Day 4: Rules, Rules, Rules

I didn't post yesterday because my students were just writing their essays over their summer reading. I gave them a choice of 3 topics related to the reading (conflict, choices, defend or support the book as summer reading), and they had to chose one. I also gave a 4th choice for the "slackers" and new students. They had to tell me about themselves as students. While the they all worked quietly on this (I allowed a minimal amount of talking if they needed to clarify a point with a friend), I graded their summer reading objective test. It was a productive day!

Today was fun. I gave the students in my LA classes 25 minutes to finish whatever they needed to finish on their summer reading essays. Most of them used their time wisely and finished. For the other 1/2 of class, we did a board activity similar to the "Chalk Talk" that we did on Tuesday. (Like I said on Tues., I don't want to give up on an activity just because it's not perfect the first time!) This time, we wrote "Classroom Rules" on the board. The students brainstormed class rules that they've heard before, and what they wanted to change about those rules. I agreed to be flexible with the rules IF students gave me something in return. The students chose the top 5 rules that they had a problem with, and through our discussion, 1st period came up with the following:

1. Teacher will give 30-second grace period on tardiness
* Students will work bell to bell
2. Teacher will allow students to use iPods quitely during individual work time
* Students will participate fully during group work time
3. Teacher will allow students to leave textbooks in classroom
* Students will come during advisement to finish work
4. Teacher will not give homework from the textbook
* Homework can be a worksheet or short writing assignment
5. Food, Drinks, and Gum are allowed
* Everyone will help clean up everyday

These seem pretty sensible to me! The experiment worked really well except in my 6th period SOPH LA (S) class. They just weren't interested in the activity. I had to pull 3 rules out of them, and their homework is to come up with 2 more rules, or they have to follow whatever rules I decide.

In LDC IV today, I had the students do their "I Am" poems. I showed them three of the best from last year (nicely written, beautifully illustrated), and told them to get to work. Most of them wanted to take them home to finish for homework, so they could make them look really nice. I noticed that the students have self-segregated. Asians/Hispanics. I've made a list to pair them into non-native language speaking pairs, and am going to think of some speaking and writing activities they have to do together in order to practice their English. Their tendency to stick to their "own kind" is why they are in LDC IV to begin with: they don't practice their English enough!

Tomorrow, I am introducing the students' research project to them. We'll see what kind of feedback I get from them....