One of the most, if not the most influential figures in Jazz: Duke Ellington. Also, for whom the high school is named. This school is quite unique. Although it is a public school, it is a school for the performing arts. The students must audition in order to attend, yet their admittance is not dependent upon grades--so there is quite a range of academic ability amongst the students.
The students are all very artistic and individualistic. They have more style than almost anyone I know (except for maybe Joe Castleton). And like most high school students they care very little about English. What can I really expect? The students schedules are quite busy. They have academic classes from 8:30 AM-3:15 PM everyday, and then they have their arts classes from 3:30-6:00 or so. And if they are in choirs or other performing groups they generally have rehearsals after that. Long day.
In February over 200 students will be involved in the school sponsored performance of The Wiz. The school has put $200,000 into this production (don't even think about how many teacher salaries that is...). This production has had several large effects on the school: A drastically adjusted schedule. The students in The Wiz do not need to arrive at school until 10:00 AM. Students who are not in The Wiz are still required to be at school at 8:30, but they attend somewhat random seminars relating to state testing, AP classes, career planning, etc. Then when The Wiz kids show up at 10:00 the normally 90 minute class periods every other day are shortened to 40 minutes every other day. I'm not really sure how it all adds up, but somehow it does.
The school arranged for all of the teachers to teach the special seminars and supposedly had it all worked out. But of course there was a problem. The organization at this school is not exactly top notch, so I shouldn't be surprised that all of a sudden they realized they have a group of 30 students who don't have a teacher during the 8:30-10:00 block. Supposedly these students are the "advanced" students who already passed all the state testing. And somehow I all of a sudden got assigned to teach them. Teach them what I asked? What is the purpose of these seminars? What is the goal? Well, there isn't one. I just have to make something up that will be both "challenging and fun." I start on Thursday. Wow. I am planning units like crazy, and now I have another one to add to the pile. F-L-E-X-I-B-L-E. I'm trying. But I smell chaos coming quick.
1 comment:
Liz, you need to change your last name from thack to wack. Then you have a license to wack kids you hate ... that should end up being almost all of them. I suggest wacking most of those power-hungry-don't-want-student-teachers-here-because-I'm-lazy-and-don't-want-anyone-ratting-on-me teachers too. Also, sit on your kids. That works for me.
nice dots. I think they should be exclamation points. I can't tell how you really feel with them.
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