The Beginning

Just started teaching CLASS last week. I am entering my second year of teaching this course. My freshmen are young, but trainable, my sophies are delightful and inquisitive, my juniors are like my very own children, and my seniors are brilliant. I can't wait to see how they all progress this year!

So far, we have done the basic stuff, like reminding everyone how to take Cornell Notes and organize their binders.

Our overarching theme this year is Prejudice. I decided to begin this theme by teaching the kids about 9/11. Just asking them questions today, I learned that they know a little about Al Qaida and Osama Bin Ladin, but some did not know that there were 4 planes involved and that the Pentagon was attacked as well. They were so young when it happened. Today I just taught them basic stuff like Al Qaida's responsible for 9/11 and Afghanistan was their training ground which is why we went into Aghanistan. There is so much more to the story, I know, but I have so little time to teach them!

I also learned today that one of my students is taking an online math class at Foss instead of taking a real live math class from a real live teacher. What the heck?

The assignment this week is for them to complete the Life Plan Assignment:

LIFE PLAN ASSIGNMENT

Your assignment is to make a timeline of your life. Indicate various milestones in your life by showing what age you plan to achieve these milestones. Some of the milestones you might not ever want (like marriage and/or children, or military service). If there are other milestones that are not listed here, please feel free to add them.

Be creative. These are going on the walls of our classroom.

Title your life plan with your name. Example: “Daniel’s Life Plan”

Milestones (in alphabetical order):

AmeriCorps Service
Begin career
Buy first house
College entrance (which college/university do you hope to attend?)
College graduation
First child
First job (part-time or summer job)
Fourth child
Graduate school (after you finish college)
High school graduation
Marriage
Military service
Second child
Third child