September 6-8 FIRST WEEK OF SCHOOL!

Please be sure to bookmark this blog and check it each week for upcoming projects, assignments, and possibly EXTRA CREDIT!

How exciting this year will be! I’m teaching sixth, seventh, AND eighth grade this year and couldn’t be happier.

Some of you may be a little curious about what life will be like in my class. I promise you that I am pretty easy-going, and I don’t assign homework for homework's sake. Really! (However, you’ll probably still have class work to take home, so don’t start cheering yet.) My homework policy is below, so be sure to read it. My room is usually pretty colorful and bright. I like books, so the walls are covered with bookshelves; feel free to sign out on any book that floats your boat!

Okay, a little about me: This is my 12th year teaching and 7th year at HMS. I LOVE teaching- and I especially love middle school aged kids. You're my favorite! I like to sing, and I enjoy hiking. I have four kids, two of whom are covered in fur. I suppose you’ll learn more once you’re happily ensconced in our classroom!

Please be prepared for my class each day. I tend to get a little huffy if you forget basic items like paper, pencils, and books. Come in with a happy attitude and I will return it!

HOMEWORK POLICY
Parents and Students,I’ve been reading a lot lately about the benefits and consequences of homework for middle level students. I had been thinking that perhaps our kids have been overwhelmed by the amount of work that has been given to them and I have a plan to perhaps change this.

A few years ago a lovely student named Trevin brought me an article written for the September 2007 issue of Time magazine by Claudia Wallis. This essay discusses several different viewpoints about the benefits of homework. Since the topic had already been on my mind, and then it was presented in such a concise little package by a student, I mulled it over and I’ve decided to implement a new plan: No more assigned homework. I will still be assigning essays and readings and projects, but I will not assign additional work specifically as “homework.”

Studies have shown that “students who feel overworked tend to lose interest in the topics and it may damage their interest in learning and natural curiosity.” (Wallis, 2006) While I do feel that it is important to instill a love of reading and writing in our kids, I don’t want to squash the current interest that they have.So, for the next trimester I am going to test my hypothesis. Your students will still have work to complete at home but it will be work that we began in class and didn’t get finished, or longer projects that need additional time.

If you have any questions or concerns about this, please call me at 509-228-4994 or email me at sfilanoski@cvsd.org, OR feel free to drop by, introduce yourself and talk to me in person!

Sara Filanoski