Open House Year in Review - Parent-Student Interview

With Open House on May 16, less than two weeks away, I hope parents can take a few minutes this weekend to ask their son or daughter how things are going in each of their classes this year. I am sure from, time to time throughout the year, students may have shared the love, and sometimes agony, of a piece of writing, a project, a report, or studying for a test in each of their classes, including in LASS7. I am sure that this has not changed from when we went to school. Seventh grade students have busy lives with sports, dance, tutoring, practice for band and plays, and other after school activities that help fill their schedule that makes balancing the demands of doing well in school a bit of a challenge at times. Besides this, many students are becoming more socially aware of the others students in the classroom and during lunch as the whiff of summer starts to fill the school.

Here are few questions to engage your son or daughter in conversation about the year in review that focus on some of the practices and activities in my classroom this year:
1. Do you sit in the same seat most days of the week? How often do you move around in the class, for what activities and why?

2. How have writing, art, and performance been combined to help you learn? Which type of assignments do you do your best in, and which ones are a challenge for you?

3. What type of assignments or projects did you like and not like this year?

4. How has working in groups and with your fellow students helped you learn in class? When does this really work for you, and when does working with others seem to get in the way of doing your best work?

5. What typed of rubrics and standards are used in class for grading writing, art, and performance assignments?

6. What have you learned about this year that you were interested in?

7. What activities have you learned to do, or markedly improved on this year?

I will send out a survey at the beginning of next week for parents to respond to that revolve around these questions. It is not necessary that parents take this survey, but I will encourage students to engage in this discussion with their parents.



- Posted by Mr. Rodgers