OK, in the run to get my lessons finished, I completely skipped blogging on Sunday. Monday was work all day and then a final, so that day was shot by the time I got out of my final. Yesterday? Work all day, and PD all evening, and then class, I was completely wiped out afterward. Sorry.

I started my unit today, it seemed to go pretty well. With the class that is the one I am using for my practicum, I never got beyond the introduction. My principal came in to observe, and I was doing an exercise with the kids where we had to list the reasons that people chose to live where they do, and then we had to list where, given a choice, we would live and why. Well, I guess I got carried away because the kids were coming up with some very good reasons. (They're bright!) Also, my principal used to tour the world, used to book, arrange, and lead tours. I wanted my kids to see this side of her, one they had absolutely no idea about. She loved talking to them, I think, like most administrators and professors, she misses having kids in a classroom. In any event, I didn't get more than 15 minutes done on my first lesson today, and I am filming my lesson tomorrow. Hope those that review my lesson understand!

I'm looking forward to incorporating the squeeze into this unit. I've already briefed the kids on it. One student asked me when we were going to get to play "that game" I told them about. I told her soon, but refrained from correcting her to let her know it was a reading strategy and not a "game". Why? If I can get them to think of a reading strategy as a game, then I am that much ahead, they might come to like it, and reading, more. I'm so evil. :)

I used the L&L approach with two young men who insisted on talking while I was delivering instruction today. I told them that staying in my classroom was their choice entirely. After I turned back around to write on the board, they started talking again> I let them out of the room telling them that they had made their choice. The asst. principal came by asking if he needed to do anything with them. I told him no, that they had just chosen to not be present in my room. He took them away, I don't know what he said. :) He brought them back and made them apologize not to me, but to the entire class for disrupting their education. They were pretty quiet the rest of class.