In exactly...

24 hours I will have begun teaching my first class.

10:30, I believe, is the start time for my English 10B class. It will go until 10:59 where we'll break for lunch (which actually should allow for some conversation between me and my cooperating teacher) and come back half an hour later. I believe class goes until 12:18 then. After that, I will probably observe Amy teach 10B for her second time that day (she has 1st hour team teaching with Vicki Ryan, who more so works with the students on IEPs, but it's set up so that they both teach and do the work). And 5th hour, the last hour of the day from 1:32-2:40 is Journalism. Gulp.

Here is the game plan at this point:

English 10B:
1. Seating chart
2. Expectations (of me, of them, of the class)
3. Two Truths & A Lie
4. Reading Handout

Journalism:
1. Seating chart
2. Expectations
3. "I Wonder" List
4. Two Truths & A Lie (this class can ask questions to practice)
5. Reading Handout

The reading handout is something I just made this morning. Some of my cohort members said they had their students write a paragraph or two about their reading and writing interests, and I figured it would be best to just explicitly have questions ("What are your favorite books?" "What are your favorite newspapers and/or magazines?" "What kinds of writing do you enjoy the most?" "What activities in the English classroom have you enjoy the most?" "The least?" etc.) and have them answer in a sentence or two (or phrases).

I may have finally come up with my two truths and a lie, though I'm not sure if I'll stick with it.

1. I have participated in several poetry slams.
2. Ralph Waldo Emerson is a part of my family tree.
3. I once was in a room with Bill Clinton and Trent Lott.

Here are the problems I have with it--the lie seems like it stands out a bit. And maybe they won't know who Ralph Waldo Emerson and Trent Lott are (please, goodness gracious, let them all know who Bill Clinton is!). If anyone can think of a better truth or lie to replace those, please let me know! (And if you're not sure which are the truths and which is the lie, then woo hoo to me!)

OK, I'm going to go distract myself for a while... we went shopping and I got some seeds and planters to start for this spring's garden. That might keep me entertained for a while. I finished my mystery this morning, and I could read another and be properly distracted, but that might be a bit much. (I decided against doing much actual lesson planning for today because I would be too distracted... maybe tomorrow or the next day. I have week one planned out for Journalism and basically planned out for 10B.)