A Nice End to a Long Week

It is finally officially spring break. I am headed to the beach first thing in the morning. It's just for the day, but the beach is the beach. And I can't wait for it.

Overall, it was a good week. There was a beautiful full moon and it was the week before vacation and the sun was shining and hot...but it was surprisingly a good week. My freshmen are taking their writing seriously. Slowly, but seriously.

We are STILL writing about Romeo and Juliet. We've settled into a nice rhythm this week, but it's enough already. I'm ready to be done and to move on! But they are taking their essays seriously. And when we get done, they will have a polished, published essay. They will understand analysis. They will understand the use of quotes from a text and the importance of commentary in an essay. They are learning valuable writing techniques. But I want them to floor it. I can see that they are writing and I can hear them discussing their essays together and I am enjoying the one on one instruction.

But come on...step on it.

When we come back from spring break, come hell or high water, we'll be typing up our essays. We'll be completing peer reviews and we'll go to the library and they will have what they think is a final, published piece. Of course, that's when the markers come out and I get to do my handiwork on it, but we'll be one step closer.

Next, we are on to multigenre units and literature circles. But for now, bring on the beach.