Summer Acceleration 2014

In my 17th years as a public school educator, I have never taught or worked Summer School.  This year, I was asked to teach Science for Credit Recovery, the class students attend to do/finish work and then get credit for the class from this last school year.  I agreed b/c I taught Credit Recovery both sessions throughout the school year this year for 7th & 8th grade Science AND Social Studies (all at the same time in the same room).  As the Administrators planned, they realized I was needed to teach Reading in Summer Acceleration instead.  This is the course 8th graders need to take as a last ditch review before taking the 3rd administration of our state assessment, which they must pass to go to 9th grade.

At first, I started pulling together my own ideas and lessons, but I soon learned that the District Coordinator would give us a curriculum and individual student workbooks.  While I was excited to be given something so I didn't have to plan it myself and excited to be given texts I didn't have to go find, I was sad that it wasn't more engaging and included workbooks.

I taught two groups.  Group 1 was from 8:00-10:00, and Group 2 was from 10:00-12:00.  We met on June 10, 11, 12, 16, 17, 18, 19, & 23 for lessons/activities.  They took their test on the 25th.

I learned a lot during this time with my 2 groups.  While trying to keep them engaged and on task, we discussed the World Cup, movies, God, religion, Islam vs Judaism vs Christianity, the Big Bang Theory (not the show), Hurricane Katrina (its impact on a student and his relocation to Texas), what they read, why they don't read, why they hate reading, text to text, self, & word connections to all we read, books, and much more.  I tried to do Book Talks or Book Reviews to get them reading more.  I so enjoyed Group 1, their focus, topics of discussion, and personalities.  Group 2 was more worried about talking about any and everything and not doing any work, so they were a little more difficult with which to work.

When we met, we created Super Hero or Alter Ego names, so the students drew their pictures and we kept them on display in the classroom.

My Alter Ego name was Professor Sleuth.  I thought it was quite fitting.

Week 1: Focused on the Prove It Strategy/Annotating, Fiction, and Plot Structure

Week 2: Focused on Expository Text and Inferencing

Week 3: Focused on Text Connections and Testing

I can remember 3 horrifically awful testing experiences, and two of those occurred this last school year. After the 8 days we have had together (Group 2 and I), I was dreading testing yesterday.  I was so pleasantly surprised.  Yesterday was one of my best testing experiences ever.  They were so well behaved, and the majority worked hard and used their time wisely.  I don't know that they will all pass, but most have a better chance b/c they were so well behaved yesterday.  We should find out scores in 2 to 2.5 weeks.