Halfway through summer school, and liking it.
I like summer school. It gives structure to my weeks and days. Without it, summer vacation might just turn into a tedious swamp of undifferentiated days. But now every weekend is a three-day weekend, and I'm home by 1:00, with no grading to do, and only minimal prep. It's a best-case scenario for teaching. Right now, I'm enjoying a quiet morning with my coffee and breakfast sandwich while the girls sleep downstairs. Four days a week, I'd be writing up the "Do Now" on my overhead and getting ready for the 7:30 - 9:30 class, which makes this morning feel special in a way it wouldn't if EVERY day were like this.
And the students actually seem to be engaged by the preview they're getting of geometry for next year. I'll try to keep track of them to see how their first-quarter grades are. We don't have a control, in that there isn't another class who's getting an algebra review instead of a geometry preview, but I have a general good feeling about it.
This doesn't excuse the last-minute switcharoo that the district played by suddenly having everybody teach one year ahead, but I at least understand the theory behind it.
And the students actually seem to be engaged by the preview they're getting of geometry for next year. I'll try to keep track of them to see how their first-quarter grades are. We don't have a control, in that there isn't another class who's getting an algebra review instead of a geometry preview, but I have a general good feeling about it.
This doesn't excuse the last-minute switcharoo that the district played by suddenly having everybody teach one year ahead, but I at least understand the theory behind it.