My students this year continue to need more supervised class time to complete work that previous years could complete in one class period or less...and I am no closer to answering my question of why?
So instead I have modified and adjusted the schedule to give them that time. Not to simplify their work, or expect less of them, simply to allow them more class time with me to complete it by building in more makeup days/enrichment opportunities for those who did complete the work at the pace I expected.
This has meant more reteaching time, and retakes of test...I still see a need to offer formative assessments over smaller chunks of content, as do the other 7th grade teachers, so I plan to add to my test assessments so I have one per chapter for next year...no 2 or 3 chapter unit tests. And keep those enrichment ideas coming for my top students in science.
This is the way my whole school is moving for next year, adding reteach/enrichment class time for all students in all areas. So I am doing this for my own classes independently since I know Math and English will take precedence each week for reteaching time in this extra class we are adding to the schedule.
I am one week behind where I had planned to be for Spring break, so my final week of lessons and the Geology benchmark are set for when we return. Then it is full steam ahead with our state AIMS tests and Ecology/Water Conservation for the end of the year!
This week off I am focusing on my teacher evaluation documentation log and narratives needed. I agreed to skip the second observation since I do hope and expect to get the effective rating, so it isn't necessary. So getting the rest of my evidence and artifacts uploaded and finalized is important. This first pilot year I feel a bit trepidatious about this whole thing, but one often does with new things, next year should be smoother as long as they don't change the rules at all.
Maura
No comments:
Post a Comment