Treasure Chest of Thoughts

Both Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe in Understanding by Design and Sean Covey in Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens present the same suggestion using, of course, different terminology:  “backward design” and “begin with the end in mind.”  (Wiggins and McTighe begin the introduction to their book with Covey’s quote from habit two.)

Thus, as the second nine weeks begins, I think, yes, I shall start backwards…or at the end…with an essential question:  WHERETO?  This question (p. 197) comes from Understanding by Design and causes me some stress with the last letter to this acronym.  Please read on to see why…

• W – Where is the unit headed, and why
• H – Hook and hold the students’ attention
• E – Equip the students
• R – Rethink, Reflect, and Revise
• E – Evaluate
• T – Tailor to individual needs
• O – Organize…so as to optimize deep understanding

Here’s my problem:  my hard drive crashed last year, and I lost almost everything that I had created up to that point (HINT:  have you backed up your files lately?  I am still paying for that mistake!)  Then to compound this, I need to create two units.  Finally, I have too many ideas for each, so I find myself scrambling from thought to thought, from unit to unit, and not getting anywhere fast. 

To begin with the end in mind, I should have my assessments created.  I should know right now where I want my students to go, what I want them to learn, what I want them to experience.  This I do not have completed. 

Good news, though!  I do have my essential questions:

1. Who am I?  to be explored utilizing Julius Caesar and Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens.
2. What is a bullying mentality? to be studied in conjuction with The Crucible and either The Kite Runner, A Thousand Splendid Suns, or Three Cups of Tea (student choice of novel).

The ultimate source of my stress is the time factor, though.  How does one cover the literature in a multi-genre format, the vocabulary, the writing skills, the grammar skills…all in one class period…while preparing for state-mandated tests, working with pacing guides that do not allow for teacher individuality, handling the many interruptions that make up a school day (clubs, intercoms, sports), and staying organized throughout the process?

So WHERETO?  Back to planning with the end in mind with a not-so-quite backwards design.  I think I will simply have to begin in the middle.  Yes, in medias res…that is the answer for me.  At least, until I get more organized!

Tell me:  how do you organize this “thing” we call teaching?