January 29, 2016

Students wrote the summer reading essay today. They had 45 minutes to respond to a chosen prompt.

I introduced the Reader's Blog activity (Classroom -> About -> Class Docs -> Reader's Blog) that students will complete over the course of the semester. We took some time to set up our blogs, then students shared the link with me. The first entry is due on Sunday, 2/7, by 11pm. The Reader's Blog document will be updated with future entries and due dates as the semester continues. Students are encouraged to explore the links on the document to see examples of other students' work.

Looking forward to meeting parents at Open House on Monday night!

Today's Board

January 28, 2016

After independent reading time, students explained in their Writer's Notebooks why they chose that particular quote for their quote posters.

We revisited the thesis statement discussion from yesterday and looked at more tips and examples on a Slides presentation (shared on Classroom). We then talked about effective transitions between paragraphs (on Slides).

Students used the remaining time to plan and prepare for tomorrow's timed essay. I visited with each student about their prompt choice and thesis statements.

Today's Board

January 27, 2016

After independent reading time, students picked a word to share and define in the Vocab section of their Writer's Notebooks. My word was "hemodialysis," which is a medical procedure to remove fluid and waste products from the blood. It comes from the book We Were Here by Matt de la Pena.

Working in groups, students chose one of the three excerpts and applied the DIDLS strategy to reveal the tone of the passage. I shared a video on how to write effective thesis statements, and students worked together to create a thesis statement from their charts. Students should use what they've learned about writing a good thesis statement as they plan their summer reading essay that they'll write on Friday. (See Classroom for more detailed information on what we did in class today.)

Today's Board

January 26, 2016

We used the first 15 minutes of class for independent reading time. I'm reading All American Boys by Jason Reynolds right now, and it is a really timely and powerful book!

"This I Believe" will be our Writer's Notebook topic each Tuesday. After listening to Edward R. Murrow's original introduction to the idea on his radio show, students responded to the prompt "Is it important to believe in something?"

In groups, students examined the three short pieces from Monday, looking at diction, figurative language, syntax, theme, and tone. We will continue working with these excerpts tomorrow.

We wrapped up our time looking at the prompts for the summer reading essay that students will write on Friday (prompts are also posted on Classroom). Students will have some time in class on Wednesday and Thursday to plan and find quotes from their books for the essay. I'll also be sharing strategies for writing a good essay, focusing on thesis statements and transitions.

Three Excerpts
Dispatches from the Edge: A Memoir of War, Disasters, and Survival by Anderson Cooper (first 5 paragraphs at the link)
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson (first 7 paragraphs at the link)
Educating Esme: Diary of a First Year Teacher by Esme Raji Codell (Februrary 1 entry at the link)

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January 25, 2016

We started class with 15 minutes of independent reading. Following that, I introduced a close-reading process that students will use when they're asked to annotate what they read (the document is available on Classroom --> About --> Class Docs). We practiced with our first article of the week, a piece from The Week about DNA editing.

Students presented their literary terms posters to the class. To investigate the terms even further, students read and annotated three very short pieces. We'll get into the discussion of literary terms as they relate to these pieces tomorrow.

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January 22, 2016

Students spent the first 20 minutes of class finishing up the summer reading work on Classroom. They handed in the character cubing and qualities along with their book list from the summer.

We used the next 15 minutes to write in our Writer's Notebooks and read. Today's topic for the notebook was the reverse bucket list: We all have a list of things we want to do before we leave this earth. What are the things you never want to do? I never want to eat snails. That's at the top of my list!

Using the literary terms packet, students worked in groups to create a teaching poster for an assigned term. The poster included the definition, an illustration, examples from their summer reading, and tips and strategies for recognizing the term in literature. Students will present their posters to the class on Monday.

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January 21, 2016

We started with 15 minutes of independent reading time. We set up our Writer's Notebooks, creating sections for books we're reading now, books we want to read, vocabulary words we meet along the way, and notes for class. We'll write at least a little bit every day! For today's entry, students explained their two-word autobiography that they created on the first day of class.

Using the character cubing and qualities work, students worked in groups to discover common bonds that the characters from their books share.

I posted the Summer Reading Work assignment on Classroom. Students will rank their summer reading books in order of most difficult to least difficult, then reflect on the assignment as a whole. Students should turn this in on Classroom by tomorrow (we will have 20 minutes to tie up any loose ends). They will also hand in the character cubing and qualities and summer reading book list tomorrow.

Today's Board

Two Word Autobiographies

January 20, 2016

We began class with 15 minutes of independent reading time. Before the end of the first 9 weeks (March 24), students should read Lord of the Flies and a nonfiction book of their choice (150 pages or more).

Students shared their prior knowledge of characters in fiction on a Padlet. They did a great job of covering many of the terms! I've provided links to the work from each class.

• 1st period
• 2nd period
• 4th period

Using their annotated book from the summer reading assignment, students examined a character through a cubing exercise, describing, comparing, associating, analyzing, applying, and arguing for or against the character. Students also determined the mental, moral, physical, and social qualities of their character. Students who did not finish should complete the work before class tomorrow.

At the end of the period, I passed out the quote poster assignment sheet and rubric. This project is due at the beginning of class Tuesday.

Be sure to bring your notebook tomorrow so we can set up our Writer's Notebooks!

Today's Board

January 19, 2016

Today is the beginning of the 2nd semester! So exciting to meet new students!

We spent some time learning about each other and about how the classroom works. Students rotated through stations to discover information about the class and share information about themselves.

Be sure to download the necessary apps tonight and join your class's Google Classroom section (codes are in black on the "Today's Board" photo). You'll need a book to read for independent reading time tomorrow, and you'll also need your annotated summer reading book. On Thursday, you'll need your Writer's Notebook and Summer Reading Assignment.

Share the syllabus with your parent/guardian and sign and return the last page as soon as possible!

Today's Board (Google Classroom codes in black)

January 15, 2016

Third period completed their exams today.

Final exam grades are posted. Research assignment grades will be entered by Monday. At that point, all grades will be completed and final.

It's been a pleasure having all of you in class this semester! You are genuinely nice, hard-working kids, and you make my job enjoyable! I encourage you to continue your reading journey, and stop by if you need any book recommendations. You can keep up with what I'm reading on my GoodReads page.

January 14, 2016

First and 2nd periods completed their final exams today!

Third period helped me reset the room in preparation for the new semester. They will take their final exam tomorrow. 

I expect to complete all grading by Monday (research assignment and exam are the last 2 grades outstanding).

January 13, 2016

We started class with and end of course survey. I'm always looking for ways to improve my teaching, and I'm interested in what the kids thought about the class and my teaching style.

Students used the remaining class time to complete their research assignment. This should be turned in on Classroom today. (12:10 am is late!)

Coming up:

• Thursday: 1st and 2nd period final exams; pick up writer's notebooks
• Friday: 3rd and 4th period final exams; early release

Today's Board

January 12, 2016

Our final entry for our Writer's Notebook comes from the Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard: "Once you label me, you negate me." After responding to the quote, students completed the notebook check form on Classroom and turned in their notebooks. I'm looking forward to reading their thoughts!

With the remaining class time, students continued working on the research assignment which is due tomorrow. I demonstrated how to format the works cited page. We also developed a rubric for the assignment.

Coming up:

• Wednesday: Turn in research assignment on Classroom; end of course survey
• Thursday: 1st and 2nd period exams; pick up graded writer's notebooks
• Friday: 3rd and 4th period exams; early release

Today's Board

January 11, 2016

We completed the district-mandated Nelson-Denny Reading test today. This test is not for a grade; however, students did receive a daily grade for their participation. The district will use the data to measure student growth from the beginning of their freshman year to the end of their sophomore year. If you have any questions about the test, please email me!

We used the remaining class time to work on our research project (due Wednesday). I checked each students' research question to make sure everyone is on the right track. I also posted the review for the final exam on Classroom.

Coming up this week:

• Tuesday: Writer's Notebook Check #6
• Wednesday: Research due
• Thursday: 1st and 2nd period Final Exams
• Friday: 3rd and 4th period Final Exams; early release

Today's Board

January 8, 2016

It's Friday, so today's Writer's Notebook prompt was a free entry. Students had 20 minutes to complete their entry and read independently. I'm currently reading The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. I'm about halfway through, and the more I read, the more I'm angered by the lack of ethics that used to exist in the medical field. While science isn't my strongest subject, I'm still fascinated by the book.

I wrapped up a brief introduction to research by talking about plagiarism. Basically, don't copy someone else's work without giving them permission. For our research project, it will be virtually impossible for students to plagiarize because they are allowed to copy and paste direct quotes into their outlines. On research that they complete through their future academic career, students will need to be more aware of citing their evidence. Rule of thumb: when in doubt, cite it!

The research assignment is posted on Classroom. Students used class time today to begin, and we will continue working on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Students will turn in the assignment on Classroom before the end of the day Wednesday.

Today's Board

January 7, 2016

College Board released the October PSAT results today. Students spent a few minutes at the beginning of class accessing their accounts and examining their results. Students who are having trouble accessing their scores should talk to their counselors.

After 15 minutes of independent reading time, I shared some of the questions from the "Fierce Wonderings and Deep Mysteries" form and asked students to choose one question to respond to in their Writer's Notebooks. I segued this into a Padlet activity where students shared their ideas about where we can find answers to our questions. Many students suggested that answers can be found through personal experiences, faith, and books. In fact, several Pixar movies can help us answer our questions, too! (The site says these are themes, but they appear to be more like tropes.)

We then created our own grid to match up books we've read to questions we want answers to. It was interesting to see how many titles share similar ideas! I plan to combine all 3 classes' titles into one document and display it somewhere so students will be able to access it when they're looking for a new book.

To begin our research discussion, I asked each group to choose a topic. We then walked that topic through a few activities: evaluating sources, narrowing topics, and going beyond the first page of results. Students should begin thinking about a topic they would like to know more about. We will begin our research project tomorrow!

Coming up:
Monday - Nelson-Denny Reading Inventory (not graded)
Tuesday - Writer's Notebook Check #6 (minor grade)
Wednesday - Research due (major grade)
Thursday - Final Exams for 1st and 2nd periods
Friday - Final Exams for 3rd and 4th periods; early release

Today's Board

January 6, 2016

We started class with 15 minutes of independent reading time. Students were encouraged to keep an eye out for new and interesting words to add as their Writer's Notebook entry today.

We revisited our discussion from yesterday about philosophy and dug into our deep questions. On a notecard and Google Form, students shared questions anonymously that give them pause. These questions will show up again!

Students completed a book ladder activity based on books they've read since school started. Additional instructions and questions for the assignment are posted on Classroom. Students who did not finish in class should complete the work at home and turn it in first thing tomorrow.

Today's Board

January 5, 2016

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a pleasant break! I ended my break with an excellent keynote speech and session from Shanna Peeples, the 2015 National Teacher of the Year! She shared some awesome things with us that I'm incorporating in these last few days of the semester.

We started the day with 20 minutes of independent reading time in the library.

Our Writer's Notebook entry today was a one-page response to this prompt: Never underestimate the power of a kind word.

We continued our exploration of kindness with a "Daily Affirmations with Stuart Smalley" skit from Saturday Night Live. Students then worked in groups to list as many motivational messages they could think of, from posters to greeting cards. After they created a list, I asked students to choose which of those messages they would like to receive when they were having a bad day. Students then anonymously wrote a message or two on an index card and turned them in. These will turn up again soon!

We shifted our discussion to philosophy. Students took time to discuss the topic in their groups, and I asked what the word meant and what people are famous for it. We learned that "philosophy" comes from the Greek words "philo" and "sophia," meaning "loving" and "wisdom or knowledge." While most philosophers we're familiar with are dead Greek guys like Plato, Aristotle, and Socrates, students also mentioned Confucius, Marx, and Nietzsche. Since wisdom and knowledge are derived from questions, students created a list of universal questions that we seek answers to. After about 4 minutes, I shared Dr. Jacob Needleman's list of 9 great philosophical questions. Many lists contained variations of most of the questions!

Needleman's 9 Questions

We finished class with a quote from Linda Lantieri. We'll explore her ideas in more depth tomorrow. Students should bring their list of books read since 8/24 to class tomorrow. 

Lantieri's quote on questioning

Today's Board