Planning for next year

One of the things I love the most about where I teach is that we are very forward thinking. Our faculty always seems to be reflecting, analyzing, and brainstorming ways to improve our school. Just yesterday I sat down for over an hour with Molly and Joe talking about how we're going to teach freshman World Studies next year. We pretty much have the course curriuculum mapped out - now we're going to figure out the skills we want to focus on and design a project-based final for the courses. It was a great meeting and I was a little awed by their energy. I had put a little thought into it but they clearly had been working on this for a while. I clearly have some catching up to do.

The other big priority is getting my mentees back on track for their reflective portfolio. We have a meeting scheduled for this morning where we're going to discuss the portfolio requirements and what they need to work on for it. I'm taking over Kayley's mentees while she's on maternity leave so I have three I'm working with now. Should be a challenge but fun especially since I'm doing my own portfolio for grad school.

Trimester Going Well

Things have been going very well so far this last trimester. My students predominantly have been working very hard. They're not very happy with me given the amount of writing I'm having them do but they'll live. The term has been going by fast.

This coming week is the ACT/PSAE for juniors. We're sending them to U of C to take the tests and the rest of our students have regular days. This is unusual because most Chicago schools given everyone those two days off. Being in a school that places such a high value on every day of school is very cool indeed.

Its also been very cool preparing for next year. At my old school, we wouldn't begin talking about the next academic year until about August. I already know what I'm teaching and an approx number of students I'll have. We have our calendar all ready to go and we've alreadt ordered books.

Its a huge relief to be in a completely professional school that knows what its doing.