As the end of the year nears it is very tempting to hit the “cruise control” button. It is easy to pop that VHS in, hit play and let the remaining minutes pass by in a stream of mono-toned narrations and antiquated special effects. Many of us will check out the laptop cart or hit the computer lab and assign our students to create “big projects” that are busy work masked in PowerPoint slides, driveling essays or elaborate posters. Instead, let us finish the year as strong as we started and not hit the cruise control button…our kids deserve better.
Kids will feed off our attitude and if we expect the best from them, then we must give them the best of us.
Josh,
Thanks for this post. You verbalized my feelings exactly. In fact, a 7th grade student of mine asked me this week, as I introduced some new structures, required by the Common Core, "Mrs. Subert, isn't the end of the school year supposed to get easier, not harder?"
I simply told the student that we are on a learning journey, and since I still have the pleasure of having him in my class again next school year, we have a lot more time to travel together.
Becca
http://themessyclassroom.blogspot.com/