Tuesday, April 13th

Interesting morning.

I had the students help me with a homework assignment for one of my teacher development tasks using three questions that are the heart of the Assessment for Learning phiolosophy.
What are you learning?
How is your learning going?
Where to next? (which I reworded to: Where might your 'now' learning help you with future learning? but I'm not sure it's the same question)
I aslo threw in What are you NOT learning that you would like to learn?

I did need to be much more specific about details of student responses (we had a good discussion about ethics and respect) and I found out at the session this afternoon that it wasn't meant to be a class wide activity but the students provided me with some valuable feedback and insight into their experience nonetheless. The activity was worthwhile for all of us AND it showed me how I managed to misinterpret what my assignment was!! Go figure!!
I will need to take the time to translate their responses into Term 3 teaching goals especially as I can prepare to cover more of some of the things they want to learn that are being squeezed out of the day lately. It's the first time I have had a class ask for more French :)

Homework
nothing new (there have been a number of students who missed a few days last week who have work to catch up with/ complete)
Pink Day tomorrow- bully awareness assembly
Forms (are coming in slowly but surely) thanks

General Day
Vocabulous 'C' words team vocabulary assignment (the students do a great job encouraging each other- hopefully soon there will be fewer students who 'copy' answers and more effort to be part of the team!)
Greek Mythology- today each group received a new story to read and answered the questions set by their classmates yesterday. Our stories are Greek classics: Theseus & the Minotaur, Perseus and Medusa, Prometheus and the Story of Fire, Jason and the Golden Fleece and Pegasus the Winged Horse- it always surprises me how much the students love the crazy stories of Greek mythology. Some thoughts the students had today were about the story places (settings) being real (Mount Olympus, Crete etc.) and the story plots being fantastical and what it all meant- pretty deep thinking.
Math - still at protractor use in measurement of angles- it is a tricky skill for some and I find measurement a challenge to teach due to the patience needed to be as accurate as possible.

Mrs Kubin was our TOC for the afternoon as I was at the School Board Office for the next assessment for learning session.
Physical Education Mrs Kubin did an activity with the class

Dear reading/quiet work time- would like students who are behind to use this quiet time to get caught up with missed or incomplete activities

The HSSS musical theatre students brought a revue (preview) of some of the numbers from their musical "all Shook Up" a 50's musical and dance extravaganza- I heard it was great and was sorry I missed it. They usually try to promote it and get some extra practice time with a tour of the elementary schools.
Dismissal
Have a good evening. See everyone tomorrow.