Changing routines have been on my mind this week. Why? You are dying to know! Here it is:
My seniors start their IB exams today. For them that means a three-week period of tests more difficult than most they will take in college, with an open door into of the next step of their young adult life on the other side.
For me it means…..they have stopped coming to my class!!
As a high school science teacher at an international school, I had 2 sections of 12th grade students. I have been with them for the past 2 years, working through a 400 page environmental science textbook (“IB Environmental Systems and Societies” by Oxford University Press for those of you who are interested), designing and completing 24 individual lab projects and grading hundreds of pages of their work and projects.
I bid them adieu and good luck in their studies at the end of last week. Since then I have only had to organize 1 set of labs, 2 sets of cross-curricular projects/papers and 1 school-wide event. In teacher terms, this means I have been free as a bird!! (Yes, I’m serious). I have been able to leave work at 5 PM every. day. this. week. Amazing!!
So, what have I been doing with my new-found free time, you ask?
Today I have been in 2 other classes–a Chinese 2 class this morning and a Theory of Knowledge class (technically I’m “subbing” right now for our IB coordinator, but I like to think of myself as more of an “observer”).
Whenever I have the opportunity to go into other classes, the changing routines and practices amaze me.
In Chinese, they were watching a video (and responding in actual, legitimate Chinese sentences when the teacher paused the video, which was ceaselessly amazing to me). In TOK (sort of an intro philosophy class) they are drawing pictures of….something. I think to do with perception? (like I said, I’m just here writing my blog subbing observing). I’ve gotten so many good ideas for how to shake up my routines and activities just by observing these other classes. It’s nice to have some time to search for inspiration.
Photo from pinterest. Happy Friday!
Banner photo by Feliphe Schiarolli on Unsplash