Pioneer Day!

Pioneer Day was a huge success. I forgot to take my camera, but I wouldn't be able to post pictures anyway. My job was to have 5 first grade classes make butter and explore the differences between today and long ago in the making of cornbread, butter, and getting milk. I just loved every minute of it.

It says something, too, about the differences between teaching middle school, high school, and elementary school. When part of your day is just teaching the same lesson twice or more, it sure does go a lot faster and requires less planning. It also leads, I think, to a better lesson and maybe a better experience for the kids.

All the first graders at Highlands Elementary received five very involved, very planned, and very hands-on lessons today from 8:00 until 11:00. I hope we do things like this more often.

At our school, none of the classes switch, not even fourth and fifth grade. I don't know how the 4th and 5th grade teachers get really in depth with schedules like that. Yet they choose to do it that way. I wonder why. It makes sense for the little ones to stay in the same class, but I don't know about the bigger kids.

Someday I'll write something on here that's interesting.