Planning, Planning, Planning

As everyone hurries back to work and school I get to enjoy one more glorious day of rest and relaxation....HA! Although, I'm very glad for a little more time off I'm spending my week making lesson plans, devising new strategies and grading. That's right ladies and gents our grades are due the Friday we get back to school :/

I am very excited however, to start a new lesson with my 6th graders. I hope to do a reading unit on The Egypt Game.

A truly amazing book that I read when I was in the 6th grade!! (My wonderful sister sparked the idea, she did the same in 6th grade too)

 I will be taking this venture on myself (thats right no cirriculum...eek!!) so anyone with advice BRING IT ON!!!

I recenlty won Becky from

Reader's Response Notebook & Good Readers Cards. I've been super excited to use them and this unit seemed like the perfect place. However as I started going through the notebook I have decided it doesn't have exactly all info I want to teach my students. In a nutshell my 6th graders (as a whole class) failed their TAKS last year. YIKES I know!! And the more I have them in class it is becoming ever apparent why, they have serious gaps in their learning. So my goal with this unit is to fill in the gaps and accelerate their learning. I know it may be wishful thinking!! But I'm determined!! So sparked by Miss Becky's notebook I have taken on the undertaking of making my own Reader's Notebook!! So far so good and I will post soon with my finished product. Eeeeee I can't tell you how excited I am!! But I better get back too it :D Hope your first day back to the real world was AWESOME!!