My school doesn’t start for another ten days; students arrive in eleven. Some teachers were just told earlier this week what they will be teaching next year. I’m willing to bet that other teachers still don’t know. There is a possibility that teaching schedules could change between now and the 25th. It’s slight, but still a possibility. This all worries me, but I’m sure it’ll work out.
English 3 and Speech are classes I’ve taught several times in the past. Curriculum still needs tightening and arranging, but it will fall in line and I have some ideas. These are classes I have fun experimenting with.
English 2 is something I haven’t taught in about six years. I had a three year run with that course, but that’s not long enough to really get any strong plans under my belt, combined with the fact that those three years were at the beginning of my career. I have good friends who teach that level, so I’m sure I’ll have plans handed over as I ask for them, but I still feel like I need to carve my path. That will be my focus over the next week and during this school year. I hope to post some ideas in the next few days just in case you’re right there with me.
Are you teaching anything new? Are you teaching anything old that you plan to revitalize? How are you going to do it? What are your plans? Have you started?
Coming soon: Day One, 2009!
1. JasonP says:
[8/15/2009 - 10:11 am]
Todd,
I feel your sense of newness. I am teaching English II Standard and English II Honors for the first time this year. In my short career, 10th grade is the only high school grade that I have not taught before. I’m actually thinking that I can adapt some of the more original things that I did in English III last year (nonfiction, logic, certain teaching writing techniques) for 10th grade while finding my own way. I sort of look at it and go, “What were the kids struggling with when I had them at the start of last year?” and go from there.
And we got the kids back on Thursday.