Sunday, March 25, 2012

First Post!

How original to call this the "first post," huh?

I was just added to this course on Tuesday of this week, so I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed at all of the "set up" things I need to do to get started by 3/30.  I've made good headway so far, so I hope to finish it on time.

Being reflective, I think, comes naturally to me.  I enjoy thinking about why people make the choices they do and why they behave in certain ways.  I include myself in "people" in that sentence.  It has been on my mind for some time that history and science have taken a back seat in my classroom for these last few years because of the emphasis on standardized testing in Reading and Math.  To be honest, the children in my school are often years behind where they "should" be because of various reasons that have little to do with their teachers and school.  Hence, we are skimping on the engaging studies that are the social sciences and physical sciences.

I hope that my time spent in this course will motivate me and give me time to actively prepare exciting lessons that transmit to my students the captivating conflicts that occurred in our country's history.  My goal is to help them to connect in a personal way to the people whose beliefs and actions secured America's freedom.