Continued

So the election just keeps getting more and more interesting. I don't necessarily think they're learning more, but they're definitely getting into it. Today was their first debate. It was a little rocky, but pretty good. One candidate really ticked off a party leader and I have a feeling he's going to feel the effects of that in the next debate. I video taped some of the candidates but I don't think the videos do it justice so I'm not going to include it. However, I would just like to note that this election has spawned a whole slew of Facebook groups. EARL, The Old English Party, and the PRC all have Facebook groups now. The only one I could find is EARL.

EARL http://georgefox.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2358833282

It was so funny because EARL came up to me today to tell me that they have some people from other countries on their Facebook group. They found it funny that they are taking their message global without even intending to.

So...4th and 5th periods are doing cultural experiences. They have to fill a 45 minutes by teaching their classmates about another country's culture. However, instead of presenting, they are supposed to create an experience through which their classmates learn and they must assess their learning. So far it's been varied. 5th period has done very well, very much an experience. They do games and teach dancing. Today we had a flamenco dancer. The other day they did stations on Japanese culture (including 2 minutes of DDR)--learning about the crazy Japanese technology, pop culture, and traditions. I learned that in Monaco you have to wear a collared shirt to get into anything and most of the time you need a jacket and tie. So, that group taught everyone how to tie a tie and then had them race to do it. Today the Greece group made an art museum in the classroom and taught their classmates to identify different eras of art and trace Greece's history through their art (and they threw in the Lincoln memorial and a statue from Rome to show how Greek art has influenced other art). Each group brings food. I had sushi for the first time, 3 pieces of baklava today (bad, I know), and pounded moshi (I don't know how to spell that). Anyway, it is different but it is good because I don't have to prepare anything, I just have to take damages.

Today's was awful. I felt bad for both groups. Both were very prepared and spent a lot of time before class getting ready but one bombed because of some technology issues (and because their group members didn't follow directions) and the other didn't do as well because they had saved all their different peices on different school accounts so they kept having to log out and back on to the computer to get their peices. I was irritable today too, because the groups weren't prepared enough so the kids were not paying attention and...yeah, it bothered me when they weren't respectful.

BUT...6th actually went really well today. They were mesmerized, and that is a good thing. But, i'm so ready to be done. This end of the year stuff is really getting to me. There is just too much to do and I keep getting bugged by everyone: administration for various extra jobs, administration for "reminders" that I know but don't have time for, the counselors about students, the students about their grades, ARGH!!! I understand that's part of my job but seriously, by the time I finished with all the "issues" today, it was and hour and a half after school was out! Then I remembered I had Bible study so I didn't even get the planning done that I had been planning to do after getting finished with the "chores."

The end of the story is that I'm exhausted, I didn't get enough done, and I have to teach 6th period tomorrow for 90 minutes and I'm starting a new unit and I have no idea what I'm doing. I'm too tired to work now so I'm going to try to get up early tomorrow (this is day 3 I've tried it...4th time's a charm?) and plan for US History. I have locker clean up duty tomorrow (one of the chores the admin has blessed me with...during the time when I need to be scrambling tomorrow...).

Reflection: 3rd period makes me laugh, 4th & 5th made me mad, and 6th and 7th were fine. Prom is in the air...and the drama is intoxicating. I hope they don't all get intoxicated...

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