Discussion, Mullets and adjustment

Today, the 7th graders did a fantastic job in discussion of free speech, they formulated opinions and discussed whether or not there should be limits on what a person can say.  The discussion centered around a video we watched yesterday of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's recent speech at the UN in which he accused the United States of responsibility for the terrorist attacks of 9/11.  We discussed the importance of free speech and whether or not he should have had the right to make the unfounded accusations he did in the venue of the UN.  We discussed the numerous speeches Mr. Ahmadinejad has given in the past based on unfounded statements and why it is still necessary that he be allowed to speak freely.  Students handled it with great maturity and high level discussion.

11 - Well I wasn't a huge fan of the Mullet arrangement in the classroom, business in the front -- party in the back, we implemented today.  Students worked on history in the front of the room in a more traditional classroom style, exploring essential questions and developing a deeper understanding of historical information.  It was okay -- Students seemed to enjoy it but it was very difficult to formatively assess student understanding as I bounced back and forth between groups.

 I am still struggling to assess students' ID paragraphs due to the fact that students are going so far above and beyond what i have asked for that I am not sure how much bonus to give out.  The work I am receiving is exceptional across the board; I couldn't be happier.