Well, we've just finished week 5. We have 3 more weeks left in the quarter, and we're all dragging. I mean barely keeping eyes open, can't pick feet up off the floor kind of dragging. The students are tired, I'm tired. The last thing I want to do in the morning is get up and go play performing monkey for three hours. For anyone who is not a teacher (or public speaker of some kind), keeping people engaged is difficult, and you often feel like you're on stage performing. Most times, students pick up some of the slack, helping you keep everyone entertained, but at this point in the game, that's the last thing they want to do as well. The last few weeks of any quarter are a tough road, but Summer is even more so.
Today, we watched a movie. A cute, fun, summery movie that fit into our cause and effect theme of the week. I hope the students enjoyed it, but I always feel a bit exposed when I show a movie in class - what are they thinking about it? Do they like it? Are they having fun? Do they think I'm dumb for showing them this? Are they seeing the point in it? I'm much more nervous about showing a movie in class than I am about most anything else I do. I try to find movies that are enjoyable for a wide range of people - that are entertaining, but contain nothing too controversial (and with multiple cultures that can be difficult), and that can be worked into a lesson plan so students don't feel like I've wasted their time.
I do have to say, I am much more understanding of the movies we watched in class when I was in school now. Being a teacher is a tough job, but it's a job that we still try to do our best at...even when we're dragging.
11 more days...not that I'm counting or anything :)
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