The Ambitious Procrastinators

 Here are some thoughts and reflections about the first semester.

 I previously taught these students in English I and English II. This experience is called looping,
 and I think that it is beneficial to follow a class for two years. Teaching the same class for three
 years creates more issues; I have found it challenging and exhausting. I have a high number of
 going through concurrent enrollment, more students who should have taken college classes, and
 the students with the same problems they had a few years ago. I have students who have a job, and
 students who are involved in many activities. They wanted me to describe their class using one
 word. One word cannot describe this class; I came up with an oxymoron, ambitious
 procrastinators. Some students are very ambitious and work hard to achieve their goals,
 some students are ambitious but procrastinate, and the rest of the students who just procrastinate.

 I love English literature, but I noticed that when the students were forced to read Beowulf or a
 Shakespearean play, they became apathetic. Of course, when they chose something to read based
 on their interests or career choices, then they read without whining about it. I tried to match up       students interested in the medical field with books about medicine or students who liked history
 read about people or events in history. Students had to complete the rough draft of their senior
 paper this semester, and they worked every Friday on it. Most of the students worked, but their
 were some who wanted to waste the time they were given. Even though I have to play the high
 school game, next semester I am going to set up my classes like a college class. Well, the best
 at I can do. I'll lecture one day; then the students will work in study groups the next day. On
 Wednesday, the students will be in discussion groups. On Thursday, I will again be the Sage on the
 Stage and get them ready for Monday. Friday will be our Genius Hour Day. They have to
 complete the final copy of their senior paper and give the senior project speech in May. The most
 difficult part of this year was creating new curriculum for this class.

Even though I have taught almost 25 years, I still make changes. I changed the curriculum to better fit the students, I did an extreme-makeover of the classroom this last summer so that it became my classroom, and I am always willing to try something new even though it may not work like I want
it to work. Being the a teacher doesn't mean that you have to play follow the leader. You have to
forge your own path to take just like your students have to find the one best for them.