The PPEP: Partie Deux

So, the DAY after I posted last, my principal came into my classroom to do one of the informally/unstructured observations. Unfortunately, he observed on the day that I gave a diagnostic test to my students. :( It was not very exciting. They were beautiful (per usual, knock on wood), but they were testing. I was grading. He didn't get to see a lot during the end of third period, as a result. However, he then did stay for the beginning of fourth period, when I gave a PowerPoint lecture about "Why we test." Very stimulating. Really. Truly. In all seriousness, the kids seem to dig it and I think that they will have a much easier time swallowing the bitter pill of testing in my classroom (and other places) as a result. Then I gave them the same diagnostic test that my 3rd period got. The observation ended with the test being distributed.

I got the general comments back from him a few days later in my mailbox. Apparently, the things that I should work on are: not burning candles and not admitting students into class late without a pass. Both reachable goals. Also, I am liked and respected by my students, which is actually something that I DO want to hear because sometimes I worry about these things.

In other classroom news: this week I am playing the ever-so-nerdy game of Diplomacy with my 3rd and 4th period World History II classes and THEY ARE LOVING IT! :D You have no idea about how excited I am that they are enjoying this and getting something out of it. For those of you who don't know, the game runs like this:

1901. Europe. 7 major European powers (Russia, France, Italy, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Turkey, and Great Britain) negotiate with each other and move army and navy units around a map to capture supply centers. The capture of said supply centers allows for the building of more units. The country to capture 18 out of 34 supply centers wins.

So, in one game and lesson, as a teacher, I get: negotiation skills, arms races, forming of alliances, backstabbing, power-hungriness, and the glimmerings of understanding of why a war (and WWI in particular) breaks out. Pretty sweet huh?

The students have taken to this game like ducks in water. They are arguing with each other and forming alliances ("Hey! Ms. S! Did you know that me and him are working together now?!"), waiting with baited breath while I moved the magnet pieces around the map (being projected on to the whiteboard), carefully strategizing where they will move their pieces and what they will capture next. I've extended this game from 1 day to 3, the response has been so overwhelming. Definitely keeping this trick up my sleeve.

In unrelated news: my brother, his wife and two kids are completing a car-less month. Follow the story here.