Entry #8 - Oct. 26, 1998
"It strikes me that it's ironic that my training is for a unit
on catastrophic events. Some how I don't think the planners would consider
missing a week of school catatstrophic, but I certainly do! I think every
teacher could use a clone, maybe then we could feel like we're getting our
work done...."
The mosaic mural is done and it looks great! It was an exhilarating and
exhausting project. Going from a bare wall to a two-story piece of art in
less than twelve days seemed like an impossible goal, but as the artist
taught the kids to cheer, "We Did It!".
I was just reading the students' evaluations and was struck by a few of
their comments. Joe said, "I feel good because when I get bigger my
family will come see it." Dara said, " I feel happy about what
I did. I feel proud. It was hard work. I put tiles on the wall. I liked
making the grout. I feel great because we finished and we did it."
Jonathan said, "I learned that there are not just fishes in the sea.
I learned that you don't just put tiles on the wall. I feel very good about
myself." When asked what he needed to learn next, Pedro said, "I
need to practice talking to kids and others," and Cynthia wants to
learn "to make a brochure about the process" and William wants
to teach our guests "...about all the different techniques the different
fish use to get their food."
I'm glad the mural won't be just a one-shot deal. Special projects that
come in with a bang and then just fade as a nice memory are too often the
rule. Making this project an ongoing seventh grade responsibility is a challenge
we hope to make into a reality. We're aiming for a December or January dedication
of our exhibit, with our first visiting classes in January. I've never thought
about setting up a mini-museum before and I'm excited about the possibilities.
I can tell by the kids' evaluations that they're excited too.
Last week I wrote about the tension which
resulted from my pulling students from other classes for the mural project.
I raised the issue of special projects and their demands and more specifically
the need to build full team ownership of these grant activities, in my Critical
Friends Group. We're going to discuss it at our November meeting.
In the meantime, I spoke to a few other teachers from my building and have
found two completely different perspectives. On the one hand are the teachers
who say it's good for the kids and we have to just go with the flow, like
when we get called to assemblies, etc. On the other hand, and these are
the folks I'm concerned about, there are teachers who release the kids with
stern warnings about how they're responsible for every moment of work they've
missed. I think the kids need to do the work too, but I feel badly about
the resentment that's hanging in the air.
These teachers don't really want to discuss the project and its effects.
It feels like they're just glad it's over. My dilemma is, do I pursue it
in a team meeting as well as in the CFG or do I let it go and try to organize
my end of the bargain better the next time? I guess that's what we'll focus
on in next month's CFG discussion.
I'm going away tomorrow for a week's training at the Smithsonian. Johns
Hopkins, one of our adopters, set it up. I'm sorry to be out during the
term and I'm also uneasy because it's ended up being back to back with the
mural project. But once again, the opportunity to get training and enough
free materials for all 99 of my eighth graders was too good an offer to
refuse.
However, planning lessons for subs, who you know won't follow them, is an
exercise in futility. My gerbils are being boarded in another classroom;
my fish and plants are being cared for by students with letters of introduction;
my CD player is locked in the office; my staplers and scissors are locked
in my locker, and all of the computers are locked and turned off...it's
a nightmare! I'm probably responsible for killing a small forest with all
the work I've copied. I guess I just have to hope for the best and focus
on the training, right? That's what my head says, now if my stomach would
only catch up.
It strikes me that it's ironic that my training is for a unit on catastrophic
events. Some how I don't think the planners would consider missing a week
of school catastrophic, but I certainly do! I think every teacher could
use a clone, maybe then we could feel like we're getting our work done....
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