How to Cope with a Lack of Textbooks...make your own?

Hmmmm, so what am I doing today at KKJ? Frantically trying to create student science workbooks from scratch. This week it is my and Michelle’s job to make up student workbooks for two separate ESC courses that span an entire semester’s worth of material in four days.  All we were handed were course outlines of 4 random points consisting of subjects such as Local ecosystems, the Earth, Chemistry,Weather, and Scientific Vocabulary. Incredibly vague and very unhelpful when faced with trying to create a comprehensive workbook in a week.

Of course, it's a complete disaster. There’s no way we can actually get this done by Thursday because we were cramped for time before this came up. We have to plan lessons for our other classes, for these classes, write up all the material request lists for every experiment we want to do in every class (lots more planning), help the two new teachers settle in and assist with their lesson plans, teach an hour of kindergarten, math, egg painting (i'm just as confused, no worries),  plus whatever else random stuff we will definitely be required to do, and probably do most of this without internet. 

Why? No real explanation, as usual. Just do it and do it fast. The really unfortunate part of the situation though is that there is no textbook for any of the ESC classes, even though these are the kids that struggle with basic English and would benefit the most from pictures, illustrations, and written explanations.  I will be teaching these classes almost exclusively next semester so I'm taking this issue very personally as it will make both learning and teaching extremely difficult, especially when not given anything really specific to teach.

ESC (limited English) science is notorious for being hard to teach and usually the classes are spread out among the teachers for their sanity. However, my coordinator seems to think that I work especially well with the ESC kids because I’m patient and I like teaching mainly through activities and games anyway.  So next semester I’ll have my hands full teaching 3 very large ESC classes (plus an advanced class and health courses). Surprisingly, I don’t really mind taking all the ESC courses. Even though the classes are huge and teaching is painstakingly slow, I actually like ESC because the kids aren't as spoiled as a lot of the BC and TC program kids. Oh, the joys of working at a private school.

Either way, by Thursday I will turn in 2 somethings to be copied and bound for the students. And then I go on vacation!! Yea! (Gotta plan that this week too ;)