I spent Monday working with two colleagues on an "English Opportunity Room" curriculum. One colleague is the head of our PLC and an invaluable resource. She and I wrote the first curriculum for another class similar to this one. The other colleague is our college English teacher who will be teaching this remedial class with me.
The isn't going to be called English Opportunity Room, but it will be based loosely on the Math Op room that provides a double dose of math for struggling students. We aren't calling our class English Op room because we have had a Reading Strategies class for the past 10-12 years, so we are leaving the name the same. (I'm guessing that will be less hassle in the computer enrollment program.)
Last spring, I sat down the Math Op room teacher and was able to pick his brain. He was so helpful and let me see all the activities the students worked on, the individualized instruction, and the testing schedule. There was a lot of variety in how they tackled the standards, which tends to be crucial for struggling students. He has had a lot of success in helping students succeed in their regular classes.
Sometimes I wish that our Language Arts Standards were a bit less overwhelming and not quite so broad or all-encompassing. However, one of the first things we did was go through and circle the Anchor Standards that are absolutely crucial to the success of the students. We will concentrate on those. And once we know which students will be in our class, we can individualize what skills need particular emphasis. (Though now that I think about it, it doesn't really matter if we know our roster. We could have drawn up the skills for each student on a separate page and then pulled the ones we needed when we saw our roster. Darn! Now, I think of that.)
We spent most of the morning hashing out exactly what the class was to do and then hunting for resources. We divided up the semester into six week segments, but then also divided up how class time was to be used each day of the week. The use of actual class time will change with each six weeks period.
The students in first semester English Op will be Juniors who need some extra work on their reading and writing skills. They were identified through the STAR reading test and also a fluency test. (Their performance in my English II class also indicated a need for some remedial work, though this wasn't used for placement.) The hope is that they will perform better, not only in English class but all classes, and then succeed on the State Test next spring.
Right now, the plan is to incorporate interactive notebooks into this class. (Disorganization tends to be a quality that many low performing students share.)
All this being said, I bet you can guess what I am doing.
*I have spent several days hunting reading and writing resources that we can use to teach and challenge.
*I've found interactive websites to work on grammar and punctuation skills.
*Today, the plan is to create the interactive notebook for the first two weeks, so we can help the students.
And all this work is just for the new class.
There are new textbooks for my English II class. I definitely need to immerse myself in the new text. I also want to have 180 days of Bell Ringer activities ready before school even begins. Somehow it always seems like the more work I can have done before school starts, the more enjoyable the school year is.
Do I have a bit to do before school begins? Why yes, yes I do.
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
Thursday, June 19, 2014
Summer Vacation
I spent the first two weeks of my summer hanging out with my kid sister. We had two nephews getting married in back-to-back weeks, so she came and stayed for both of them. We had a great time hanging out. Then I went home with her to California for a week. I met her grand babies, saw her daughters' homes, met boyfriends, went to wineries, visited Tahoe, and sat on her back patio.
Arriving home on Tuesday night, I was grateful to get off the plane. (Storms made flying nerve-racking.) I couldn't wait to see my grand kids, husband, and dog. Yesterday, I did a lot of laundry. And today...??
Lord, help me.
*I am going through new textbooks for next fall.
*I am hunting ideas for my lesson plan book that I get to design with the help of our Tech teacher.
*I am looking into interactive notebooks to improve the organizational skills of my students.
*And I am trying to figure out how to challenge my upper level students to exceed what they are used to achieving. (A track, B track, C track????)
To top it off:
*I am teaching a new class next fall, so I am looking for resources before our curriculum planning meeting. The class is for students who struggle with reading and writing. (Kind of one last charge before they take the State Assessment.) All ideas are welcome.
Yes, I should be working on the house. There are rooms that need painting, closets that need cleaned, and one dreadful ex-bedroom that needs some serious attention. And I can't think about anything but school.
Three months off? Yeah, right. My mind never strays far from the classroom.
Arriving home on Tuesday night, I was grateful to get off the plane. (Storms made flying nerve-racking.) I couldn't wait to see my grand kids, husband, and dog. Yesterday, I did a lot of laundry. And today...??
Lord, help me.
*I am going through new textbooks for next fall.
*I am hunting ideas for my lesson plan book that I get to design with the help of our Tech teacher.
*I am looking into interactive notebooks to improve the organizational skills of my students.
*And I am trying to figure out how to challenge my upper level students to exceed what they are used to achieving. (A track, B track, C track????)
To top it off:
*I am teaching a new class next fall, so I am looking for resources before our curriculum planning meeting. The class is for students who struggle with reading and writing. (Kind of one last charge before they take the State Assessment.) All ideas are welcome.
Yes, I should be working on the house. There are rooms that need painting, closets that need cleaned, and one dreadful ex-bedroom that needs some serious attention. And I can't think about anything but school.
Three months off? Yeah, right. My mind never strays far from the classroom.
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
State of the Schools
Our State seems to be turning its back on education and teachers.
These are the things I'd like my legislators to know:
Yes, teachers need our salaries to pay our bills and support our families, but we don't teach for the check.
Yes, we have three months "off" in the summer, but we get paid for nine months of work, not 12. (And we frequently spend quite a few of those days "off "preparing for next year's classes with curriculum work, conferences, and searching for new and better ways to teach.)
Yes, our salaries are public record. (Feel free to look it up. And no, I probably don't want to compare my salary to yours-and especially not when I have been at this for 35 years.) I also pay the taxes that pay my salary.
Yes, we look for job security, but we don't teach for the tenure.
Yes, our bosses (Local Board of Education) are frequently the parents of students in our classes and in our activities. (Are yours?)
Yes, we know that no one is more protective than a parent who feels their child is unhappy in some way. And we also know that our bosses (sometimes protective parents) get together at least once a month, where part of their evening (and their job) is spent discussing their children's teachers and coaches and the job that we are doing.
Yes, teachers have the job of sometimes making students unhappy or challenging them when they don't want to be challenged. Sometimes that, in turn, makes parents unhappy.
Yes, we might have to put a student in the chorus who really wanted a lead part. (Or cut them from the team or sit them on the bench) Sometimes we disappoint students, AND that student might have a parent who is my boss, too. And a protective parent.
Yes, we know administrators don't have tenure. We also know that they make about twice the amount of money most teachers do. We also know they have regular contact, discussion, sometimes camaraderie with our bosses; they build relationships with the bosses, and they have a chance to explain themselves on a regular basis. On the other hand, we know that teachers are discouraged from contacting our bosses, and even when we want/need to--we are only to do so by going through proper channels. To do otherwise could be considered insubordination.
And now no tenure means that teachers can be fired at any time or for any reason.
And guess what?
Today, I will go to school. I will work at nurturing relationships with students. I will hand back papers that are covered in ink, with grades which may or may not please. I will give a zero for plagiarism, lead a discussion on FDR's 1933 Inaugural Address, listen to students reciting "In Flanders Fields" and work at grading the next stack of papers. I will nag students to turn in late assignments or to come in to make up tests. I will give detentions for disrespect, confiscate hats and cell phones, and begin thinking about the curriculum for the new class that I may or may not be teaching next fall. I will meet with students who don't like their grade and comfort a student in tears because of a relationship going bad. I will return calls or emails to parents about grades or whatever else they might be worrying about, assuring them that everything will be fine or talking them through their worries. And I will be trying to figure out exactly what standards we are to be teaching now.
And somewhat ironically, I will be hunting for videos that former students created for my Teaching Class, promoting teaching as a career. Those videos will be used at a Career Pathway Fair, to encourage students to go into the Teaching Pathway and to choose the career of teaching.
And the truth is...
I will put up no tenure and little respect, pathetic wages, and long hours of lesson planning and paper grading because...
I love my students--past, present, and future.
That's it.
And I guess, at least for today, that is going to have to be enough.
These are the things I'd like my legislators to know:
Yes, teachers need our salaries to pay our bills and support our families, but we don't teach for the check.
Yes, we have three months "off" in the summer, but we get paid for nine months of work, not 12. (And we frequently spend quite a few of those days "off "preparing for next year's classes with curriculum work, conferences, and searching for new and better ways to teach.)
Yes, our salaries are public record. (Feel free to look it up. And no, I probably don't want to compare my salary to yours-and especially not when I have been at this for 35 years.) I also pay the taxes that pay my salary.
Yes, we look for job security, but we don't teach for the tenure.
Yes, our bosses (Local Board of Education) are frequently the parents of students in our classes and in our activities. (Are yours?)
Yes, we know that no one is more protective than a parent who feels their child is unhappy in some way. And we also know that our bosses (sometimes protective parents) get together at least once a month, where part of their evening (and their job) is spent discussing their children's teachers and coaches and the job that we are doing.
Yes, teachers have the job of sometimes making students unhappy or challenging them when they don't want to be challenged. Sometimes that, in turn, makes parents unhappy.
Yes, we might have to put a student in the chorus who really wanted a lead part. (Or cut them from the team or sit them on the bench) Sometimes we disappoint students, AND that student might have a parent who is my boss, too. And a protective parent.
Yes, we know administrators don't have tenure. We also know that they make about twice the amount of money most teachers do. We also know they have regular contact, discussion, sometimes camaraderie with our bosses; they build relationships with the bosses, and they have a chance to explain themselves on a regular basis. On the other hand, we know that teachers are discouraged from contacting our bosses, and even when we want/need to--we are only to do so by going through proper channels. To do otherwise could be considered insubordination.
And now no tenure means that teachers can be fired at any time or for any reason.
And guess what?
Today, I will go to school. I will work at nurturing relationships with students. I will hand back papers that are covered in ink, with grades which may or may not please. I will give a zero for plagiarism, lead a discussion on FDR's 1933 Inaugural Address, listen to students reciting "In Flanders Fields" and work at grading the next stack of papers. I will nag students to turn in late assignments or to come in to make up tests. I will give detentions for disrespect, confiscate hats and cell phones, and begin thinking about the curriculum for the new class that I may or may not be teaching next fall. I will meet with students who don't like their grade and comfort a student in tears because of a relationship going bad. I will return calls or emails to parents about grades or whatever else they might be worrying about, assuring them that everything will be fine or talking them through their worries. And I will be trying to figure out exactly what standards we are to be teaching now.
And somewhat ironically, I will be hunting for videos that former students created for my Teaching Class, promoting teaching as a career. Those videos will be used at a Career Pathway Fair, to encourage students to go into the Teaching Pathway and to choose the career of teaching.
And the truth is...
I will put up no tenure and little respect, pathetic wages, and long hours of lesson planning and paper grading because...
I love my students--past, present, and future.
That's it.
And I guess, at least for today, that is going to have to be enough.
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Quick Writes
Once in awhile, we have to remind students that writing is fun. Quick writes are a great way to do that. So, in the last ten minutes of class….
Quick Write for "Our Town"
Now, watch students remember that they really do like writing.
Quick Write for "Our Town"
In Emily's farewell speech, she says goodbye to simple things she has loved in this life.
"Goodbye to clocks ticking — And Mama's sunflowers — and food and coffee — and new-ironed dresses and hot baths — and sleeping and waking up! Oh, earth, you're too wonderful for anyone to realize you!"
And here is my list:
The Good Stuff *** 2013 Edition
The smell of wood smoke in the morning* crisp apples* fluffy white clouds*dimples* a blank sheet of paper or a new journal* old movies* flannel sheets* beards with a bit of gray* the way the downstairs smells when the girls are home* big brown eyes* Dad’s hands* a full moon* the smell after it rains* cheese pizza* snow days* movie afternoons* good piano music* the back of a baby’s neck* waking up on Thanksgiving and Christmas morning* holding a sleeping baby* riding down a big hill on a bike* a hot cup of coffee* brushing long hair* skipping rocks* a hot bath* a good sneeze* faded blue jeans* old family photographs* morning walks* the smell of cookies baking * wading* champagne bubbles* little kids giggling* going barefoot*fireflies* a ring of candlelight at Christmas Eve services* hugs from a two year old with a tight grip*sledding* a starry sky…
And what is on your list? Make a list of simple things you love that don't cost much money. (You know, the kind of things that you take for granted.) Give your list a title. I happened to swipe the title to a Kenny Chesney song. Make sure your name is on it, and place it in the red file for some quick points.
"Goodbye to clocks ticking — And Mama's sunflowers — and food and coffee — and new-ironed dresses and hot baths — and sleeping and waking up! Oh, earth, you're too wonderful for anyone to realize you!"
And here is my list:
The Good Stuff *** 2013 Edition
The smell of wood smoke in the morning* crisp apples* fluffy white clouds*dimples* a blank sheet of paper or a new journal* old movies* flannel sheets* beards with a bit of gray* the way the downstairs smells when the girls are home* big brown eyes* Dad’s hands* a full moon* the smell after it rains* cheese pizza* snow days* movie afternoons* good piano music* the back of a baby’s neck* waking up on Thanksgiving and Christmas morning* holding a sleeping baby* riding down a big hill on a bike* a hot cup of coffee* brushing long hair* skipping rocks* a hot bath* a good sneeze* faded blue jeans* old family photographs* morning walks* the smell of cookies baking * wading* champagne bubbles* little kids giggling* going barefoot*fireflies* a ring of candlelight at Christmas Eve services* hugs from a two year old with a tight grip*sledding* a starry sky…
And what is on your list? Make a list of simple things you love that don't cost much money. (You know, the kind of things that you take for granted.) Give your list a title. I happened to swipe the title to a Kenny Chesney song. Make sure your name is on it, and place it in the red file for some quick points.
There are about a zillion (hyperbole, I know--my mother tongue) quick writes you can use at any time of year and for any unit. This is just a favorite.
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Learning By Watching
During the last few weeks of school, I've had more teachers in my room than I've ever had before. (Well, without food being involved.) Our principal has challenged us to take some time and watch a colleague teach. The principal will even sub an hour, so that we can leave our classroom.
Don't get me wrong. They didn't come to my room because I am so magnificent. I struggle daily and make as many mistakes as anyone. That being said, I was the first in our building to attempt a Socratic Seminar, and several wanted to watch the process.
Somehow, having other teachers watch my first efforts with a new teaching method wasn't terribly intimidating. They knew I was finding my way, and I knew what they were going to see didn't have to be perfect. They gave me feedback and ideas for how to improve the method, and now a couple of them are trying the Socratic method, too.
Now it's my turn. I need to find the time to get down to a colleague's room and watch them interact with students. We have some incredible teachers in our building. Narrowing it down to one is going to be tough.
Don't get me wrong. They didn't come to my room because I am so magnificent. I struggle daily and make as many mistakes as anyone. That being said, I was the first in our building to attempt a Socratic Seminar, and several wanted to watch the process.
Somehow, having other teachers watch my first efforts with a new teaching method wasn't terribly intimidating. They knew I was finding my way, and I knew what they were going to see didn't have to be perfect. They gave me feedback and ideas for how to improve the method, and now a couple of them are trying the Socratic method, too.
Now it's my turn. I need to find the time to get down to a colleague's room and watch them interact with students. We have some incredible teachers in our building. Narrowing it down to one is going to be tough.
Sunday, September 22, 2013
One Step Forward, Two Steps...
You know the drill. I was so hoping that I was making progress. It was too good to be true.
We had spent a week or so discussing the history of our English language, where it came from, and where it seems to be heading. We even spent some time wondering if the technology of today puts us into the Post Modern Era of the English language.
Then, I listened to my students having a Socratic Seminar on English usage today. Students doubted the articles that said applicants were using text lingo on job applications. They guffawed. "We know when to use text language and when we shouldn't." Uh...right.
The next day, I pointed them in the direction of our classroom blog. There was a post for Extra Credit. (OK. Mainly to make sure that they actually knew how to access the blog!) The comments they had posted the week before were horrifying. They didn't capitalize "I," "English," or sometimes even their own name.
"No one sees the blog, Mrs. E."
Well, I do. Students in my classes do. Their parents do. Colleagues can and do. Other English teachers could. What would any of those people think of me as an English teacher after they read the student comments? I told them I was doubtful that I would even have a job.
The assignment for that day was to read the comments on that post and see how many had errors. They then were to pick the ten worst offenders, copy them into a document, and rewrite the comment using correct grammar.
And a hush fell over the room...
(I probably should let you know that I assured them that I would post no more comments with such blatant disrespect for our language.)
Yes, just when you think your students are making progress...!
Sophomores do such a great job of keeping me humble.
We had spent a week or so discussing the history of our English language, where it came from, and where it seems to be heading. We even spent some time wondering if the technology of today puts us into the Post Modern Era of the English language.
Then, I listened to my students having a Socratic Seminar on English usage today. Students doubted the articles that said applicants were using text lingo on job applications. They guffawed. "We know when to use text language and when we shouldn't." Uh...right.
The next day, I pointed them in the direction of our classroom blog. There was a post for Extra Credit. (OK. Mainly to make sure that they actually knew how to access the blog!) The comments they had posted the week before were horrifying. They didn't capitalize "I," "English," or sometimes even their own name.
"No one sees the blog, Mrs. E."
Well, I do. Students in my classes do. Their parents do. Colleagues can and do. Other English teachers could. What would any of those people think of me as an English teacher after they read the student comments? I told them I was doubtful that I would even have a job.
The assignment for that day was to read the comments on that post and see how many had errors. They then were to pick the ten worst offenders, copy them into a document, and rewrite the comment using correct grammar.
And a hush fell over the room...
(I probably should let you know that I assured them that I would post no more comments with such blatant disrespect for our language.)
Yes, just when you think your students are making progress...!
Sophomores do such a great job of keeping me humble.
Monday, September 2, 2013
Academic Vocabulary
Our students may be unusual in that they have a very limited vocabulary. (Somehow, I can't imagine that we are the only school whose students do not have the vocabulary for post secondary education or for the business world.) So, a goal for my students this year is for them to not only be exposed to a more academic vocabulary, but to use it on a daily basis.
I started with the word "annotate." Every time I used that word in class, students were to do a "Wooo!" (Kind of like Pee Wee Herman's Secret Word.) We talked about how important it is for them to mark up their texts with questions, comments, and paraphrasing for understanding. This isn't about me guessing what is going to cause problems. This is for them to dig through the text and find their own meanings and questions. (Thus, they are doing the work.) There was a lot of woo hooing in English II.
To encourage them to use the "Words of the Week," each class has a piece of paper on the front board. Every time a student uses a word correctly in discussion, they get a gold star to put on their hour's paper. The competition has been heated between a couple of hours, and even students who find the vocabulary difficult have been using the words. SCORE! (This idea came straight off of TeachingChannel.com. If you haven't discovered that gem yet, be sure to check it out.)
I choose four to five words a week as academic vocabulary. I also give them derivatives and challenging synonyms. The words go up on our front board for the week, so they can see them daily. At the end of the week, we add them to the word wall. The next week, they get new words on the front board.
What have I noticed? Challenging words (think synthesize, literal, allegorical, etc.) are making their way into their daily discussions. And to be honest, I think there are a lot of students who are quite proud of their growing vocabularies.
I started with the word "annotate." Every time I used that word in class, students were to do a "Wooo!" (Kind of like Pee Wee Herman's Secret Word.) We talked about how important it is for them to mark up their texts with questions, comments, and paraphrasing for understanding. This isn't about me guessing what is going to cause problems. This is for them to dig through the text and find their own meanings and questions. (Thus, they are doing the work.) There was a lot of woo hooing in English II.
To encourage them to use the "Words of the Week," each class has a piece of paper on the front board. Every time a student uses a word correctly in discussion, they get a gold star to put on their hour's paper. The competition has been heated between a couple of hours, and even students who find the vocabulary difficult have been using the words. SCORE! (This idea came straight off of TeachingChannel.com. If you haven't discovered that gem yet, be sure to check it out.)
I choose four to five words a week as academic vocabulary. I also give them derivatives and challenging synonyms. The words go up on our front board for the week, so they can see them daily. At the end of the week, we add them to the word wall. The next week, they get new words on the front board.
What have I noticed? Challenging words (think synthesize, literal, allegorical, etc.) are making their way into their daily discussions. And to be honest, I think there are a lot of students who are quite proud of their growing vocabularies.
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