Last week of data collection

I wasn't sure I would ever get to this point, but here I am, just needing to collect data for five more days: one journal activity, one think like a teacher activity, one concept map, one (or two) journal entry of my own, one peer observation, one critical friend feedback, and one set of surveys and interviews. I'll be busy this week, but I think this will really happen.

writing in biology class

We are nearing the second week of the new semester, and my students and I are beginning to get back into the routines we established first semester. This really means that there is a give and take, a sense of community, and that the volume in the classroom goes up as soon as there is desk work to do.
Today we did the first long journal activity as a quiz. It was not very successful. Open-ended questions are hard for students who prefer well defined tasks, preferably those which don't require them to do more than repeat activities they have already done. I found myself quite frustrated by their lack of understanding. I'm not very proud of that. I'm supposed to be trying to help them learn, and instead I want to say "Think!, haven't you learned yet that I want you to think?!"
Tomorrow will be a better day.