Work Sample in progress!

I have now been at my school for three Thursday/Fridays in a row.  The kids ask about me, and seem happy enough to see me when I am there.  The little boys even arm wrestle each other in front of me and ask me to make bets on who will win. (I don’t give in!)

I’m beginning to write my Work Sample for this authorization, and I am planning my unit around The Diary of Anne Frank (the play) and the Holocaust.  So far, section 2 of my work sample (my unit plan) looks like this:

There will be edits, of course, and no one else has looked at this, and I’m new at it!  Those are my disclaimers, for all you very experienced lesson plan writers.  Suggestions are welcome.  And for those of you who take issue with the word “tolerance” like I often do (*please don’t assume anything about me based on this – that is for another post…), know that the school district used that word, and so it must become part of my goal.

Now I’m feeling self-conscious about my disclaimer, so here is a short tangent:
I do not like the word “tolerance” because I don’t think it is far-reaching enough – I think I would be offended if someone different from me told me they were “tolerating” me.  I would much, much rather be loved.

I will be teaching this unit beginning in mid-late November, so I have a little while.  That’s good, since I haven’t actually written any lessons yet.

Other news:

1. Eric got a new job!  He is studying to become a certified financial adviser.

2. I am doing Fantasy Football this fall, and I am SO out of my element – but enjoying it.

3. My running is on hold.   I had a good excuse for the first week or two, but now I have a little bit of time I can use for exercise.  Actually, I plan to start swimming on Tuesday evenings after I get out of class, and I’m pretty excited about that.

The leaves are turning colors and falling, the air is getting cooler and crisper, and a myriad other Autumnal clichés.  I am enchanted by fall every single year, and I’m always so disappointed when it turns into winter.  I’m savoring it while it lasts.

MAT Anticipation

Here I go into my masters program (yes, with this new bag from Eric)!  Classes begin on Monday, and I wish I could say I am going to spend a relaxing weekend at home catching up on laundry, drinking lots of water and getting plenty of sleep and preparing myself in every way possible to be launched into the approaching insanity.   Instead, I am leaving tomorrow morning, driving up to Seattle with Eric, visiting my best friend Betsy, seeing Eric’s parents, staying with his brother David, going to church Sunday morning, to David’s graduation ceremony Sunday afternoon, and back to Portland Sunday night, where we will meet Lydia at our apartment so that she can stay on our couch and pick her fiancé up from the airport Monday morning.  Doesn’t that sound like more fun, though?  I thought the very-very-very long sentence was appropriate.  I’m sorry if your eyes/mind disagree…

Here is my summer term class list:

Learning Theory / The Professional Educator / Action Research / Language and Literacy / Structures for Teaching and Learning

That is 8 credits in one month.  (For those of you who haven’t been in the college environment for a while, a typical full time load is 12 credits over a 4-month semester.)  During parts of July and August I will do my 2 unit practicum at the public school summer school program – hopefully getting some classroom teaching and more one-on-one experience.

2 more days….!