Saturday Night in Grown Up Land

The Saturday before we returned to classes, I made myself an adult beverage and set down to work on creating lessons for the 7th grade.  Moving to the Middle School meant teaching History to much younger students and both last year and this year it’s also entailed the creation of new lessons.  This year, in my second year in the Middle School, is easier in the sense that I know where the kids are developmentally and intellectually (the students are the same group I taught last year).  In addition, 7th grade History at our school is the first half of American history, something I know like the back of my hand.  This year it’s been much easier for me to take the topics and develop creative lessons for my classes.

Even so, for the second year in a row I’m in the business of developing all new lessons.  I like to be prepared in advance but sometimes advance is just a few weeks.  The unit for the next six weeks features the Constitution and a detour into Civics, two topics that are mighty familiar to me.  I want the students to fall in love with these ideas just as I did when I was their age and so I am working carefully to make that happen.

Which explains a Saturday night spent in the creation of lessons.  It doesn't explain why I find it so pleasing to prepare class on a Saturday night.  I guess I am a grown up.