Today was the first day it was cold enough to feel like Fall was officially here and winter was officially on it’s way.  It’ll get warm again, I’m sure, but for today it was chilly.  I ordered a pumpkin spice iced coffee from Dunkin’ Donuts.  (My first of the Basic White Girl season.)

Today I’m having students practice public speaking; 90 seconds in front of the class talking about themselves.  Some of the students have enjoyed it, but others told me they almost peed themselves.  So far everyone has done it.  Hands out for public speaking is going on my list of lesson supplements to put on my TeachersPayTeachers store.

For now, I have to grade open responses.

Tomorrow is day 18, which means a tenth of our year will officially be in the books.  For us, that means that progress reports are due.  It’s bizarre.  This one comes so early.  I always think it should be:

• 180 days = year ends
• 90 days = semesters end
• 45 days = quarters end
• 22 or 23 days = progress reports end

Maybe it’s done differently because of a concern about snow days later in the year?  Maybe there is logic at work that I don’t understand as a teacher of ELA?  Maybe something else entirely?  The world is full of too many maybes for me to understand.

What is helping me to understand life better is continuing to use my bullet journal, now in a Traveler’s Notebook, to organize my thoughts.  It’s helping me keep much better track of my notes this year.  Plus, because a TN uses inserts, while I continue to use the index concept of a Bullet Journal, I can also separate my thoughts into different types.  For me, this is HUGE.

Read 180 and Enrichment continue marching ever forward.  All I need is a desk, and life will be good.

Today is day 10.  1/18th down.  I’m surprised by how much I’m going to like teaching Read180.  People told me it was super prescribed and left no room for originality, but that is not the case.  The students and I give it originality every day.  Neither of my classes are alike.  Their personalities change the way I teach whole group and small group lessons.  What they get through on the computer changes them.  While the stations are clearly defined, that’s the least of what they should be doing.  I’m enjoying it.

My 10th graders are working in groups on posters that advertise their shops.  It’s cute.  They’ve all got serious opinions on what is important, and it’s nice to see them so passionately focused on their work.  I’ll post pictures of the posters once the kids have presented on them.