... and ninth week, START ... and I am flying solo!
Not that it's really a big deal. My cooperating teacher's been in and out the last couple weeks, and even when she's been there, it's not like I've had to rely on her much.
Plus, since most of the 6th grade's at Space Camp this week, the load's a bit lighter. The "modified" 6th class is down to two kids, and the regular class is down to just one. Had a nice little tutoring session with that one this afternoon.
Videotaping went fine Friday. I did force myself to watch the tape over the weekend -- all 70 or so minutes of it. Really wasn't too bad -- I can imagine worse. Naturally I saw plenty of things I'd like to improve, but nothing drastically terrible -- and I could generally understand what I was signing with the volume off. (The class I taped has one of the two kids I tend to voice and sign together with.)
The eighth graders are in serious Test Preparation Mode -- the state exam is next Tuesday and Wednesday, so until then we're practicing with last year's test. The girl who's obviously top of the class is going to do great -- her first time through the multiple choice section, she only missed two out of 27 problems. They're all a little anxious, but hopefully it'll be fine.
My supervisor comes again tomorrow -- he'll just be there for the morning, then he's heading to Michigan to observe another student. Mostly he'll see the ninth grade -- here's hoping Combining Inequalities goes well (it should, as long as they remember what they learned last Thursday about conjunctions and disjunctions). I might be videotaping that lesson, too, just to have choices.
And ... the digital clock has been banished. Realizing that far too many of our students are relying far too much on the digital message clock in every room, my cooperating teacher covered the portion where the time shows to force the kids to look at the analog clock. It's been a learning experience for many.
Better get this lesson plan written for the 9th grade ... I'm hoping to work in some "active/discovery learning" ... I used to do it all the time, but it's a lot harder to let the kids wade into uncharted waters when you're not so sure of your communication skills.
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Really? Deaf kids have not been taught to read an analog face clock?
ReplyDeleteWe ARE talking about:
- a round thing with numbers 1 thru 12
- 60 tick marks spaced about 6 degrees apart in a circle
- an hour hand
- a minute hand
- a second hand
- assembled in a cheap plastic housing and
- probably powered by an outlet high on the wall
are we not?
Why is that?
Posted by Mike
They've been *taught*... they just haven't practiced enough to develop the skill to a usable level.
ReplyDeleteRealize that at this particular school (and many other schools for the deaf, I'm sure), every room has one of those little electronic marquee message displays. (Not really sure what to call it.) It displays the time, and often it's the only clock in the room. So even after they've been taught, there's always the digital clock to look at, so why bother?
Thus the covering of the digital readout... Our analog clock is battery powered and hanging on a hook just above the side chalkboard.
Posted by Rachel