The First Month

The first month of school, with all its frantic confusion, is over. Everything and everyone is shaking down into a manageable routine. I've had nine parents visit my classroom--in part, I suspect, to see if I really do have the devil horns and tail their children led them to expect. "Mrs. Donelly is a monster! We read a half-page story and the quiz on it was a whole page--front and back!"

Can we blame the kids? Fill in the blank and multiple choice questions can't prepare students for a curriculum based on analysis, evaluation, and creation--whether the core subject is social studies, math, science, or English.

Some of the kids are mad that they can't make A's without working or thinking.

But some of my students have begun to dig in their heels.
And some of them are rising to the challenge.
They like it better this way,
because some are discovering that they have fine and clever minds.