Success Journal 1 - Monday 3/18

Coming back to school after spring break is difficult enough, and since I'm still recovering from a nasty cold that I've had over the past few days, I was definitely worried that this day was going to be a long, tiresome and head-ache filled one. However, my day was totally made by the students in my freshmen and sophomore classes. The Friday before spring break, my students had completed a huge project. Students were split into groups and had to create their own versions of plays that we were reading. They could either be performed in class, or filmed. The sophomores tackled "Hamlet" and the freshmen took on "Romeo and Juliet." All of the presentations blew me away. I was so excited. Today, I wanted to give them a closure to their projects before we begin a new unit. I had a big open discussion with each class about their thoughts on the overall project. What worked for them? What didn't? What would they do different next time? Then I had students evaluate themselves and their groups. I asked them to answer questions on a piece of paper: what did you like about your project? What didn't you like? What grade would you give yourself and Why? What most of the students had written in their evaluations not only made my day, but also gave me confirmation in knowing that they were enjoying reading Shakespeare, understanding it on different levels and having fun with it all at the same time. I'm so glad that I am able to show students how much fun literature can be when you are thinking critically and outside of the box. Today was definitely the boost of energy that I needed to bounce back. We have two weeks until the reading and writing STAAR tests, but hopefully what I have planned will keep everyone focused, learning and still having fun.