Friday the 13th Update - Spooky how the year is flying by!
How are we in the middle of October already? I feel like this school year only just began, yet here we are already past Thanksgiving and so much has already happened!
Perhaps one of the things I'm most excited about is that I was picked to be the male staff leader for our March break Global Learning trip to Ecuador and Galapagos. Having spoken to staff who've led this trip in the past, as well as friends and family who have been before, I am extremely excited for this opportunity. Applications from students were due earlier this week, so I will be finding out who my group will be sometime soon.
And as if traveling south for March break wasn't enough, I'll also be heading to Washington, D.C. for the November break for the third time. This is perhaps my favourite trip, with the stop at Gettysburg on the way down, the time spent exploring Smithsonian's along the Washington Mall, touring the sites, and having dinner at Martin's Tavern at Georgetown while the kids have some free time to explore and shop.
My classes this year have been going well, and I feel like I am starting to get into the right routines and so are my students. Teaching in a non-semestered school with such an extensive orientation program means that we're still only about 10 classes into the year; the equivalent of two weeks in a public, semestered school! Sometimes I really have to keep that in mind when I worry about having accomplished so little and being in October. I'm co-teaching this year, with two amazing teaching partners. Two sections of the Gr. 11 Introduction to Anthropology, Sociology, and Psychology (APS or Anthro for short) and two sections of Gr. 11 Academic Physics.
In APS, we started the year with a mock-dig that's been running for several years. Over the summer, several teachers bury a collection of replica skulls, bones, and stone tools that span the last ~4 million years. These are buried in multiple layers to help simulate the idea that the relative depth of an object is related to its age. Students are introduced to the skills needed in Archeology (as a branch of Anthropology) through this half-day "field trip" to the north end of campus. The weather was perfect and the students really enjoyed the hands-on learning. Plus all the objects uncovered in the dig made a perfect backdrop for our studies in Anthropology and human origins.
In Physics, we are teaching through a modelling method in which students can develop their understanding through the creation of models. We then push this models to their limits, see where they break, and in turn develop newer models that represent our new understanding. This is much different than how I learned, or saw working on my B.Ed.: the memorize formulas, practice solving problems, with lots of tests, and the odd "cookie-cutter" lab that tests whether you can follow instructions and write up a proper lab report method. If you're interested, check out Kelly O'Shea's blog, the go-to resource for my understanding of modelling.
The school year wouldn't be complete without extra-curriculars, and my volleyball boys have been working hard this year. While I still have plenty of areas to develop as a coach, I'm lucky to be working with an amazing coaching and athletics team. Add to the mix a group of 12 senior boys who are passionate about sports, ready for practice, and willing to put in extra time with some early morning practices, this season has been great. We're 2-1 so far this season, which a lot of games in the next few weeks. We've got our eyes set on making playoffs this year!
Perhaps one of the things I'm most excited about is that I was picked to be the male staff leader for our March break Global Learning trip to Ecuador and Galapagos. Having spoken to staff who've led this trip in the past, as well as friends and family who have been before, I am extremely excited for this opportunity. Applications from students were due earlier this week, so I will be finding out who my group will be sometime soon.
And as if traveling south for March break wasn't enough, I'll also be heading to Washington, D.C. for the November break for the third time. This is perhaps my favourite trip, with the stop at Gettysburg on the way down, the time spent exploring Smithsonian's along the Washington Mall, touring the sites, and having dinner at Martin's Tavern at Georgetown while the kids have some free time to explore and shop.
My classes this year have been going well, and I feel like I am starting to get into the right routines and so are my students. Teaching in a non-semestered school with such an extensive orientation program means that we're still only about 10 classes into the year; the equivalent of two weeks in a public, semestered school! Sometimes I really have to keep that in mind when I worry about having accomplished so little and being in October. I'm co-teaching this year, with two amazing teaching partners. Two sections of the Gr. 11 Introduction to Anthropology, Sociology, and Psychology (APS or Anthro for short) and two sections of Gr. 11 Academic Physics.
In APS, we started the year with a mock-dig that's been running for several years. Over the summer, several teachers bury a collection of replica skulls, bones, and stone tools that span the last ~4 million years. These are buried in multiple layers to help simulate the idea that the relative depth of an object is related to its age. Students are introduced to the skills needed in Archeology (as a branch of Anthropology) through this half-day "field trip" to the north end of campus. The weather was perfect and the students really enjoyed the hands-on learning. Plus all the objects uncovered in the dig made a perfect backdrop for our studies in Anthropology and human origins.
In Physics, we are teaching through a modelling method in which students can develop their understanding through the creation of models. We then push this models to their limits, see where they break, and in turn develop newer models that represent our new understanding. This is much different than how I learned, or saw working on my B.Ed.: the memorize formulas, practice solving problems, with lots of tests, and the odd "cookie-cutter" lab that tests whether you can follow instructions and write up a proper lab report method. If you're interested, check out Kelly O'Shea's blog, the go-to resource for my understanding of modelling.
The school year wouldn't be complete without extra-curriculars, and my volleyball boys have been working hard this year. While I still have plenty of areas to develop as a coach, I'm lucky to be working with an amazing coaching and athletics team. Add to the mix a group of 12 senior boys who are passionate about sports, ready for practice, and willing to put in extra time with some early morning practices, this season has been great. We're 2-1 so far this season, which a lot of games in the next few weeks. We've got our eyes set on making playoffs this year!
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