Final Reflection

In preparation for my final reflection, I reviewed all of my blog posts from the semester.  I'm amazed by how many things I learned simply through independent course reading.  I investigated topics that I was really curious about.

If I'm being honest, I have to acknowledge that this semester was one of the scariest for me in terms of being a future teacher.  I realized just how much I DON'T know.  Next year, I will be teaching in a classroom.  I will be calling the shots.  This realization was scary because I felt (and feel) that there is so much to know.  I was most concerned with making everything I've learned and observed in the past become real and applicable.  I spent so much time in reflecting on my strengths and weaknesses at my present moment.  I identified some of both.  I used those to fuel and direct my course reading.

I'm passionate about writing and reading literature, mainly.  I love English subject matter.  That being said: I can easily identify things I hated about English classes in my own past experience.  I hated vocabulary and grammar practice.  It was boring.  Grammar, in particular, always seemed like a lot of jargon that did not apply to me.  As a result of this realization, I was determined to read an abundant of material about making vocabulary and grammar interesting and applicable.  I read Word Nerds and Engaging Grammar.  Word Nerds became one of my favorite books about teaching English.  It opened my eyes to the fact that we, as teachers, often skirt around matters like vocabulary and grammar because we are scared of it.  We are unsure about how to teach it in any way that is not traditional memorization.  I'm finding more and more that the most comes from simply reading and writing, and noticing patterns.  We pick up vocabulary words because we work with the words.  We have to see the same word in different contexts and angles.  One of my favorite activities reminded me of activities we did in Inventive Thinking.  We have to assort the vocabulary words in ways that help us understand the connection between them.  We are building schemas right along with building understanding about vocabulary words.  Having students play games and build things can be a great way to learn vocabulary.

Grammar is most effective when we are seeing examples and patterns in the daily reading we do.  Pointing out syntactical strategies and parts of speech in a text rather than separate from a text is the most useful way for learning grammar.  Students, then, can model those patterns in their own writing.

This semester has probably been the most life-changing one thus far.  As its drawing to a close, I realize that I still have fears about being a teacher.  At the same time, I feel far more confident than ever before.  This semester has been one in which I had to force myself to sit down and grapple with all of these concepts until I started taking ownership on them.  I had so many misconceptions about personalized learning.  I never truly believed that I could implement personalized learning effectively.  Now that I've seen it at work, and studied it, I realize that is attainable and beneficial for all--not just the students.

My nature as an elementary and secondary student was terrified to fail or struggle with things I did not understand.  I was most comfortable when someone told me what to think, say, or spit out on a page.  Learning, however, is not always comfortable.  In fact, in the majority of instances, learning comes with grappling with new material.  Failing is just a part of learning, and it's not even a bad thing.  I'm only now beginning to learn that fact.  I felt like I was constantly failing in writing my unit plan and implementing lessons in the classroom.  In reality, I was only learning ways to be a more effective and concise teacher.

Throughout the semester, I also read about workshopping in the English classroom.  The students in my practicum often use workshops and peer reviews as part of their learning process.  Seeing it firsthand, when coupled with my course reading, helped me to see how important it is to workshop.  Writing and critiquing is a practice.  When we read something, we should be constructively critiquing it the entire time.  When we write something and allow others to read it, we must be open to change and grow.  Workshopping is one way to show the active, growing, writing process.  We learn to accept areas where we need improvement.  I'm currently obsessed with the book, Using the Workshop Approach in the High School English Classroom.  I love the idea of a teacher being a coach and a partner in the learning process as students regularly write and revise writing, as well as critique each other's work.  Making this growth process a regular activity in the classroom allows for students to see the importance of life-long learning.  They will forever be creating and receiving critique.  They can constructively use that critique and revise and pursue new ideas.

The following link is my favorite scene from one of my favorite movies.  Of course, the movie deserves critique in some areas.  However, this scene represents to me what personalized learning is.  We have to see the students for who they are and where they are individually, and refuse to let them give up altogether.  We will always have students who have excuses for why they can't succeed.  Some of them truly believe they cannot.  However, through personalized learning, we are to be working with them to find ways that they they can succeed-- in a way that fits who they are as a learner and a person.

Fun fact: I sometimes tear up at this scene.

Freedom Writers: You are not failing

I'm currently loving being in the classroom I am in.  I have learned so much from simply talking and listening to the students.  My coordinating teacher has been a source of wisdom and confidence.  Her feedback is helpful while still being affirmative.  I need the affirmation as a learner this semester.  I imagine that all students need that affirmation at some point, right along with the regular feedback they need.

Through my practicum, I got to be a part of a teacher team and community.  I have already sought out a few teachers for advice and answers.  This community has been so helpful.  I've seen PLPs in full swing, 1-to-1 devices being integrated into the classroom, and I got to participate in monitoring student progress and directing them toward a common goal.  I'm finding more and more how important it is to equip students with the skills and the resources to go out and find answers for themselves, rather than spewing out the answers in a traditional lecture.

I know teaching is for me.  I've never been more sure in my entire life.

Video Reflections

WARNING: The quality of these videos is terrible and the angle is awkward.  Also, most of my lessons involve individual work with me monitoring progress rather than lectures.

So, once again: AWKWARD.

Lesson One

This first part of the video was with the BIO-POEM lesson to the eighth grade ELA students.  The purpose of this portion was to get the students thinking about the importance of choosing powerful words to describe themselves.

Altogether, this portion of the lesson went smoothly.  However, I just realized in watching the video that the two boys in the mustard sweatshirts were not really on-task throughout this activity.  I probably should have checked on them first to jumpstart this activity with them.  These two generally disengage from class activities frequently, and even distract each other at times.  It might have been beneficial to mix up the groups from what they are used to, assigning each one of these boys (in particular) with other students in the class.  This would help to break them away from their distractions.

In watching this, I also can't help but really wish that I had transitioned the partner activity/ mini-lecture with the bio-poem.  In my mind, I knew there was a connection but I don't really see myself really clearly defining the connection for the students.



Lesson One: Part One

In general, this group of eighth graders are pretty good about getting activities done.  However, there is alot of time used in transitional periods that is not effective.  This lesson, in particular, was one in which I struggled with time management.  This was the first lesson I taught, and I did not follow the clock as well as I could have.

In watching this video, I also realized that this was ample opportunity to go over instructions clearly and provide powerful examples to the whole class before sending them all on their way to do individual work.  This would have allowed for more time to actually brainstorm and then construct the bio-poem, and go on to the other activities of the classroom.

Also, in watching this portion of the video, I realize that there was a student in the back row who was clearly not excited about the material I was sharing.  He's such a brilliant student, so I could have easily brought him into the conversation, rather than centralize the lecture/ dialogue with the five or six most vocal students.

I wish I had the part of the video where one student semi-jokingly hit his friend in the face with an ipad.  I wanted to see that part because I KNOW that I could have handled it better.  I kind of froze and didn't know what to do.  It was a perfect time to address the class as a whole and go over the directions again.  Also, I probably could have helped the poor kid more than I di. I was so nervous!

Lesson Two

This segment of video came from my lesson to seventh graders on The Outsiders Chapter One.  This part mainly focused on when the students were working on comprehension questions and the character grid. Ms. Baldwin helped with answering questions as well.  She occasionally walked around and checked on students, too, though, it was mainly just me.

The class community is pretty chill.  Most students work independently and they seem to enjoy it.  Ms. Baldwin normally allows small chatter as long as it is on-task.  That being said: I see many opportunities in this video where I could have checked in with the few students I see on the screen to keep them focused.  One of the boys, in particular, often gets off-track.  He is a creative thinker, but often follows his train of thought on and on until he is no longer even engaged with the task at hand anymore.  This student would have benefited from me checking in.

This was the class where I felt the students had the most anxiety about the number of tasks they had to complete.  I should have made it clearer that my expectations were that they get as much done on their character grid as they could.  It was a work period.  One student (off-screen) was stressed because she didn't feel she had enough time to complete the activities.  While I had announced once that they were expected to get as much as they could done on the task, I should definitely have announced it again.


Lesson Two

This video really resembles the last one.  Thanks to our struggling videographing skills, part of the video overlapped.

That being said: I clearly see two boys getting a little off-task at the beginning of this video.  The one boy had already finished his task.  Instead of moving on to the next things on the list on the board unprompted, he distracted his neighbor.  I should have addressed the class to keep moving at the own pace down the list.  If they complete one activity, they simply need to move on to the next task without being prompted by me.  I also could have addressed him, personally.

When I introduced the comprehension questions, I asked the students if they knew what first/second/third person was.  They assuredly told me they did.  In fact, I had thought at the time that they thought I was silly for asking it based on the resolve some of them had. In watching this video, I realize that there were many misconceptions about 1st/2nd/3rd person that I TOTALLY could have addressed, but didn't!  So many different people had the same questions that I could have helped.

Ms. Baldwin, in this video, addresses one student who was having behavioral problems because I didn't see him.  I do wish I had!

Free Writing

I think I only started appreciating free writing as a college student for my workshop classes, while I did have to do them for high school classrooms.  I think I just didn't understand the purpose of them before, nor did I do them effectively.

Free writing is free from self-editing throughout the process.  It's supposed to be just a free-flowing idea bin through which flows new ideas, and emerging understanding.  It's a splatter of ideas and maybe even word dribble.  It's something that helps students put ideas on a page.  From there, they can reflect and draw on certain matters of importance.

This chapter also mentioned that there is value in free writing that we don't immediately think of.  It's important in this flowing, free process, that "false starts" happen.  Students start writing a particular thing, and realize it isn't right/ going anywhere and change directions.  I love this because it shows a valuable lesson.  False starts happen.  Sometimes, you go down a path of thinking and it doesn't work out/ shifts in some way.  AND THAT'S OKAY AND EVEN VALUABLE!

You need to let go of ideas that don't work fall to the wayside.  Wasting time pursuing things that aren't valuable is not necessarily a good writing skill.  Creative writers, on a professional level, know when an idea is leading them somewhere (note that the idea is what is doing the leading, and not the conscious writer) and when an idea is a dead-end that isn't pushing them farther.

In the writing workshop realm, free writes are particularly valuable at stirring thinking to actually turn into the writing process, or reject altogether.  I use this all the time as a creative writer.  In fact, it's helped to fuel more creativity than I ever employed to this capacity before.

Workshopping as Coaching

The author of this book, Cynthia D. Urbanski, called on her experience as a track and field coach.  She said that she worked right along her students, sweating in the heat, conquering the steep hills, tiring her legs out.  She claimed that her presence through their running experience helped her to connect and relate to the students' struggles and victories better.  She wrote: "When I was coaching, I felt a connection with what I was doing.  In my classroom, there was an invisible wall" (25).  At the time, she felt that she was keeping her students doing busy work, and was not connecting to them in the same way she was through coaching.

Then she realized that the role of teacher and coach could be the same thing.

She stresses throughout this book the importance of the teacher modeling behaviors, and being a member in the classroom.  Not just a dictator over the classroom, but a member who is contributing and expecting students to contribute in the same way. Modeling the writing process and reading process can, in turn, build a community within the classroom. 

This is useful in so many ways.  Not only do students get to see examples of active, lifelong learning, but they begin to gain a trust as they watch their "teachers engage in the real act of writing or reading" (26).  They see the skills as an ongoing process, and they get to see goals being accomplished while ALSO learning reading/ writing skills. 

She said that her goal was always to show students the difference between good and bad writing.  "The difference between good and bad writing--and for that matter, good and bad reading--is the level at which the person opens up herself, her thoughts, and her feelings for others to see." (27).  When we are asking students to write, we are asking them to show us part of who they are.  They have their own style and ideas to reflect.  We should be coaching those individual strengths and ideas, and supporting them to show them the skills of good writing in terms of their individual writing.

This writer is soooo good.  I feel like I've already written down so many quotes from my experience.

Who Writes the Rule Book Anyway?

The name of the chapter I read in the book, "The Workshop Approach", was called, "Who Writes the Rule Book Anyway?" WHAT A GREAT CHAPTER.

Aristotle often is attributed with speaking on matters of writing.  He is revered as this great thinker from whom we pull our ideas, and, indirectly, our systems.  He spoke of writing with purpose, and according to audience.  Over the years, however, we strayed farther and farther away from that simplicity.  We devised modes of writing, focused on rhetoric and grammar, and submitted ideas for different kinds of writing like explanatory, expository, narrative, etc.

As a general population of English teachers, we've been clinging on to this idea that we need to stress these particular, segregated components.  As my other content reading as expanded into areas of vocabulary and grammar, I am just now seeing the importance of blending the skills together.  As long as we keep audience, purpose, and meaning in mind while constructing, we are free to write.  Skills pertaining to grammar, rhetoric, and vocabulary come with practice and implementation.

I like the following sentence: "Too many teachers, like their ancient predecessors, view genres as rigid structures that must be learned precisely and then never violated if writing is to be coherent, organized, and effective.  Too many believe that...teaching writing means insisting on formal correctness..." (13).

"Never violated" sounds like it would breech creativity and could stump individual students.  As this author suggests, we cannot hold to that idea that formality is rule.  It's a process, and, moreso, a SKILL.  Skills are strengthened with practice and reflection.

This chapter also commented on how teachers are teaching concepts like the five-paragraph essay because of tests and specific curriculum.  The chapter argues that students need to be taught the skills, and the results will follow.

Workshopping in the Classroom

Because of my focus on vocabulary and grammar so far this semester, I haven't started my other book, "Using the Workshop Approach in the High School English Classroom" until recently.  The central idea is that writers only get to be better writers through frequent practice and peer evaluation.  This sounds like common sense, but I really come away with the idea that writing is a skill that gets strengthened with the writing process.  Students should not be shying away from critique and revision, nor should they go long periods of time without opportunities to practice giving constructive feedback to others around them.

Runners cannot go out and run the Boston Marathon without practice.  Writers cannot be expected to write long, professional pieces without gaining the skills and confidence that comes from the workshop experience.

This chapter focused on "coaching" the workshop process.  At the beginning, the teacher might have to step in and model the process.  Maybe I will have to write a piece for them to workshop.  Maybe I will model giving constructive feedback.  As the process continues, though, I need to expect my students to take the leadership role.  As they gain the skills necessary, they can elaborately provide feedback and work on skills of being critical readers of others' work, along with learning skills to write their own work.

This process allows students to take a leadership role.  I know this comment may appear to be a sideline comment, but it's really important to me to create an atmosphere that fosters leaders.  Individuals who know how to articulate their own ideas, constructively and positively display those ideas in a respectful way, and stand by their own work, while also being able to adapt and revise.  Those sorts of skills are priceless in the real world, and they can absolutely be fostered in the classroom.

P.s. I really like this book so far.  The writing style and information is relaxed but instructive.

Animal Farm

The eighth grade is in the middle of the coolest unit.  They were introduced to dystopian literature.  They are looking at it through the lens of George Orwell's Animal Farm.  Ms. Baldwin is interweaving the story with the Russian Revolution.  Obviously, Orwell wrote the book to illustrate the revolution and the motivations for major historical events.  The kids are really interested in the unit.  So far, we've looked at cartoon graphics, depicting the story of the Russian revolution, as well as pictures of real life characters.  The class had a discussion about what it would be like to live in Russia during this time, and how their perspective would change based on whether they were members of the Romanov dynasty, or if they were the average citizen with no food.

This unit peeks my interest, primarily because I love history and English together so much.  The students have been excited about it so far, as well.  We've been reading Animal Farm as a class in class.  Students don't do the reading outside of the class.  This also provides ample opportunities to discuss outdated vocabulary and misconceptions, as well as more clearly draw the connection between the story and real life.  I do wish we could try some new vocabulary techniques throughout this unit, but I do appreciate that the students are using and reflecting on the terms before reading through the chapter in which the words appear.

I mainly helped students with vocabulary and comprehension questions.  Ms. Baldwin read the story aloud and has done most of the lectures. 

I'm going to miss the students so much over Christmas break that I already promised them I'll come in several times to see them :)

no class at the middle school

For our purposes, I had to review and make sure I had all my blogs from practicum.

We had break the week of October 3-7.

We did not have school at the middle school on Friday, November 11.

We had a break from November 21-25.

November 18, we had minimal time in our classrooms.  I observed the introduction into the dystopian literature unit.

Visiting the Tech Center

The group of seventh and eighth graders were split into six groups of ten today to take student-led tours through the tech center.  I got to lead a group, and it was amazing!

The tech center features so many wonderful opportunities that juniors and seniors in high school can participate in.  In the construction area, they get to build a full house that will get auctioned off later.  In power sports and mechanics, students have a clientele base that they work on vehicles for.

The students really responded well to this experience.  A common theme that kept coming up all day was "college credit."  Students get to have a headstart on college classes while learning skills that can help them sit apart from others competing for the same jobs.  They have to use their core class knowledge and transferrable skills in real-world experience. 

This opportunity made flexible pathways seem all the more achievable to me.  Students can participate in things that they like (first hand experience) and get college credit while simultaneously meeting standards.  A big focus of the day was telling the students that, while tech students often spend the majority of their time in their field, they are still learning and using skills that transferred from traditional, core classes.  A lot of times, there is a stigma surrounding students and programs with hands-on activities.  When I was in high school, it was a generally accepted idea that students who were struggling in school were the ones who worked on mechanics all day, for example.  Instead, this day was addressing that stigma, and helping students see the great opportunities for learning and success that this center provides them with.

It was an exciting (and exhausting) day!

P.S. I accidentally got chosen to be a "student volunteer" in one of the classes. DO I LOOK LIKE I'M IN MIDDLE SCHOOL?????

The Writing Process

I read the first chapter of this book, Strategic Writing: The Writing Process and Beyond in the Secondary English Classroom, after I read the recommendations on the National Council of Teachers of English website.  As indicated by the title, the focus of this book was about encouraging the writing process inside the classroom-specifically- rather than assigning a writing piece without regularly checking on the progress and editing process.  The book stressed the importance of developing strategies.  Teachers should bring strategies into the classroom, and should encourage students to bring strategies into the writing process, as well- strategies that are tailored to their needs.

Students should "stop thinking of prewriting, drafting, revising, and editing as products the teachers requires."  Rather, they should see the entire process as a strategy to successful thinking.  This shift in perspective makes the process more meaningful and the students are more likely to use the process outside of the requirements.

We cannot simply begin with, "This is what a thesis statement is.  This is where it goes..." and expect students to fully implement.  We should be putting more emphasis on the strategy of implementation and conditioning the writing.

One way to do this is to include peer editing.  I've seen this process firsthand in Ms. Baldwin's room, and I love it.  Students read each other's work, highlighting components that are strong- thesis statements, supporting evidence, etc- and comment on things that might be in need of revision.  This is such a valuable piece.  Not only do writers receive quality, guided feedback, but they learn how to be critical readers and provide effective feedback.

This book also stressed the need for inquiry based writing.  Inquiry strategies help students to focus and develop ideas.  As one individual wrote, students "cannot be writers unless they are first thinkers."  We need to present subjects where students can explore and test the boundaries while uncovering new details.

Another important component that is included with the writing process is the reflection piece. Undoubtedly, this is often left out.  Students should reflect on the changes made to their pieces, and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the writing.  This is a transferrable skill where they, once again, have to be critical thinkers and readers.

Another Hump Day with the Eighth Grade

Ms. Baldwin had the eighth graders write a reflection on the close of their identity unit as they get into a new unit on dystopian literature.

Dystopian literature is a popular genre in this class.  Students love the Hunger Games, the Maze Runner, Divergent, and more.  Needless to say: the class was pumped.  Ms. Baldwin had a powerpoint where she discussed the different elements of dystopian literature.  Class ran out of time before getting too far into the powerpoint.  However, the kid were pretty psyched to get cruising.

The book the students will all be reading was not yet introduced.  Ms. Baldwin only said that she wants to stress that it is a dystopian book written far before the more present day, famous novels like The Hunger Games.  She wanted to address the misconception that this genre was new.

The class opened an online chat about the role of dystopia vs. utopia.  Students responded to each other's comments.  This was a good way to have a discussion where every student gets involved.  Rather than calling on raised hands, all students had to address the prompt, refer to each other's comments, and then audibly discuss if they had questions.

It was fun to see the introduction of a new unit in this way.  I like this discussion idea and I think I might use it!

substitute teacher in the eighth grade

Ms. Baldwin was at a conference today.  The substitute teacher came in with detailed notes about the agenda for the students.  Basically, the students would be completing their projects for the identity unit.  They had to upload work to their ThingLink and decorate their self-portraits.  From there, they would take a survey about interests they have and possible careers to consider.

The students stayed relatively on task throughout the day.  My job was the same as always--enforce Ms. Baldwin's rules and motivate the students to stay on task while asking questions and offering feedback.  The students got to use a lot of creativity today, and, for the most part, the students responded positively to it and stayed on task.

Only one consideration: yesterday was the presidential election.  I was surprised by how many students had stayed up late to watch the polling.  All of the students seemed to have opinions that they wanted to discuss.  In order to stay on task, the substitute teacher made a policy that the students were not allowed to discuss the elections from last night.  Many students were really upset about this, especially since a few of them had stayed up to watch the polls and wanted to share their thoughts from their experience.

If I were in charge, I would have started the class with a conversation (even if it was five minutes or less) to allow the students to share their thoughts.  At least then, the students could get out their thoughts about the issues that were really relevant to them.  Since this was at the very beginning of the school day, they had not yet had any opportunities to consider and discuss the elections.  I think the majority of the class would have an easier time going about their work after they felt like they were heard about the big issues that mattered to them.  It would even be nice to have them free-write about it.  After all, their identity unit is circulating current events and things about them RIGHT NOW.  This would have made for a great opportunity to discuss their current opinions on the world.

Other than that, the day went pretty smoothly.  I am happy to announce that I am becoming quite familiar with the ipads, and am capable of actually helping students with basic technological tasks (I couldn't do that earlier in the semester, so this is a great leap!)

It would have been nice to have a debriefing time about the elections today, but the day itself DID go well and I felt that I offered valuable supports to the new substitute teacher who was unfamiliar with some of the activities of the day.

SIDE NOTE: Oh my goodness, Trump won...

Word Nerds: Celebrating Student Success

This is quickly becoming one of my favorite books pertaining to English Education.  I find the techniques and activities so valuable and purposeful.  I can't wait to put them in practice (except there's so many, I can't decide which ones are my favorites!)

The chapter, "Celebrate to Validate" mainly hones in on the importance of recognizing student achievement in the area of vocabulary while still creating atmospheres for learning.

One such activity is called Block Party.  This activity is still a learning activity, but also brings in components of community and social skills.  The students all wear lanyards with a word on it.  The first student stands up and invites all of the synonyms in the room to the party.  Then, he or she invites all of the antonyms.  This process continues for all of the main and connected words.  Once all of the words are "at the block party," the students need to mingle and meet the new acquaintances (i.e. the new words).  They have to introduce themselves (i.e. the word on their lanyard) and tell each other a little about themselves (i.e. the meaning of the word and important things to remember about the word).  Another valuable component about this activity is reinforcing social skills, particularly in terms of introducing one's self and maintaining conversation.  PLUS it's always a good idea to actually have snacks for the block party.

That is one example of many that were provided in this chapter.  The general idea is that students will really engage with the words and find the material enjoyable, while simultaneously getting rewarded for their hard work in vocabulary practice.  In order for this game to go smoothly, the students should have a base understanding of the words.  As they engage with each other, they can learn more and more about their own words, as well as the words of other people.

Hump Day in the Eighth Grade

The students of the eighth grade are wrapping up their Identity Unit Projects--consisting of a ThingLink with photographs, poems, short stories, and other elements to show who they are now and who they want to be.

It was a busy day that depended highly on student participation and individual learning.  The students had to update their notebooks with current information (pulling from their work online as well as paper copies) before diving into their projects.

Each student was at a different place.  Some students were finishing up writing short stories about themselves (they had to pick one event from their life and write it in short story form, adhering to dialogue, grammar, and other short story elements), others were organizing their notebook work, and still others were assembling their work into a visual representation on ThingLink.

My role was the same as it always in the classroom.  I walk around and monitor student work, answering questions and posing questions to help them with wherever they are at.  I mainly had to remind the students to keep moving on to other activities once they were finished with the ones they were at.

When short stories were finished, the students had to trade stories with other students and peer review each other's work.  They had to color code the story elements that Ms. Baldwin was specifically looking for.  For example, elements of dialogue were highlighted in blue while internal dialogue was highlighted in orange.  Students were to have all of the elements in their story, so this served as a good check and balance system.

I generally like the style of Ms. Baldwin's classroom. It revolves around individual work and the class rarely uses a traditional, lecture style.  The only thing I have to remember is to constantly be checking in and keeping students on task (but I would have to do that anyway so it isn't a burden at all!)

Friday: School Assembly

All of the teams from the middle school got together to pass out awards, show student-made videos and skits, and perform music.

It was an exciting rally.  One team from the school is in charge of putting on the assembly--a different team each time.  The team responsible creates videos to advertise clubs, show student achievement, and give out awards to students from each team.

The kids obviously love this event.  They gathered in the assembly room with high energy, participated (for the most part) with the cheering and singing, and (for the most part) were very attentive.

All in all, I like this sort of incentive for the students.  The students can be awarded for various aspects--not purely, traditionally academic.  They have a chance for winning.  Videos and photographs catalog their greatest achievements, and they seem to be ever-grateful for a diversion from the regular Friday schedule.

I enjoyed being a part of the assembly.  I got to see first hand the work that students and faculty alike put into it, and I got to see the general benefits of congratulating the students with incentives and rewards.

GRAMMAR

I'm feeling the need to spend a lot of time with the concept of teaching grammar in my classroom.  I've been researching ideas on the NCTE website along with my book, Engaging Grammar.  There's just so much to know.

Today, I read an article that recommended a piece of writing ("A Modest Proposal" Swift) to help guide students' thinking about the role of semicolons.  Of course, this article is not the cream of the crop, but it illustrates the point of helping students to look for certain grammatical aspects in play in a piece of text they are reading.  They then can model that.

So far, I found some helpful resources in addition to my book:

Activities for Teaching Grammar--I especially like the idea of verb/ adverb charades for the middle school level.

Grammar Ideas

An important thing I've found in my main text, Engaging Grammar, is the difference between Form Classes and Structure Classes.

Form classes (nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs) can handle taking affixes and new members.  These can be shaped into other forms.

Structure classes (determiners, auxiliaries, qualifiers, prepositions, particles, conjunctions, pronouns) are incapable of taking new members and often provide the rhythm of a sentence.  They are generally unstressed.

I never thought of grouping the parts of speech into different categories, but it helps in clarifying the rules of the parts of speech within a sentence and piece of writing.  They help us see patterns.  Grammar as a whole is about patterns.  There are rules and exceptions, of course, but it is useful to be constantly looking for patterns to mimic and use.

I TAUGHT TODAY!!!

I taught two sets of eighth grade classes today.  Of course, I was nervous but I brought plenty of business to keep the students moving on their identity units.

Today, the students had a warm-up involving connotation and selecting thoughtful adjectives to use in their individual bio-poems.  I was trying to steer them away from using generic, non descript adjectives ("cool", "smart", "nice") and cause them to think deeper about how they view themselves. 

Both classes went smoothly.  The students created their poems, and collages to go with the poems, and proceeded to upload them on Schoology before starting on their narrative writing.  One struggle I ran into--particularly in the first class-- was pacing the class to allow for less "social" time.  The students kept distracting each other with conversations while working through their poems.  I modified this going into the second lesson, shortening the time the students had to work on brainstorming.  This allowed for more progress and less conversational time.

I feel relatively confident in how smoothly the classes went today.  I feel like I could improve on pacing work (in order to keep the students more on task) and bringing the lesson full circle by readdressing issues I discussed at the beginning of class (mainly connation and thoughtful word choice).

The second class was probably the hardest to keep on task in terms of behavior.  I've spent less time in this class getting to know the students.  It was harder for me to come up with examples for them to individually use in their poems.  Ms. Baldwin and I kept having to address a group of six boys who were distracting each other with irrelevant matters.  I found that it was even hard to go through the instructions in this class without being interrupted with irrelevant questions or comments.

It was NOT A DISASTER by any means.  It was an opportunity, however, to see group dynamics in play and find ways to modify the plan based on the different scenarios.

I'll upload my video soon!

Busy Work in 7th-8th grade

It was a hectic, business-oriented day.  The students of both seventh grades and eighth grades had to work on the same task: organizing their notebook, locating missing work, and completing their Table of Contents.

It was kind of difficult to keep the students engaged today.  Some students whirled through their busy work, having found and completed all their work.  They were supposed to read silently as the rest of the class finished their work.  What ended up happening was a lot of side chatter that distracted the students actually reading.

The structure of the first assignment was that students had to look for work whether it was done electronically (submitted on Schoology) or in hard copy.  It was a little difficult because not all assignments were done electronically, or vice versa.  As a result, there was a lot of confusion as to whether or not students had all their assignments.  Ms. Baldwin came up with a solution that, if students had done the work in hard copy, they could take a picture of it on their Ipads and submit to Schoology.  Schoology, then, kept the running tab of all missing assignments.

The engagement level was down.  On top of that, this Wednesday served as the last day of the week for the students.  They were all discussing their long weekend plans and found lots of topics to converse about.

Ms. Baldwin and I had to do a lot of monitoring to make sure students were staying on task today.  It was hard to keep the focus level where it needed to be, and I wonder what other things we could have had the students do other than just silent reading in that forum.  Obviously, the latter-- as much as the students typically enjoy it-- was not working today.

"The More You Know, The More You See"

If I'm being honest, I still don't know if I am effectively equipped to teach grammar in the most real sense.  At least: I don't feel confident in going into a classroom and incorporating grammar into the lesson in an engaging way.

The book "Engaging Grammar" is helping some.  One recurring theme is the importance of pointing out syntactical and grammar patterns in regular reading.  The idea is, that the more we point out the patterns, the more the students will recognize the patterns themselves, and then be able to incorporate those skills into their own writing.

One seasoned writer wrote about scared he was to approach the concept of grammar.  I think I maybe connected to that feeling right off the bat.  He said that he tried this approach in his classroom--pointing out patterns in existing writing.  He started simply (breaking down a simple subject-verb sentence).  From there, he had the students work to rewrite the sentence in as many ways as they could without taking away from the meaning of the sentence.  Instead of just "Margaret slept" it became "She slept" and "The woman slept" and "I slept" and so on.  The idea was to represent the different forms of the subject and the role of the subject.  That was this teacher's basic lesson.  From there, they began to make the matter more complex.  He said that there were many times when students asked questions to which he knew no answer.  Grammar is a complex thing, after all.  However, he stressed the importance of being honest and pursuing the answer together.

High school students are going to need some grammar practice.  Many of my students will probably be just as initially scared to learn about grammar as I am to teach it.  However, we can make it attainable with the right structure and activities.  We can both build confidence as we go on through the process of learning grammar.  I can't go into the class and open up a lesson on grammar in the way I have heard it as a student: "Today we are going to be learning about grammar because most of the class is making mistake after mistake in this area..."  It might be beneficial to not mention "grammar" at all when introducing the lesson.  We will just be working with words and sentences to make the most strong examples we can.

The most useful thing I'm taking away from my reading on grammar so far is the importance of choosing the right activities to work with the concepts and patterns.  It has been taking me a lot of re-reading to get my mind around grammar (it's never been my strong suit) but I think I am growing in the right direction!

Seventh grade PLP set up

During advisory this morning, all students started to create their PLPs.  They individually chose what site to create their PLPs on (options included Google Sites, Wix, Weebly, and Adobe Sparknote).  Most of the students were creating their PLPs on the Weebly app.

We ran into a few ipad glitches today.  Individual students were unable to connect with certain buttons and do regular tasks like change font color and size and background images.  This left them frazzled.  Ms. Baldwin and I assisted as much as possible.  However, our own skills were limited and we were confused why some students had no problems with their technology, and others did.

Ms. Baldwin kept insisting on a positive attitude from everyone throughout the process.  Students would make negative comments out of frustration, and she would try to repeat their feelings in a more positive way.

As is the usual on Fridays, the class went to the library for independent reading.  The students love going to the library.  They asked about it constantly this morning before we actually left for the library.  The students invited me to sit with them in beanbags on the floor and we all silently read for 15-20 minutes today.

It's interesting to hear the students regularly recommending books to each other.  It is obviously a big part of their routine, and they really seem to enjoy it.  One seventh grader was reading Stephen King's It while another student was reading Alex Ryder books.  The reading levels and interest levels range excessively.

Ms. Baldwin's classroom normally features a relaxed style.  The students are often comfortable with taking leadership roles and directing themselves and other students.  For example, one seventh grader--Ryley-- addressed other students who were talking during the Pledge of Allegiance.  She instructed them on correct behavior.  The other students acted like it was no big deal that this correction took place.

This sort of thing happens rather frequently.  Students are instructing each other in ipad processes, learning techniques, and even behavior.  It's just part of the community.  From what I can tell, the majority of the students are really comfortable with this direction.

Identity Unit: ThingLinks and Four Corners

The group of eighth graders is in the middle of an identity unit.  They reflected on their ThingLink projects from last year (designed to represent the things they like and dislike and basic elements of who they are) and discussed what they would like to do differently for the project this year.  They discussed photographs, friends, favorite foods and music, and talked about including the results of the few identity quizzes they have done thus far.

The class obviously enjoys this unit.  They get to do a handful of hands-on activities and projects that get them involved.

Afterwards, they always get to reflect on what they've learned.

Today, Ms. Baldwin had a game called "Four Corners."  She would read a statement, and the students would divide themselves into four categories (Strongly Agree, Agree, Disagree, Strongly Disagree) based on the statements.  Ms. Baldwin stressed multiple times that no answer is wrong.  They were all opinions, and all students could voice their opinion regardless of the opinions of the rest of the class.

The statements had to do with identity (nature vs. nurture, friend groups, style, etc).  The students divvied themselves up accordingly.  It was interesting to see how some students were willing to stand alone on issues that the rest of the class seemed to be grouped into.  Each group/ individual could share why they chose the category they did.  In one case, Evan stood alone from nearly the entire class.  The other kids were surprised that he agreed with the statement when the rest were pretty certain that disagreeing was the way to go.  When Evan told the class why he chose the answer he did, and his reasoning to draw that conclusion, we all realized that he really wasn't off-base, at all.  He was just seeing it from a different perspective.

This activity was really useful for seeing the way different individuals may perceive the same statement or text in different ways.  Evan was justified in his answer, just as his classmates were justified in theirs.  The result was a far more rounded discussion about alternative views and conceptions, and proved to be a very interesting learning opportunity.

The diversity that exists within one group of students and even one peer group (Evan's friends were sure he was wrong) is so important.

V.O.C.A.B.

I'm becoming OBSESSED with looking at vocabulary activities that engage students and challenge the way they view words!

For example, one activity calls on students to work in small groups and plan a charade to show the definition of a word.  They cannot tell the class exactly what word it is, so they really have to think about how to represent the word in order for the students to best guess.

Another idea is called the "Chain Link" game.  One student is assigned a word.  They tell the class the word and the definition.  From there, the next student goes with another word and has to contemplate ways that their word connects with the first word.  So on and so forth.  It is kind of link the students are building a scaffold and bridge between the vocabulary words within a unit.  It's a physical schema.  Seeing these connections help with future recall as well as a broader understanding of the vocabulary.

The thing that I am realizing most through reading the book "Word Nerds" is that there are SO MANY ways to teach vocabulary that all students can access the material.  Moreso: it can be genuinely fun.  One interesting sentence of this week's reading: "Engaging students in activities that ask them to apply vocabulary improve their comprehension and helps them recognize vocabulary as a fluid and standard component of academic conversations rather than just a list of words on an anchor chart."  In other words, I want my students to feel comfortable and confident in using those vocabulary words in academic conversations fluidly.  They can actually employ the language in real life.

My own nature as a young student might get nervous by non-traditional vocabulary lessons.  Now, as I'm looking into the subject, I realize that it is attainable, fun, and can actually be really comfortable.  The more students are called upon to think in broader, more connected, more complex, less traditional ways, the more comfortable they will be with approaching new challenges.

This week, I got to the part about assessment in vocabulary instruction.  The teaching should never become activity land.  We really have to monitor to make sure the students are really learning.  It even discussed to the importance of recognizing misconceptions students may have about the vocabulary before and during instruction.  We need to pay special attention to the connections students are making between the words.

PLPS

The class today was dedicated to PLP learning and TEAM EXTREME's group meeting.  All seventh and eighth graders from the team met in the common room to discuss team policy and PLPs.

The eighth graders were leading the group meeting in telling the seventh graders about how their PLPS worked last year.  They demonstrated the benefits and struggles of the program they used last year for the PLPS.  It was a common discussion among the students that the program was not very functional as a whole for updating materials and resources.  It was only easier because all students were using the same format and the same program.  This year will allow for more student choice--leaving the students very excited.

A handful of students created fake profiles on different websites in order to discuss the pros and cons of each program.  One used Weebly.  One used a special ipad program.  They discussed versatility and creativity.  The students will choose how to best represent and document their program.

I think the meeting went productively.  The students were engaged and actively involved.  They renewed their knowledge about the purpose of PLPs and pursued other avenues for documenting the evidence of their learning.

As usual, we spent some time independent reading in the library at the end of class.  This is one of my favorite activities, and goes hand in hand with my course reading about the importance of independent reading.

All in all, this was one very productive day!

Introducing the Identity Unit

Ms. Baldwin's class has a yearly unit revolving around identity.  At the beginning of the unit, she tells the class that there are so many aspects of identity that it is hard to even narrow down what to look at in the unit.  However, there will be a range of activities and lessons, and the students can dive into parts that they are most interested in. 

Wednesday's class incorporated the Myers-Briggs test.  This revolves around four main categories: where individuals get their energy (introvert or extrovert), how they process information, how they make decisions, and how they choose to live their lifestyle.  Ms. Baldwin stressed the importance of telling the students that no category is better or worse than another category, and straddling different categories is totally fine.

The students got excited about this activity.  Much of the value of the lesson lay in forcing the students to turn a critical lens on their own behaviors.  They had to decide what they would do in situations, how they act and react, and what things they like.  It wasn't rare that a student would say something along the lines of: "I guess I do do that.  I never thought about it before."

The test is a little outdated, so some of the language had to be broken down and analyzed.  These instances of analysis were teachable opportunities.

One important aspect to stress is that some answers in different categories actually contrast or conflict with each other.  This is not a bad thing.  Human beings are complex, and the answers can change based on many different factors.

I'm teaching in this unit!  It's coming up!!!

Half Day with the Seventh Grade

Practicum was interesting today. The students were only having a half day so the classes were shortened. It started off today with two back-to-back seventh grade classes. They had root word quizzes.

Root word quizzes in Ms. Baldwin's classroom does not revolve around spelling. Rather, students use root words they studied during the week to create sentences where they incorporate the root words into other words. For example, students put the root word “psyche” into sentences like, “My favorite subject in school is psychology because I am interested in the mind.” There were some very creative sentences.

TEAM EXTREME had a team meeting with all four main content teachers-- English, Social Studies, Science, and Math-- and all seventh and eighth graders from the team. They discussed team policies-- some of which defer from other team's policies. I was interested to see how many of the eighth graders voiced rules and policies for the seventh graders before the teachers even discussed them. I think it brought another dynamic into the group when students were teaching their peers.

The end of the day was spent with Ms. Baldwin and I have a planning period. We discussed differentiated instruction and unit planning, mostly. Ms. Baldwin assured me that the process gets easier with experience. She said that using the standards was actually very effective, but they became more easy to incorporate and integrate into the classroom.

Course Reading on Vocab and Grammar

I have been looking into incorporating vocabulary and grammar into the classroom in non-traditional and more effective ways. My biggest takeaway so far is that incorporating vocabulary and grammar isn't as difficult as I originally thought. There are ways to seemingly incorporate and integrate vocabulary into a lesson.

One activity I am especially fond of for vocabulary lessons is called the “scramble.” Students put lanyards around their necks with one vocabulary word on it. They are to be experts on that word for the day. Throughout the lesson, the teacher will provide opportunities where the students have to arrange themselves with each other based on the relationships between those words. It's basically like a concept map using bodies. They then explain to the class why they arranged the way they did. Of course, this activity can be done on an individual basis, too. Students can have individual decks of cards with vocabulary words. They can create a visual representation with those decks, arranging them in relation to each other in a way that makes sense to them. This works as a great strategy for progress monitoring and formative assessments. We can use their individual concept maps to identify and address misconceptions that they have surrounding the vocabulary. “Interactive opportunities,” according to the book Word Nerds, helps students to “process word meanings at a deeper and more refined level.”

I've only begun to initiate research into grammar. I'm reading the book Engaging Grammar: Practical Advice for Real Classrooms by Amy Benjamin with Tom Oliva. The teachers interviewed in the initial chapters expressed that grammar was typically the most boring aspect of the English classroom. However, this book argues that we can incorporate and integrate grammar education into our regular curriculum seamlessly. It does not have to be a separate unit. There's no reason why we can't identify sentences splices in student writing and even reading. This makes it more real and related, anyway. Students seeing prepositional phrases being used effectively or ineffectively provides them with a better understanding of the role of the phrase than a simple definition on a whiteboard.

My next questions concerning grammar is HOW? How do I effectively implement grammar without simply dropping terms in isolated ways? How do I make it engaging?

Independent Reading Projects

Ms. Baldwin's Mantra is "Independent Reading is Essential."  This impacts nearly everything she does.  The students have been working for a few weeks on creating projects based around their summer independent reading book.  Some students completed posters.  Others completed movies.  Others did slide presentations and acting.  The essential question was: "What is the purpose and importance of independent reading?"  As long as the students addressed that question somewhere in the project, they could explore other topics.  One student talked about how he would have ended the story differently than the author.  One student talked about how the author's life influenced the content of the story.  Today was presentation day.  The students presented to the class after filling out self-assessment rubrics.

I really appreciated this project.  I have been looking into the importance of independent reading when it comes to vocabulary learning and other avenues.  I appreciated, also, that the students could think about their books through different lens.  Rather than merely summarize their books, they had to exercise analysis of the text and provide opinions on characters, structure, etc.

One student, Mason, shared a presentation about the book he read, A Bridge Over the River Kwai.  He talked about history in which the book was set.  He talked about WWII conditions and geography and the story presented in the book in contrast with the real life story.  It was obvious that he was engaged with the material because he was passionate about it.  That passion was even translated on the student spectators.  They asked him questions and he went with it.  Even Ms. Baldwin was asking questions.

There was a broad range of texts and subjects pursued in the class.  The students really seemed to be engaged with the material and their projects mirrored some of their personalities and interests.   One set of students worked together to make a movie about the Harry Potter books.  They acted out the characters and really brought out their own senses of humor.

I asked Ms. Baldwin how she came up with the idea for these projects.  She expressed that she didn't always see the value in making all students read the same textbooks all the time.  They interacted with material more and learned more from exploring their own interests and finding ways to present those interests to the class while still addressing the essential questions.

Another important observation from today came from the group setting up technology before presentations.  The students seemed to be the experts.  More than that: Ms. Baldwin let them be the experts.  She let them set up the wires and the speakers and connect their iPads to her computer Bluetooth.  She continued to call on one student, Elton, for assistance in the technology area.  He seemed to really enjoy that role.

I'm finding that Ms. Baldwin's classroom management style is not as traditional as what I'm used to.  However, I feel far more comfortable with it than any other classroom management style so far.  She is relaxed and lets the students pursue questions and ideas.  She is respectful to them, and they are respectful right back.  I feel very at ease in this classroom.

Vocabulary Instruction

The eighth graders went on a field trip today, so I did not have my regular hours in the classroom.

Instead, I focused on researching the area of vocabulary instruction.

Many of my experiences with vocabulary instruction have been the same: the teacher writes the word on the board and provides a definition, and I copy the material into a notebook to be quizzed on later. This a regular activity for many teachers. However, studies show that this vocabulary practice is not truly sustaining education. If the material does not provide a rich sense of the word in many contexts and a deep understanding, it rarely makes it's way into the student's social vocabulary for future or current use.

I began reading Word Nerds: Teaching All Students to Learn and Love Vocabulary by Leslie J. Overturf in order to further investigate the issue of vocabulary instruction in the classroom. A goal for teaching vocabulary is for students to be “taking ownership” on the words (3)--that is, they are understanding a deep understanding and can use that word effectively and confidently.

There are several strategies for increasing vocabulary. One is independent reading. Studies show that students are exposed to a variety of words in different contexts through independent reading. As I've already been interested in the value of independent reading in the classroom, this is an exciting connection.

In order to really build a strong word schema for the students, they need to have time to work with the words in a variety of ways. Wide reading, as mentioned, is one way. Beyond that, classroom discussions in a language-rich environment can be helpful. We need to create an environment that is playful with language, encouraging the students to use words and feel safe exploring new words. Other strategies include word play, drama, and music.

Vocabulary can't be put on the back burner to other content. Conversely, it should be made a priority. Vocabulary instruction is transferable to other content areas, and is directly related to real-life. It should be a hallmark in and out of the classroom. Teaching vocabulary should be “intentional, transparent, useable, personal, and a priority” (17).

Individual word instruction can be maximized by word learning strategies, word consciousness, and, eventually, rich and varied language experiences where the student owns the word.

Encouraging vocabulary instruction should really be happening every day. It shouldn't be a scenario where students are introduced to vocab on Monday, not using it until the quiz on Friday. It should be intentional and useful in everyday classroom conversations.

I began reading initially about activities that will be infused with vocabulary instruction. Shared reading, writing workshops, small group guided readings, and free reading are all examples that I plan to look into more as the semester progresses.

Vocabulary and Group Dynamics

I know many ELA teachers in particular who dread teaching vocabulary.  It seems like nothing but rote memorization and engagement is difficult.

On Wednesdays and Fridays, Ms. Baldwin teaches two eighth grade classes back to back.  It was interesting to see how the two groups responded to traditional vocabulary learning in very different ways.  The first group- comprised of a variety of high flying students- remained relatively engaged with the material.  At least, they participated and followed along.  They offered examples to go along with the root words (hyper, morph, poly) and wrote the words on flashcards.

The second group is heavily comprised of boys.  They all sit on one side of the classroom and tend to distract each other.  Ms. Baldwin threatened to separate them after many interruptions and disruptions.  Because she had to stop and address so many behavioral distractions, I felt the conversation between the class lagged considerably.  They did not ask about some of the words as much as the first class and it was harder to keep track of their progress.  In fact, Ms. Baldwin even had to directly tell them to write the assignments in their assignment books, checking to make sure they did-- something that was not explicitly brought up in the first class.

As teachers, we will obviously have a variety of groups.  It's interesting to see how much of a role group dynamics play within the classroom and strategies to work with those group dynamics effectively.

The classes are working on independent reading projects.  They can choose how to display their understanding of their individual reading books.  Some students made powerpoints. Some made movies.  Some made collages and posters.  They all had to address the essential question:  What is the purpose and importance of independent reading?

The students of both classes seemed engaged in these projects.  They were approaching the same question in different ways.  Students could collaborate with each other and offer input.

Frazzled Friday

Ms. Baldwin brought in a group of five eighth graders to lead small group collaborative learning.  These eighth graders broke off with sections of four seventh graders and walked them through the capabilities and resources provided on the IPad driver's test.  Before the seventh graders were allowed to take these Ipads off of school grounds, they had to demonstrate their skills in opening documents, downloading apps, and using school resources like Schoology and Notability.

This was a hectic time.  Ms. Baldwin had to repeat the instructions for signing in, choosing passwords, and setting up accounts several times.  Once the process got rolling, however, the eighth graders took over.  They had to write their own initials as a check-off when the seventh graders in their group exercised the identified skills on the rubric.

A large incentive for getting through the tedious tasks that day was the promise of library time for independent reading.  Ms. Baldwin structures a lot of her curriculum and time around independent reading.  The students disperse around the library, using the online library available on their Ipads as well as hard copies provided in the school library.

Ms. Baldwin regularly allows students to fill out cards, recommending their independent reading books to other students after they have finished reading.  Students appear to appreciate picking books out for each other based on the student's interests.

I liked that even Ms. Baldwin and I got to bring out individual reading books and model independent reading alongside the students.  The general quiet time served well as readers reacted to books that interested them.

It was an exhausting day in the seventh grade today, but a lot of business was taken care of.  Seventh graders are now well on their way to participating with school resources online.

Critical Thinking, Independent Reading, Alternative Conceptions

I began reading "Teaching to Exceed the English Language Arts Common Core State Standards" (Beach, Thein, Webb) this semester.  The opening chapters of this book were particularly useful when it came to considering the issue of text selection in class.  I've been musing on the subject of classic literature and the relevance in the classroom.  This chapter spoke directly to that issue.  While there is nothing directly wrong with classic literature- The Odyssey, Shakespeare, etc.- we cannot only be providing this form of literature in the classroom.  These books traditionally came from prominent, white, male writers in either Europe or the United States.  We should be broadening our cultural scope far greater.  One suggestion was made in the book to not first look at the texts required and then how to apply it to our students, but first look at our students and select texts based on that. 

One perspective is never enough for a whole picture.

If students only "encounter...beliefs and attitudes that reinforce their existing ideas," it is far less likely that they will "engage in critical inquiry"(11).  If we are, in fact, wanting our students to think critically and REALLY grasp our learning targets, we need them to work with a bit of information that challenges them and helps them to grow as learners.

As teachers, one of our goals should be to help students "reflect on the limitations of their own beliefs" (17).  Students bring misconceptions and different beliefs and mindsets into the classroom all the time.  We should be providing avenues for them to discuss those differing perspectives, and allow room for them to change their mind.

When I think back on my period of learning in middle and high school, I see myself as a student who felt comfortable with the routine.  The traditional learning environment.  The traditional texts.  I did not feel comfortable when new insights were brought into play that challenged my thinking.  However, as I grow and learn more, I'm recognizing that there is a far bigger world out there to see than the one I was settling to see.  There were other issues to uncover.  There were other points to consider.  I wish that I look more into alternative perspectives on so many topics when I was younger.  As a result, I'm passionate about creating opportunities that are authentic and real challenges for my students to help them expand that comfort zone and see new things.

So why should my students all read the same materials?  It's not like they all come from the same backgrounds and have the same interests in those materials.

But how do I gauge what the students are really getting out of their individual reading?  How should I monitor?  Free writes?  How do I facilitate book discussions when everyone is reading different things?  Small groups?  Partner reading?

As I'm nearing student teaching and eventual full-time teaching, it is really important for me to put real action and methods to my theories.  The big question, then, is HOW?  It's a little imposing to consider.

While I'm considering the issue of independent, critical thinking and misconceptions in the classroom, I came across the following clip that got me thinking a little.  WARNING: some expletive language.

Scene from Movie About Challenging Thinking

The Renaissance Star Reading Test & Other Events

Another three hours in the eighth grade classroom came coupled with lots of activity.  The students completed the standard reading assessment, Star Reading, to assess their individual reading level. Ms. Baldwin showed me the results of the assessment.  Used as a non-graded formative assessment, the Renaissance Star Reading Test breaks down different components of reading.  Students are individually asked separate questions about vocabulary, reading comprehension, and skills pertaining to fluency.  Not surprisingly, within a class of ten students, a wide range of skill levels existed.  Two students tested within the second grade reading level category.  Two other boys scored in the twelfth grade reading level category.

I asked Ms. Baldwin how she uses the information from the test results.  She discussed the difficulties of picking texts to use in the classroom on a whole-class reading basis.  Fortunately, Ms. Baldwin's curriculum uses a lot of independent reading, allowing for flexibility of reading levels and interests.  Students use a variety of different texts to achieve their goals and reach the standards.  She told me that two or three students are pulled from classes during short periods to work on literacy intervention.  It's a school policy that teachers are not to teach new curriculum during these short periods, so students do not fall behind in core classes.

Students went on to complete an Ipad "Driver's Test."  They needed to demonstrate both responsibility and the ability to complete tasks on the Ipads in order to bring the Ipads home.  Demonstration of skills included downloading apps, accessing Schoology and Notability, uploading PDF documents, etc.  If they could not demonstrate these skills, they had to receive a little more individualized instruction before being able to bring the Ipads home.  In this way, they truly had to exercise technological literacy.  They could ask peers for advice while completing the task.

Ms. Baldwin's agenda for the day was very business and task oriented.  Classroom management was key to accomplishing the lengthy amount of tasks.  Fortunately, the students generally stayed on-task.  Ms. Baldwin allowed them several breaks to get up, walk around, eat, etc.  During the classwork, as a result, the students really maintained a task-oriented mindset that helped to get a lot accomplished.

Thoughts about Selecting Literature for the Classroom

How does classic literature fit in the ever changing, modern day classroom?  Where does ANY literature fit in the classroom?  How do I know what texts to select?

I keep thinking about these questions.  I was reflecting on how students all across the board read what seems like the same books in the secondary English classrooms.  Will there ever be a classroom that DOESN'T read To Kill a Mockingbird or Hamlet?

I'm not discrediting these books.  In fact, To Kill A Mockingbird remains as one of my favorite books.  I just keep considering the possibility of introducing new literature to the classroom.  Will there be room for that in my curriculum?  How do I know which books to incorporate and how to do it?

I was beginning to read Beach's Teaching Literature to Adolescents where he and his colleagues are raising these very issues.  Teachers are mandated to stay within state standards and school/district curriculum.  However, it is also important to bring in other resources in order to meet the current students' immediate needs and interests.

As a teacher, my goal is to encourage students to become critical thinkers and progress in writing and reading skills.  When we select our literature, we should constantly be thinking of not only what we pick but how we present it.  How will we incorporate Hamlet- for example- into a language and concept that will both reach and challenge the individual student set?  What cultural/societal/socioeconomic aspects should I be considering when I choose and then introduce texts?

Content discussed in the literature, of course, is important.  Selecting texts is a really long, complex process-- but a rewarding one if done correctly.  As I explored the website for the National Council of Teachers of English, I read many posts about selecting texts and incorporating them effectively.  All of the posts had a common theme: select texts that provide rich material in MORE THAN ONE SPECIFIC WAY.  How does it fit in with other texts for that unit?  How does it fit in with the students' interests?  How does it work with activities and projects?

I found a few resources that are proving to be really helpful so far:

Diagram of Anchor/ Chain Texts' Relationship

As well as ideas like Socratic Seminars and small group work discussed briefly in this teacher-to-teacher blog:

Socratic Seminars and Small Group Work

I plan to continue looking into this subject of selecting texts the more I read.  This is only the beginning :)

Thoughts about Selecting Literature for the Classroom

How does classic literature fit in the ever changing, modern day classroom?  Where does ANY literature fit in the classroom?  How do I know what texts to select?

I keep thinking about these questions.  I was reflecting on how students all across the board read what seems like the same books in the secondary English classrooms.  Will there ever be a classroom that DOESN'T read To Kill a Mockingbird or Hamlet?

I'm not discrediting these books.  In fact, To Kill A Mockingbird remains as one of my favorite books.  I just keep considering the possibility of introducing new literature to the classroom.  Will there be room for that in my curriculum?  How do I know which books to incorporate and how to do it?

I was beginning to read Beach's Teaching Literature to Adolescents where he and his colleagues are raising these very issues.  Teachers are mandated to stay within state standards and school/district curriculum.  However, it is also important to bring in other resources in order to meet the current students' immediate needs and interests.

As a teacher, my goal is to encourage students to become critical thinkers and progress in writing and reading skills.  When we select our literature, we should constantly be thinking of not only what we pick but how we present it.  How will we incorporate Hamlet- for example- into a language and concept that will both reach and challenge the individual student set?  What cultural/societal/socioeconomic aspects should I be considering when I choose and then introduce texts?

Content discussed in the literature, of course, is important.  Selecting texts is a really long, complex process-- but a rewarding one if done correctly.  As I explored the website for the National Council of Teachers of English, I read many posts about selecting texts and incorporating them effectively.  All of the posts had a common theme: select texts that provide rich material in MORE THAN ONE SPECIFIC WAY.  How does it fit in with other texts for that unit?  How does it fit in with the students' interests?  How does it work with activities and projects?

I found a few resources that are proving to be really helpful so far:

Diagram of Anchor/ Chain Texts' Relationship

As well as ideas like Socratic Seminars and small group work discussed briefly in this teacher-to-teacher blog:

Socratic Seminars and Small Group Work

I plan to continue looking into this subject of selecting texts the more I read.  This is only the beginning :)

Students Brainstorming Self-Direction and the Language of State Standards

First Day for Me, Third for the Students

It was really exciting to see students and teachers alike as they transition into a new school year.  Ms. Baldwin, my cooperating teacher, went in with a plan that coordinated with the plans of all the other teachers on TEAM EXTREME.  Not surprisingly, however, she needed to be flexible.  After all, no new thing (even a new class in a new school year) goes absolutely according to plan.

The students were really excited to be assigned individual IPads today.  In a group of eighth graders (just like all other kids, really), getting individual technology can be the highlight of the day.  It felt like I heard the question posed, "When are we getting our IPads?!" every five minutes regardless of the relevancy to the topic.

The beginning of a school year always circulates around going over regulations and rules.  Before teachers dive into the regular curriculum, it is necessary to go through the logistics of the school.  This is actually really interesting to me.  I got to participate in a team meeting of four teachers along with a special educator as they went over the policies for the year.  There is so much that goes into the planning!  The teachers coordinated some techniques for classroom management, including THINK cards to be discreetly distributed to students exerting less ideal behavior in the classroom.

The incoming seventh and eighth graders are learning about PLPs and Proficiency Based Learning skills.  Interestingly enough, the instruction that goes along with informing them about the process and individual goals coordinates with the instruction we are receiving in our Practicum.  This made it so much easier to directly see the changes being made.  Students were excited to find out that they had, in fact, been achieving several standards all along.  They used examples as evidence.  For example, they discussed the apps like Schoology and other IPad resources to help them cite evidence for understanding technology and using it effectively in the classroom.

PLPs are beginning to look far more reachable and attainable than I previously considered.  Of course, planning is necessary on the teacher's part to make the process fully succeed, but it looks far more likely to be accomplished now that I am witnessing the process at work.  Ms. Baldwin told me about some of her considerations in the changes.  It does look like work, but TEAM EXTREME did express that they are all in support of the changes.