Finally!

I spent much of the first semester agonizing over the grades my seventh grade science class earned. Half the class approached failing on every test and the students were clearly not reviewing the material or ineffectively studying. As a first year, untrained teacher, I was scrambling for a means of helping them. Could I exhort them to study more? Lectures produced few results. Should I remind them that we are uncovering the secrets of the natural world and learning of God in this pursuit? When I did, those students who already performed brilliantly smiled and the apathetic ones wondered what was wrong with me.

Late last semester, my husband suggested that I give the students daily quizzes. These mini-quizzes forces the students to nightly review the material and begin the memorize it days before the test. I have noticed significant improvement in the students' grades thanks to these quizzes. I can also diagnose a difficult topic or notice a struggling student long before test day. Parents could be enlisted to enforce study times and the students will have something pressing to study.

I have also increased the time between giving the material to the students and testing them. I typically have three days of review before a test. On the first day, the students will have a creative project. Last chapter they designed and built models of skeletal joints. This chapter, they are writing a short story, poem or song about their favorite food's journey through their digestive system. The creative work must incorporate all the organs of the digestive system and their functions. I found the writing project to be especially beneficial because my students had to retrieve their notes, review organ functions and then write about the organ functions -- all great ways of apprehending knowledge.

The next day, I have them complete study guide questions in class. I will walk around and help them address various difficulties they might encounter while answering the questions. On the day before the test, we play a review game - often Jeporady or Buzz. I invented buzz as a competition between two teams of students. One student from each team will compete at a time to answer a question posed by me. They are required to "buzz" in by yelling "buzz" before being allowed to answer. The students enjoy the competition and I can gage how much they know.

Blizzard!

Over night, our yard was iced with a thick layer of snow. When we ventured outside, we encountered thigh-deep drifts. On Monday, my husband had purchased a lawn tractor and plow from Craig's List, and today's snowfall gave us an excellent opportunity to test its snow-moving capabilities. It did indeed push snow; however, the snow was deeper than our plow and each portion of our quarter-mile driveway required several passes with the tractor before it was clear. Often, the tractor's wheels would spin furiously unable to find traction, despite the chains that encased them. To provide additional weight, I stood on the back edge of the tractor with my arms draped around my husband as he drove the machine. Between my husband, me, and the baby in belly, we were able to clear much of the drive. I certainly hope that my days of being a ballast are through. My back was sore from the doubled over position I assumed and the jerking I experienced from ramming snowbanks.

After much of our driveway was cleared, I returned inside to bake bread and finish cleaning my home. The bread was scrumptious - it had a good crust and pleasant taste. Best of all, it was a no-knead bread that required minimal effort. Yum.

February slump

There's something uniquely oppressing about grey February days. Despite the number of days listed on the calendar, I am convinced that this month is longest of the 12. It's bleak and cold, but not festive. The decorations and lights are packed and the lean diet days have begun.

I flip through gardening catalogues, but I'm eating Wal Mart's mushy produce. I wander through my backyard, trying to determine which spot receives the greatest light, and once I discover it I rush inside to embrace the warmth of our home.

Usually I must do something crazy during this month - cut my hair short, pierce my cartilage, climb an icy mountain in the dark. Something.

I see a similar slump in the high-school and middle-school students I teach. They complete their work but lack the curiosity, the energy of the beginning of the year. I am searching for ways to remind them - and myself - that learning can be an exhilarating adventure. Tomorrow, my seventh grade General Science class will build models of skeletal joints. They have already designed the models and planned who will bring certain supplies.

My chemistry students spent time today in the computer lab preparing an oral presentation on the chemistry of an everyday substance. I loved hearing one student eagerly share his findings on caffeine with his classmates. Did you know, that a substance - theobromine - in caffeine (and thus in chocolate) increases the heart rate, relaxes some muscles, and increases one's urge to urinate?