By Josh Adams

Published Saturday, Oct. 11, 2008 | 10:59 a.m.

Updated Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2008 | 10:15 a.m.

The past two weeks have been very busy, but rewarding as well. We had our first staff development day, which was a great time to interact with some other teachers that I don't get to talk with very often, due to being on opposite sides of the building and in completely different subject matters. I know that some teachers aren't terribly fond of staff development days, but I actually enjoyed it.

As for things that have happened in the classroom during the past two weeks, we took a day for each class to take the Practice Proficiency Exam that all sophomores have to take. My Algebra 2 classes also had another chapter test this past week. I have just finished grading them, and I am very pleased with the grades as a whole. Applied Algebra 1B will take a chapter test next week, and I'm hoping that it goes well, too. The first quarter finishes up in about two weeks, so some of the students who do not have the grades they want at this point are attempting to pick up the pace and work a little harder. It's nice to see them working hard, but I wish they would have started at the beginning, then they wouldn't be in the position they're in now. Each class still has one test left, as well as homework before the quarter ends, so there's still some time for them to improve their grades.