Friday, August 22, 2008

We're Off to the Races

School started this week and I must say it was a comedy of errors in a lot of respects. Our rosters are not completed , so we don't know who is supposed to be in the class or not. Plus, they have the teacher's schedules all mixed up. I would be expecting a certain class to show up, but another group of students showed up instead. It's always nice to start a class off by having to ask them, "What class is this.?" Thankfully, the students have us all straightened out. I also missed sending my students to lunch on day two. They had to create a special "4th lunch" period heretofore known in our school as "Neuburger's Lunch."



I appreciate all of the replies to my last post regarding how to begin a Holocaust unit. I have decided to start with the research paper. I guess I want the students to see just how broad the topic of the Holocaust is and the wealth of sources they have available to them. I also hope they begin to find a narrower topic for further research they will be doing next semester.

The next thing we will do is read Night collaboratively via a blog with Danielle's class in McCool Junction. Danielle and I are both excited about the possibilities of this. My twenty-one copies of Night have not materialized as promised, so it looks like I'll be digging into my own pocket for those.

Leslie and Danielle both start out with talking about identity, but I am going to work it into my classroom after reading Night. I plan to use the I am From poem as a starting point for a multigenre project. My plans are sketchy from this point on, but will take shape as I get there.

Valarie, I would be most happy to get your ideas, and if you need to call me, give me a jingle. I know I'll enjoy visiting with you. 417 827 0455

Danielle, anything you want to send my way will be appreciated. I'll talk to you in a couple of weeks.
neuburger54@missouristate.edu

I hope all is going well for everyone.

3 comments:

Mrs. Bethune said...

Nice pic Larry. :)

I, too, just completed the first few days of school and all seems to be going well so far - nothing like your scheduling and lunch fiascoes!

I'm really looking forward to working with you and your students this semester!

I'll be in touch and see what "knowledge" to send your way.

~Danielle

dfield said...

Larry: If you are short on funds, apply to us for a mini-grant. We will furnish you with the books you need. Contact Sondra for the mini-grant.

The blog is the greatest. Thanks, Thanks, Thanks. We all appreciate it more than you will ever know.

We love you all. You are the greatest teachers. With you all teaching our kids how can we go wrong?

Best regards.

David A. Field

Ilka said...

"I am" suggestion. I don't know if it would work in your concept, but a few years ago I used it to make a communal poem. Each student wrote three lines which were each revised three times. Each student then selected one line for the final copy. I arranged them in common themes and we had a generational "I am" poem. What was interesting was how the kids reacted by appreciating the things another student mentioned to which they could find a commonality. As they viewed it, comments came...
"I remember that..."
"You did that too?"
"I forgot all about those..."

It was pretty nifty.