Hi Ben –
I think the last email I sent you the subject line read, “Worst Year Ever.” So I thought it appropriate to give the subject of this email the title “Best Two Years Ever.” I switched schools two years ago and now work part time (every other day) at a fabulous high school. I sit my students in a semi circle (no tables) and I have the freedom to teach how I’d like AND the students are easy to win over.
I have to say, ever since I’ve mostly stuck to the invisibles, I am guaranteed engagement from the students which to me equals success. We were doing a story today about a peanut with eight eyes and one very long arm that reaches to the clouds, and I turned around and hugged the whiteboard (I actually have this on camera), and told the class how much I loved our character so far. They probably think I’m a little nuts (heehee), but it works.
I also do a calendar talk to start each day – it’s lovely. One day I didn’t have time to do it and the kids were like…”We never talked about the calendar!” I’ve been talking quite a bit about the caravan and showing news clips from el pais…
In October I taught a master class at Bowdoin for the third year in a row (on how to engage students in learning). This time it turned into a language lab – my first ever – and it went really well. I did card talk and the cat/mouse story…I was so nervous!
Con cariño,
Annemarie