Planning to Plan

Right now, I am planning to plan. That's right. I haven't actually planned anything yet, except two cool community builders for the first week. But I open my new teacher's edition nightly and then shut it with disgust. It isn't the book I wanted and it isn't the book that I like. I won't name any names, but I want a textbook to be organized around universal themes...like Monsters and Heroes and Unrequited Love. I don't want a book organized around The Narrative Structure, which just so happens to be unit one of my new book. It's frustrating.

So I open it nightly and shut it in disgust nightly. I'm planning on doing some planning later on. (Did I mention that I am the world's worst procrastinator?) Getting started is the hardest part. I have some older curricula to guide my thinking, but the kids are going to show up on Wednesday, whether I have the first lesson planned or not.

But I am thinking about it. It's constantly on my mind. What to teach, what to teach? I think I'll open up with one of Stephen King's most recent columns for Entertainment Weekly about screen addiction. That will be a nice introduction into reading strategies. From there, who knows? The Most Dangerous Game? The Cask of Amontillado? Both great stories, but likely to lose freshmen if I don't find some catch for them. Any suggestions? I'll take them all.

Until then, I'm going to turn in and dream about perfectly designed units.