One of my weaknesses as a teacher, is my inability to be away. My inability to take a sick day; or even to attend a workshop. I can’t be out of the classroom. If I am, I sacrifice not only the day, not only the lesson, but the entire unit. Gone for a day, and the unit seems to fall to pieces.
I handcuff myself by leaving ‘meaningful work’ for the students, a lesson that leads logically into the next. A piece of the unit’s puzzle. Unfortunately, it doesn’t get done. Then, when I return, and discover that only a few have completed it, I’m unsure of whether or not I should move on to the next lesson.
This just happened to my Hamlet unit. And I’m struggling to try to pick up the pieces of a unit in shambles. I’ve always had so much fun with my Shakespeare units. And the students have always fed off that passion… And now, I have students walking in complaining about the unit. And I can’t believe my ears.
