teaching English

Today I finished a long-term substitute gig teaching Language Arts at Riverton High.  I enjoyed it but am actually glad to be done.

I had 2 Language Arts 12 classes.  Those are kind of bottom of the barrel because seniors who are really serious about school generally pick concurrent enrollment, AP, or college prep classes.  We were working on a argumentative research paper.  I liked most of my students but was completely surprised that about half of the class did basically nothing.   No effort at all.  That is out of my frame of reference.

I had 3 Language Arts 10 classes.  Two of them were great and one gave me grief.  Those classes were working on writing a nonfiction children's book.

My favorite class was a Creative Writing class.  They made me laugh every time!  We were doing a poetry unit.  I didn't know a lot about the type of poems I was supposed to so I had to do a lot of research/homework.  My favorite things were their daily journal entries.  I gave a journal prompt and they wrote a page.  They had to share what they wrote at least once a week.  Some of them were so funny and incredibly creative.

The hardest thing for me was deciding how many points assignments should be worth and then grading them.  Writing is so subjective.  Maybe that's why I liked the creative writing class.  I just gave them points for completing the assignments.

I'm now ready for a few days off.

bits and pieces

I was going to do so much better at blogging this year and I am not off to a good start.  I think about it a lot.  Something will happen and I will think "I need to post this", but I get really crazy busy and never seem to find the time.

Chandler has turned 14.  My baby is FOURTEEN!  He was ordained a Teacher today.  He had a soccer tournament in January in Mesquite, Nevada.  His team did okay but not great.  We sure enjoyed the warm weather though.

I went to Colorado Springs this weekend to watch McKayla run.  She did not have great races but once again, I really enjoyed the beautiful weather!  Colorado Springs is a really pretty place.  I loved hiking in The Garden of the Gods.  I also explored Manitou Cliff Dwellings, home of the Anastazi Indians, and found them fascinating!

McKayla and I went snowshoeing one Saturday morning.  It was so much fun.  The untouched snow looked like thousands of shards of glass which was incredible!

Shanley asked Phillip Broadbent to the Sweetheart's Danc.  She is actually letting me cook dinner for their group.  I am excited about that.  I love to do stuff like that but Shan is not the child who usually lets me (Brakston is that child).

Mason had his first birthday.  My grandchild is one and is the cutest kid ever!  He is happy and active.  I missed his birthday party since I was in Colorado Springs which made me sad.  When will I learn to replicate myself?

I start a long-term English sub job tomorrow.  I will be teaching Language Arts 10, Language Arts 12, and Creative Writing.  LA 10 will be writing a nonfiction children's book.  LA 12 is working on a research/argumentative paper.  I'm not sure yet what Creative Writing will be doing.  I am excited but also a bit nervous.