Week 9: November 9th-11th

    

     Wednesday, November 9th

 ➽Not to be philosophical but...

    As it was the first day back from break, the kids were expectedly rowdy. Though I worked with a girl on her test and read with one of my normal students, I want to make this blog entry a little different. It is not atypical that when I come in, the kids are sitting 'crisscross applesauce' on the floor in a group lesson. They are excited to learn, battling each other for who can raise their hand the fastest to be called on. They laugh at the teacher's jokes and share their ideas. Below is a picture of the kids awed by the construction of their new slide:



    After Hubbell, I go to my own class, where half the kids have phones out, and many sip coffee- visibly exhausted. This is understandable because many in this class have a schedule full of APs. They're tired and overworked. 

    But my question is, where is the switch? When do we go from kids yearning to share our answers to teens simply trying to make it to the end of the day? Is it because of technology, or that more is expected of us? Even more importantly- is there anything we can do to stop this lack of creativity and fatigue?



     Friday, November 11th

 ➽Reading practice!

    I read with one of my main girls today. Each day she gets more and more confident in what she's reading. She is motivated to work outside of school and to read sentences fluently. In fact, she covered up the pictures in her books so she does not get hints for words. This girl is here to learn!






Comments

  1. Ms. DunleyDecember 9, 2022 at 10:03 AM

    Great question on Wednesday, November 9th. What do you think causes the switch?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Elena GentryDecember 17, 2022 at 11:25 AM

    Fifth grade is when most of my friends say their favorite year was because they were still KIDS. By freshmen year, students act out balancing who they want to be and who they think other people want them to be. It is also the year that responsibility becomes real.
    I think middle school is when this switch happens. Sixth graders enter filled with creativity and excitement but are met with cliques and popularity contests. Junior high is never an easy time, and at some point everybody needs to learn responsibility, but entering the real world shouldn't have to reduce individuality, creativity, and wonder.

    ReplyDelete

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