We got off to a great start. The changes with the new school were easily adapted by each student. We should still see some small frustrations from time to time, but I am not anticipating too many problems.
This week we are starting our full schedule of study. We will ease into it but we will be on topic from here on out. Occupational Studies - We are going to explore the new culture of agriculture. The old farmer days are gone and tons on new and exciting careers are springing up in the field of agriculture. Since it is turning into harvest season, I thought it would be a great time to learn about this exciting field. Get it, farms have fields. We are planning on 4 field trips for this unit. We want to see a crop farm, an animal farm, a greenhouse, and a dairy. So plan on a few field trip emails in the next few weeks. Transition Planning - We are starting a unit on independent living. We are going to review and teach skills such as grocery store shopping, laundry, cleaning schedules for the house, and time management techniques. We are going to use a schedule and "to do" list so I will need your help in figuring out some night time/morning procedures or routines so that the kids can manage these themselves as much as possible. We will do some type of independent living unit each year of high school so this year is all about getting starting in the right direction. Science - We are going to start with a biology study the goes hand in hand with our agriculture unit. We will study animal and plant biology and save human biology for later. I will require a short science project/presentation on this unit but I will send a lot more info as we get closer to the due date. This is just a heads up about some homework that will come due in early October. Current Events - I fear that politics will work its way into our current events class. I am personally pretty non-partisan about politics so our study will be on the process rather then the current candidates. Once the election happens, we will focus on supporting the chosen leader rather then complaining about it. I want the kids to understand the purposes of government and be optimistic about how our country runs rather then fall into the habits of looking for failures in leadership. We will try to explore many more events other then politics so be prepared to have some good discussions with your student about topical issues.
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Even though school doesn't start for 2 and a half weeks, I am working everyday at getting our classroom and classes ready. The theme of this year is a build on from last year's theme "Building the perfect me"
Last year we used a super hero theme to identify that we have heroes in real life like artists, scientists, civil rights activist, teachers, inventors, and everyday people who decide to be heroic to someone else. We highlighted a person from history each week but what I taught the kids was that each person had a moment inn their life when they could have quit or taken the easy way out but they chose to sacrifice, persevere, or take on big challenges because they believed it was important. The idea was that each of us can be a hero if we are willing to take on challenges or sacrifice for better things or other people. This year is about taking those concepts and building a positive identity. Each of us needs an identity but that identity should be something we choose, something that we build. Personal identity includes personality and skills, but it should also include work ethics, charity and service, global or community consciousness, and things that we are passionate about. Each week we are going to add a layer to our personal identity by focusing on a personal goal. I want to build confidence and exposure to new things so that the students feel accomplished and empowered to do more. By the end of the year, each student should have self accomplishment skills. |
Mr. BannerWork based learning program Archives
December 2016
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