Sometimes I'm worse than my own students (or kids!) when it comes to studying. Now that school is out, I am using my time to get caught up on all those projects that routinely get ignored throughout the school year, but especially from Spring Break until the close of school. I also use the summer for a little professional development.
Yesterday, I began an on-line course called Motivating Boys and Reluctant Readers. Though I've taught Language Arts to 8th through 12th grade students at the Alternative School for 12 years, last year was the first time that I actually taught Reading at the middle school level. It is different and then it's not. I'm not a Reading Specialist, but I need to get smarter about this. My attempt last year was noble, but there are many things that I would do differently. I'm hoping this class will strengthen what I did well, and help me improve my areas of weakness. It comes with the possibility of up to 45 CRU's (15 CRU's is 1 college credit). In order to earn the 45, I have much to do in the next two and a half weeks.
Course requirements include reading three professional articles, three middle school fiction books from the Young Hoosier Awards book list (I've picked Hoot, Red Kayak, and The Teacher's Funeral), and the entire text of Reading Don't Fix No Chevys. All of the above must be followed with reading responses posted to an on-line discussion board. I must also respond to two of my colleagues' responses to each of the six chapters of the text book.
I'm enjoying the reading, but I'm finding it difficult to just sit down to write the responses. Let's see . . . I've checked my mail on both accounts, surfed the 'Net, wrote something out for my daughters about their savings accounts, talked on the phone, fished for a lost earring (that I KNEW I wasn't gonna get back), did the dishes and blogged. . . OK, you've got the picture.
I guess I better get down to business. I'll feel better about this when I just get it done.
Comments (2)
You know, it makes me feel SO much better to know that YOU procrastinate, too. I thought that I might be the only one of the five of us who had that problem. The other day I planned to get out into the front garden and get a dozen plants into the ground. I fed the birds, watered the plants, started laundry and put away clothes, made my bed, cleaned off the counters in the kitchen and worked in the office for a bit before I forced myself to go outside. I'd been kneeling in the garden for less than ten minutes when the rain started. My shovel is STILL lying on the ground where I was working, three days later. I may make it out there tomorrow, but not Thursday, when it is expected to be in the 90s!
Your course sounds fascinating. Teaching reading is something I'd enjoy. I hope one day to become involved in teaching reading to adults. It seems like a good way to give back some of my own good fortune. We were incredibly lucky to be born into a family which values education.
Posted by buffy | June 5, 2007 9:20 PM
Posted on June 5, 2007 21:20
i can understand that. the reading is a pleasure, the responses turn it into work!
Posted by bod | June 6, 2007 3:23 PM
Posted on June 6, 2007 15:23