First Monday of the year. First-Late-Start-Teacher-Collaboration-Time-Schedule, where the kids (this year it’s district-wide at all schools) start school an hour later on Mondays, “so’s us teachers kin do sum co-laborationing.” Sorry, Tom Sawyer is still a few months away. Monday means spelling and vocabulary lists. The vocabulary ALWAYS comes from whatever we’re reading at the time, and the spelling lists either work a spelling rule/theme or a Latin/Greek/etc. roots theme. So…between the shortened periods due to late start, and introducing the spelling/vocabulary/crossword routine, we didn’t get any Outsiders reading in. I also didn’t get to pound “Unpack Your Adjectives” into them again. I forgot:I started the assault on their subconscious last week. I started by asking how many of them could sing at least the main part of a commercial jingle. Of course, nearly all could, and I had to stop them from demonstrating. Then, we talked about those songs/jingles that you just can’t get out of your head, no matter how hard you try. “Well,” I said, “I’m going to make sure that this time, what you’re singing to yourself in the shower is at least semi-useful to you. When you are 97 years old – though by then
Middle school teaching: Five shows a day, 180 days a year.
