Twice As Long Doesn't Mean Twice As Slow #StartOver Day 18 and Day 19

Day 18- We finished lesson 3 using code.org's CS in Algebra curriculum.
It's so cool to see my students engaged and active. It was even cooler to witness my students who are done early go help other students. I always wanted to use Bootstrap in my Algebra 1 classes but I didn't have any time. This is why the two periods work really well for me. Some teachers don't see the point of seeing the same students twice a day for the same content when students refuse to work. We have to remember that seeing the students twice doesn't mean we do the same thing twice, or speak twice as slow. The students need more time to catch up on math they didn't learn when they were in lower grades. I feel that the teachers need to find that point where students first got lost and start from there, even if it means you start from helping them memorize their times tables.

If my administrators gave me 1)  an additional prep everyday to call parents, document them and lesson plan, and 2) the behavior support office trusts me and 3) the counseling department works with me, I think I can teach the #StartOver class every semester. At this point, I can handle the heartbreak every time a child displays their displeasure towards me because I have bought the hearts of a few others.

Day 19- I was excited over our first #20time Friday. But my excitement quickly disappeared as students predicted that no parents will show at the end of the semester or when they stated that they won't do it. Then one girl asked me if she can figure out how many ounces of weed it would take to get high for her #20Time project. She said she won't do it herself, she would just ask other people. I first said yes, and now I realize that was a bad mistake. Can you imagine the horror as parents talk to this girl? My math department friends apologized to me first, then mocked me for being stupid. I have to go back and talk to her. I hope my students can find a good #20time project. Can you help me with some ideas? Most of my students like to pick from a list of ideas rather than come up with their own.