In the end, difficult travel conditions, turbulence over the Atlantic, and really bad airline food could not keep me from doing what I was meant to do...
That puts things into a different perspective!
Nevertheless, it is great to be back and there is much to be done. At this point, allow me to extend a hearty "Welcome" to all of you. For those who are going to be in this class within a week, allow me to apologize for all of the work you will endure, all of the challenge you will persevere through, and for all the evolution towards scholarship you will undergo. In the 1980s, the United States Armed Forces had a slogan: "The toughest job you will ever love." Like so much in this glorious decade, the meaning was ahead of its time and can be perfectly applied to what you will be undertaking very soon.
Whether you are a 7th grader or 8th grader, if you are entering this classroom within a week, I think you might be best suited to do a couple of things before your tour of duty commences. You don't need to write anything on this, but merely reflect on them. If you wish to post some of your responses to these questions on this blog, feel free to do so. Don't use your name, but rather your first and last initials and class period (Let's start the year off in the right manner with following web etiquette.)
7th Grade Questions Upon Which to Ruminate:
* How do you define "history?"
* If you could identify one object in your life that would contain much of your "history," what would it be and why?
* When you examine the word "scholarship," what do you think it means to you?
* What are the elements in the world or in your life that help to define who you are and in what you believe?
8th Grade Questions Upon Which to Ruminate:
* You are standing on a rare threshold. You are about to enter your last year of Middle School and your last year before the vast unknown of high school awaits. What are your feelings about starting this process?
* How have you changed since your sixth grade year? You can define this in emotional, psychological, mental, and/ or academic terms.
* Thus far in your study of American History, what concept or idea has given you the most amount of difficulty? What concept or idea has been the most interesting for you?
* How do you think you learn? In other words, how do you know you "got" something?
* What are the elements in the world or in your life that help to define who you are and in what you believe?
These questions and their answers might help you obtain the right frame of mind in order to enter this classroom, this team, and this year. If you still have questions about how things will run in this classroom, don't forget to check out the class glog here! You can also check out the side links for handouts and syllabi for the first two weeks to get a feel of where we are going to start and what we will be doing. Feel free to click on these links, preview items, and download anything you wish.
We only have a couple of days left before the clock starts its interminable run. Enjoy what you can while you can.
All best and happy hunting.
Mr. Kannan
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