I got my (early) list of classes today. I’m teaching four courses, after some serious negotiation yesterday. I would like to say that this is a definitive list, and that there won’t be any changes… but hey, I’ve worked here ten years, I know how things change. This year’s schedule is definitely subject to change.
So:
World Languages: Latin
This is the linchpin class of my whole schedule this spring. Our Latin teacher is also our Chinese teacher, but he can’t teach Latin II and Chinese I during the same timeslot to the ninth grade. I have to do this one, and it affects the rest of my schedule. So, having prepared for Latin I all summer, I’m now teaching Latin II. Currently, I’ve only got one kid in the class, though that may change.
World Languages: English
We’ve divided the English department into the Language Arts and Literature program on one side, and the WL course, which amounts to grammar, spelling, pronunciation and writing practice on the other. I’m no longer teaching Shakespeare; I’m teaching its vs. it’s. Important, potentially fun. Maybe I should use ‘s How to succeed as a failing writer columns for in-class material.
History 9-4
This is a different section than I’ve taught in the past. Normally, I teach the middle sections of the ninth grade, but this is the most supported section of ninth grade history. It means I probably won’t be doing a research paper of 10 pages in the spring; it’s more like I’ll be teaching study skills, timelining, outlining, and some writing practice. I’ll have to look at the kids in this class pretty carefully, and see what their limits are. Then I’ll have to push those limitations outward and in positive directions. Challenging but interesting.
History 7-3
This history class and the other both use the same book. As with 9-4, I’ll be doing a lot of explanation in class, and developing time-line, outline, and writing skills. Study skills will be critical for this group: how to read a text book, how to highlight, how to quiz yourself. I’ll have to make up a lot of quizzes and tests for this group, and regularly assess their understanding. Again, challenging but interesting.
Maybe I should use [info]ocvictor’s How to succeed as a failing writer columns for in-class material.
Have you seen The Transitive Vampire: A Handbook of Grammar for the Innocent, the Eager and the Doomed ?
>Maybe I should use ocvictor’s How to succeed as a failing writer columns for in-class material.
Dear God. If you do, make sure you give them versions with correct “it’s” and its,” because the copy editing on some of those, particularly the earlier ones? Not so good.