Continued ...

• Citizenship Test results 

We took the citizenship test once more this year, and my students surprisingly did much better than last year. In all of my five classes, I only had roughly 15 students "fail" the citizenship test. One student got 100% and I had another student who is an exchange student from Thailand score a 58%. Sure he technically failed, but he did really well in terms of US history and government for someone who moved her last August.

• University of Maryland application

One of my students in study hall was trying to fill out her application to the University of Maryland. The school isn't on the Common App or something, because its questions were kind out out there and all over the place. Yet, still hilarious. It didn't help that my student was writing ridiculous answers. For example:

1. What place on earth do you want to visit most? --- Cleveland, Ohio 

2. What was the most exciting thing you did last Tuesday? --- Went home and took a nap

• Mayflower shaped Thanksgiving basket

Every year the school does a Thanksgiving drive for needy families. To go along with the donations of food, each homeroom decorates their baskets as part of a competition. This year, the homeroom I help cover placed second in the competition because a student built the Mayflower out of wood to decorate the basket - it was pretty awesome.

• Teaching about slums

Last week we covered slums and the development of cities as immigrants came in waves. We talked about Five Points, New York and what that was like in the mid 1800s. (I feel like I have more to say about this but I'm completely spacing)

• City Project --- to be continued