It’s January and flu season. True, February can be equally fraught with cold, flu, grippe, or sundry viruses. Additionally, families home-school for a reason. They want the flexibility to go a trip, take a week off for a wedding, visit a sibling at college, an endless list. As a result, Co-op teachers, just like professional teachers, must have a plan to make up absentee work.
1. My plan for January and February is more accommodating. In Anatomy, I’m jousting trying to complete about 1 1/2 modules, not two. Usually, we do Moles and Stoichiometry in Chemistry in January—all month. This step allows me some flexibility.
2. Some activities I send home to do. I sent how clay with Anna to complete her brain model because she was ill. If the kiddo missed a paper model we made in class, I send home a set to make at home. Usually, I have an example posted on the wall to show the kiddo what to do. The issue is getting the kid to actually make the model at home.
3. We need flexibility in January and February because we’re going to be repeating labs and activities which are both important, complicated, or require special equipment. Today, for example, the class did the series of Nerve Experiments for the third time. It’s a set of six experiments. I have the Snellen poster on the wall. Anna can’t do the Weber test unless she has a tuning fork at home. Our answer was to just do all of the lab experiments one more time. The lab is fun; thankfully no one minds.
4. Thursday marks the third class in which I know in advance kids will be absent. I’m using the class to mop up work. I prioritize lab reports, tests, and study guide questions. The kids have been advised to bring in the material. I’ll spend Thursday editing reports. If all of the incomplete assignments are finished, the teen can work on the next unit. The following week, I’ve scheduled two activities I want everyone to do together: The Neuroscience Case Studies and the Reflex Arc POGIL. With any luck, we won’t have to repeat these two activities.
5. What happens when a student is out for several classes? We schedule time outside of class. Anna’s sister, Catherine, started Biology a month late, when she dropped Physical Science. Catherine spent an hour after class for over two months to complete all of the labs, tests, and assignments. This year, Wednesdays are a good time for make-up classes. We work with kids after class, too, especially when they’re struggling with a topic.
No comments:
Post a Comment