I'm Learning about Lessons and Smoking

I really like coloring projects. I'm having the students draw a diagram from the book today to learn about the electromagnetic spectrum. I used to hate doing this when I was in school. However, it's a good way to introduce a topic because the kids have to copy the material by hand. The kids seemed to like doing something that didn't involve a lot of writing of thinking for a change. I need to figure out a balance of assignments that involve critical thinking, creativity, hands-on manipulation, and memorization so that they are well rounded.

For right now, they are enjoying the coloring. Now, if I could only figure out how to time my lessons. Whenever I get a lesson going for what should take 20 minutes, it takes an hour. In what should take an hour, it takes them 10 minutes. I give up.

My only consolation prize for the day is that my students are incredibly supportive of the fact that I'm quitting smoking. I wasn't going to tell them at first, but they figured it out on their own when I was twitchy. They were so happy. They've been asking me about it every day and even going so far as to smell my hands to make sure I'm not smoking. Today, Kristina in my morning class jumped up and made me a star award for quitting and took it around today to have everyone in the school sign it for me. I nearly cried. She hugged me and told me she was proud of me.

These are the inner city students that everyone is afraid of. Hahahahahaha!