- When a student says something that is hilarious but inappropriate, I have to turn around so students can not see me secretly laughing. (I have a terrible poker face).
- I constantly mix up 2 girls names (even though I know both of them).
- When my throat hurt, novel chapters were read alone, with partners, or using the audio book.
- Now that I have a senior assistant, I do not know what I would do without her. She makes my bulletin boards, copies, cuts out manipulative and gives me another “adult” to joke with during Spanish 1.
- I rarely do something in class that was not created by someone else. (Hello Martina Bex units and novel teacher’s guides).
What are your confessions?
Ha! I started a post almost exactly like this last week! 1) I haven't done Genius Hour since September, except one half-hearted effort last month. 2) I ran out of time and haven't even used the TPRS story I already had written.
I am glad I am not the only one! We are all human and perfection is never the goal 😉
1. I often plan my kinder/1st grade lessons 10 minutes before I walk in the room.
2. I have one fourth grade class that I've already sort of given up on in terms of letting them do any kind of partner work because they are so mean to each other.
3. I had to do a room clear on Tuesday and then had another student run out of the room without permission on Tuesday so naturally I ended up at a local restaurant at 3 for a drink and some buffalo chicken dip as reward for surviving the day/starting Thanksgiving break.
Great post – thanks for sharing!
I love all of your confessions! You know you are a pro when you can plan on the fly.
With regard to #7….I had twins in one class (after having their triplet older brothers in the same class the year before) that I could not tell apart. I made sure that their seats were assigned in completely different parts of the room and then made notes at the beginning of each class period on what they were wearing…and prayed that they never tried to trick me. I still cannot tell apart my twin cousins that grew up across the street from me. I call them "twin-o" and apologize profusely for my inexcusable inability to tell them apart every time that I am with them to this day.
So glad I am not alone here. I have basically given up on one of my classes who do nothing more than sit and stare at me. I keep trucking asking as if they're the greatest ever, but I'm about to just dull them with question after question individually, because they refuse to play my reindeer games as a group.
I LOVE THISSSSSS!!!!
#6 – totally me!!!!!!