My class yesterday was in a place in Illinois that I had never been to before. About an hour and a half from home, Pontiac was a long drive through the country. The exit on I-57 that promises access to Pontiac is misleading--the town was still 35 miles from the interstate. I was passing all sorts of towns that I had never even heard of. Luckily we got out early so I got home a little after 9. It was raining on the way home and I thought about the morning. No way I was going to run in a downpour. When I woke up I had to open the window and see if it was raining. It wasn't. I got out and ran at 8:52 AP. I think I always want to run fast at the end of a morning run because I'm worried about running late, so every time I felt myself speeding up, I pulled back. It was drizzling a little bit and it was windy, but overall it was another nice run. My students have been presenting their final projects last week and this. Most of my students are using any medium that they choose to draw attention to any social issue in attempts to sway their classmates. Although I've had a few bad presentations (minimal effort), the majority of the projects have been pretty good. One project yesterday was simply outstanding. I'm thinking about asking the two boys to post it on youtube just so I can post it here. They made a movie of about a boy who, on a normal school day, witnesses a few incidents of his classmates being mean to a few kids. The day ends in tragedy, and the next morning he realizes he's been given the opportunity to live the day again. There's no dialogue. The whole thing is set to a song written and performed by one of the boys who made the video. I'm proud of them. My AP students' projects are a little different. They are using any medium to present their thoughts on what it means to be human. In the past, students have done some amazing work. I've had a few excellent ones there. I love this time of year, and not because it's almost summer (well, not just because). I feel inspired by the depth of many of my students. I'm putting the finishing touches on my project this week so that I can present mine on Friday.
| 