I only have three more weeks until I go home! This term has absolutely flown by and I can’t believe it’s already eighth week. My winter break is Thanksgiving to New Year’s.
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What’s on your mind? (Students/school edition).
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Not a ton of reading, at least compared to musicology or history courses, but a decent amount. And yes, lots of discussion. Pretty much an open floor the whole class.
I always forget there are institutions that offer online classes. That simply isn’t something that exists here. The school is far too small for that to make any sense, and online classes are not allowed per the accreditation policy.
I finished the semester three weeks ago. Going to the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago next week, which I am excited for.
Wow, that’s quite early! Did you have Thanksgiving and Christmas combined?
I’ll be off from December 18th until late January or start of February for the break.
As it turns out, I discovered that Chinese New Year/Lunar New Year is later in mid-February 2026, after Christmas break, so I’ll have school in the way. I hope I don’t pick an in-person class that falls on the Tuesday of it, as it’s considered bad luck in that tradition to not celebrate with your family. But the pre-Lunar New Year day is on Presidents’ Day.
The past two years, my Christmas break was up until mid-February, so I got the Chinese new year holiday off.
My last final is tomorrow, Symbolist and Post-Symbolist Poetry. This will be fun... 
But finals have all gone well so far, so I should have no reason not to be confident about this last one.
Then I'm off until January 5.
But finals have all gone well so far, so I should have no reason not to be confident about this last one.Then I'm off until January 5.
indeed some schools have finals in start of December. good luck on crushing it.My last final is tomorrow, Symbolist and Post-Symbolist Poetry. This will be fun...
Then I'm off until January 5.
I didn't have to do final exams for language arts classes, I just did essay project.
My school decided to do finals in mid December cos the school year started the week prior to Labor Day, so we had to push some things around.
Yes. Term 1 runs mid-September to Thanksgiving, Term 2 runs New Year's to mid-March, and Term 3 runs late-March to mid-June. A nice schedule, I think.
Ohhh so since the holiday breaks are combined for winter break and thanksgiving you come back to school after new years right? Here in California colleges and universities give at least a month and a half to two months of winter break.
We can also take winter classes, mostly online or some in person to get our ges or major requirements done faster. I do take one winter class online so I can still get the opportunity to enjoy the winter break and also if break time includes lunar new year 🧧 I can celebrate it.
I will be (or, "have to be done") finishing my Data Analysis class by 15 Dec.
Our task is to create a bespoke Rubric. The push-pull around this is to create a pre-test, and a post-test; we have been asked to measure student-improvement (or 'otherwise'), the measurement of which aligns to Criteria that crosses our Rubri-con.
My goal has been to focus upon the renewed development of my kiddos' (HS (14-17y/o) minds, with a specific goal of filling the gaps in their mathematical/analytic mindsets (gaps which unwittingly hold, and which prevent them from attaining an understanding of the more complex questions posed through their advanced studies). I have determined that units (and the conversion-between) are of particular importance to the attainment of said understanding.
Faced with the Problem:
"Convert 7km to yards."
I am also asking them to re-phrase the question to:
"Given 7km, how many yards does this equal?"
I teach the Sciences (all of them (at the same time (in the same classroom))), and Sisyphus held no greater task
The central thesis is not just to convert, but to persist in the determination of the intermediary unit-equivalence needed to accomplish the goal.
I am attempting to hone their analytic, problem-solving skills. I am also trying to get them to a point where they keep-on keeping-on (through the face of adversity, and frustration) to persist in these efforts to a degree of fulfillment.
Luckily, the weather is cold, and all these neurons rubbing-together keeps my classroom quite warm
Our task is to create a bespoke Rubric. The push-pull around this is to create a pre-test, and a post-test; we have been asked to measure student-improvement (or 'otherwise'), the measurement of which aligns to Criteria that crosses our Rubri-con.
My goal has been to focus upon the renewed development of my kiddos' (HS (14-17y/o) minds, with a specific goal of filling the gaps in their mathematical/analytic mindsets (gaps which unwittingly hold, and which prevent them from attaining an understanding of the more complex questions posed through their advanced studies). I have determined that units (and the conversion-between) are of particular importance to the attainment of said understanding.
Faced with the Problem:
"Convert 7km to yards."
I am also asking them to re-phrase the question to:
"Given 7km, how many yards does this equal?"
I teach the Sciences (all of them (at the same time (in the same classroom))), and Sisyphus held no greater task
The central thesis is not just to convert, but to persist in the determination of the intermediary unit-equivalence needed to accomplish the goal.
I am attempting to hone their analytic, problem-solving skills. I am also trying to get them to a point where they keep-on keeping-on (through the face of adversity, and frustration) to persist in these efforts to a degree of fulfillment.
Luckily, the weather is cold, and all these neurons rubbing-together keeps my classroom quite warm
Our Term-2 Final Grades have been Posted, and we're coasting to Closure on the 18th.
Classes close on the 19th, and will resume on 6 Jan 2026.
Thus begins the yearly Journey; the span between which is when I can catch my breath(s), and (hopefully) become grounded to my bearings <s>
Classes close on the 19th, and will resume on 6 Jan 2026.
Thus begins the yearly Journey; the span between which is when I can catch my breath(s), and (hopefully) become grounded to my bearings <s>
I will be (or, "have to be done") finishing my Data Analysis class by 15 Dec.
Our task is to create a bespoke Rubric. The push-pull around this is to create a pre-test, and a post-test; we have been asked to measure student-improvement (or 'otherwise'), the measurement of which aligns to Criteria that crosses our Rubri-con.
My goal has been to focus upon the renewed development of my kiddos' (HS (14-17y/o) minds, with a specific goal of filling the gaps in their mathematical/analytic mindsets (gaps which unwittingly hold, and which prevent them from attaining an understanding of the more complex questions posed through their advanced studies). I have determined that units (and the conversion-between) are of particular importance to the attainment of said understanding.
Faced with the Problem:
"Convert 7km to yards."
I am also asking them to re-phrase the question to:
"Given 7km, how many yards does this equal?"
I teach the Sciences (all of them (at the same time (in the same classroom))), and Sisyphus held no greater task
The central thesis is not just to convert, but to persist in the determination of the intermediary unit-equivalence needed to accomplish the goal.
I am attempting to hone their analytic, problem-solving skills. I am also trying to get them to a point where they keep-on keeping-on (through the face of adversity, and frustration) to persist in these efforts to a degree of fulfillment.
Luckily, the weather is cold, and all these neurons rubbing-together keeps my classroom quite warm
When creating a rubric for your science classes, do you have to adhere to the NGSS standards and utilize SI units?
For instance, in my current physics class, the professor insists that we exclusively use SI units. Consequently, we’re required to convert millimeters and centimeters to meters and pounds to kilograms.
I'm friends with three people - one a family - who don't have TVs. Two of them spend ages staring at their phones or watching Netflix on a laptop screen. It would be more sociable (and better for their necks 😁) if they got tellys.
The third friend simply doesn't watch much at all, on any device. That's the way to do it.
The third friend simply doesn't watch much at all, on any device. That's the way to do it.
I watch my hbo and Apple TV shows /movies on my iPhone and MacBook screen but I have my MacBook Pro on an adjustable stand on my desk and I use a pillow on the swivel chair. I also only stick to watching one episode of two shows a day or one movie a day. And all of them I watch it Picture in Picture.
No; I am not required (in my daily instruction) to adhere to any, one, particular Standard. For my Masters, I am required to stick to the parameters of the State Standards; this is where my current instruction becomes sticky.
My daily instruction is in a school that lies within a PRTF, and all pre-defined bets are off; every Day is a New Day, and it thus becomes fortuitous that I am able to focus upon anything I choose to teach.
This being said, it behooves me to adhere to Standards; these are requisite to the Theme of instruction about the "Metric System", and representative of the idea that we must learn to speak one, central language to truly be understood. Unfortunately, I have come to identify that my 11th-Graders are not proficient in 5th-Grade Math!
If I am to teach 'Convention', I must invariably stick to Convention
As well she should!
mm -> cm is a relatively easy concept for my kiddos to grasp . . . the conversion from lb -> kg (on the other hand) is where I often observe students' eyes glazing over.
This is the cusp of where I am currently applying my focus.
I held a call with my Masters' Supervisor-Mentor, today, and she let me know that any further "Formal Observation" scenarios must be aligned with Secondary Science standards. I can persist in creating lessons that may help my students fill the gaps that they might have; what I cannot do (in order to become Certified as-such by State Standards) is represent myself outside of a "6-12K All Sciences Teacher".
My Licensure-Track is based-upon my initial State Testing ("GenEd All Science 6-12K"), and it is incumbent that my Program adhere to the requirements that they only be able to sign-off on such. I'm cool with the idea, but it's a real PITA when faced with the reality of teaching a transient, wide-ranging spectrum of Exceptional Children on-the-daily.
I may be required to develop--and implement--an observable Lesson on "cell structure", but I can always teach basic mathematical concepts to my kiddos
I hardly ever watch stuff. As I said in another thread, TV is probably my least favorite thing to engage in. Listening to music, however, I enjoy more than words can say.