Be More Thorough and Don't Be an Island

This past week was actually one of my best weeks so far! Feels like the light at the end of the tunnel is no longer 17,000 feet away, it's only 16,999 feet away now.....yippee, progress!! If I had it to do all over again, I would have really analyzed the rubric forwarded to me from another teacher regarding the Current Event Articles that my students were assigned to bring. The rubric was fine for her and her students, but not for us. I read the rubric and it seemed great at the time, but I failed to consider how my students would do following it. I forgot, that most of my students only want to do the absolute bare minimum to get by. I do have a few that are over achievers, but a lot of them are hardly willing to do the minimum.  The rubric listed a criterion, then gave a range from 0-20 points. I learned that rubrics for my students should be more specific and detailed. I also learned that its more challenging for me to be equitable when the range is so general. I found myself being more lenient with the students that generally perform better, than I was with the consistent "under whelmers", if you will. Favortism is definitely as game that I don't want to play as a teacher.

I also attended the New CTAE Teacher Workshop in Macon last Tuesday and Wednesday, and I enjoyed myself. I found the information very helpful. In the small groups with other teachers from my content area, I learned that I am not the only one struggling. I learned that some new teachers have a much more challenging situation than what I am dealing with. I can't imagine being a first year teacher and having a newborn at home!! I learned that the fellowship of others in a similar situation was encouraging for me. If I had to redo this week, I don't think that  I would!