Today's Zinger: In a conversation with two students who are Baltimore Ravens fans, one of them pronounced Haloti Ngata's last name with a hard g. I said, "It's 'Nata;' the g is silent. He's Polynesian." The other student said, "Polynesia is a place? I thought it was just a sauce at Chik-fil-A!"
Today's Tip: I tried something new this week, and I thought it was worth sharing. My juniors wrote an essay analyzing Patrick Henry's "Speech to the Virginia Convention," and the results were less than stellar. The rubric (a generic one based on the AP English Language exam) is on a scale of 1 to 9. I told them to rewrite their essays based on my comments and aim for a score of 8. I met one-on-one with students after school yesterday and dealt with "biggest bang for the buck" strategies. The revisions I got today were remarkably improved!
Today's Resource: I discovered a website on Monday, and I was delighted by all the freebies. Check out all these graphic organizers!
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Monday, October 8, 2012
The International Bachelorette Programme
Today's Zingers: I asked some teacher buddies to contribute to the blog today, and I got these responses from friends Christina and Lynn:
I was teaching Romeo and Juliet and a young man was trying to express that he was growing bored with the story, and he said to me, “This story is so monogamous.” I told him that technically, yes it was, but I thought he meant to say “monotonous” and then explained what the definitions of the two words were. The best part: He then argued that he was right and I was wrong. Ugh.
Today's Tip: I tend to teach in small chunks, hover over them until students demonstrate proficiency, and then move on. Here's my tip: Instead of evaluating an entire draft, have an essay come to you in pieces. For example, if you have 30 students in a class, you can zip through 30 body paragraphs and give instant feedback. The next day, students revise that one paragraph and then plan and draft the next. You'll find that the second body paragraph that comes in will be a bit more refined than the first, and you may avoid marking the same issues over and over. This strategy is especially helpful with struggling students.
Saturday, October 6, 2012
The Kissing Chair
Today I tried out an activity created by Effie Cannon. I gave each student a piece of paper with several parts of speech listed vertically. I had half the students start at the bottom and the other half at the top, folding their papers after they had written the word required. We passed the papers around a circle and repeated the action until each sheet was filled. Students did not know what was on the paper they received. Students then unfurled their papers and found a complete (fairly nonsensical) sentence. They tweaked the verb tense to make it work and then wrote each sentence on the board. These are the sentences they created. WARNING: I HAVE NOT EDITED SEXUAL OR POLITICALLY INCORRECT CONTENT. THESE ARE THE ACTUAL SENTENCES STUDENTS CREATED BY ACCIDENT!
The blue rhino is kissing a very elaborate skyscraper.
The Asian girl is really limping the special window.
A butt-ugly teacher is unfortunately squishing a stupified house.
The ugly kangaroo was happily thrusting the stupendous apartment.
The indigo mother was thrustingly tackling the greasy Mexican boy.
The slow Asian girl had spiritually impaled the Negro water.
A pretty elephant seal was gently stroking a secret paper.
The kissing chair is stupendously attacking the red acne.
The ridiculous soccer mom was mostly trapezed on the spacious hibachi.
A dumb worker had hurriedly thrusted the green platypus poop.
Why try this exercise? My students found it to be a great parts of speech review although that wasn't my purpose. I wanted to make the point that writers DO NOT structure their sentences by accident, that we are VERY deliberate about the placement of words. I moved from this "game" to an analysis of syntax in a short passage.
The blue rhino is kissing a very elaborate skyscraper.
The Asian girl is really limping the special window.
A butt-ugly teacher is unfortunately squishing a stupified house.
The ugly kangaroo was happily thrusting the stupendous apartment.
The indigo mother was thrustingly tackling the greasy Mexican boy.
The slow Asian girl had spiritually impaled the Negro water.
A pretty elephant seal was gently stroking a secret paper.
The kissing chair is stupendously attacking the red acne.
The ridiculous soccer mom was mostly trapezed on the spacious hibachi.
A dumb worker had hurriedly thrusted the green platypus poop.
Why try this exercise? My students found it to be a great parts of speech review although that wasn't my purpose. I wanted to make the point that writers DO NOT structure their sentences by accident, that we are VERY deliberate about the placement of words. I moved from this "game" to an analysis of syntax in a short passage.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
They caught a case of heredity.
Today's Zinger: My Creative Writing/Biology combination class is working on a research paper on stem cells. One girl wrote in her draft, "For some people, diet and exercise were not enough to avoid cardiovascular disease. They caught a case of heredity." (By the way, this student has probably asked me ten times if I posted her funny sentence yet, so yes, I do get permission from the students before I post their funny lines.)
Today's Tip: Research indicates that you can get the most bang for your buck teaching writing at the sentence level with mini lessons on structure. Today as a bellringer review, my students pulled compound-complex sentences from their writing --or what they they thought were compound-complex sentences--and put them on the board. Each student had to go to a different sentence and mark the independent and dependent clauses and determine whether or not it was CD-CX. The kids got to move, evaluate, and socialize--the trifecta of teendom!
Today's Resource: I have two free resources for my teaching buddies today.
The first is a chart to help students analyze tonight's presidential debate.
Obama-Romney "Debate" Analysis Chart
The second is a handy PDF for making a Formative Flip, a quick assessment tool that can be used in ANY classroom.
Formative Flip
Today's Tip: Research indicates that you can get the most bang for your buck teaching writing at the sentence level with mini lessons on structure. Today as a bellringer review, my students pulled compound-complex sentences from their writing --or what they they thought were compound-complex sentences--and put them on the board. Each student had to go to a different sentence and mark the independent and dependent clauses and determine whether or not it was CD-CX. The kids got to move, evaluate, and socialize--the trifecta of teendom!
Today's Resource: I have two free resources for my teaching buddies today.
The first is a chart to help students analyze tonight's presidential debate.
Obama-Romney "Debate" Analysis Chart
The second is a handy PDF for making a Formative Flip, a quick assessment tool that can be used in ANY classroom.
Formative Flip
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Put that sentence on Weight Watchers . . .
Today's Zingers:
I've been working on conciseness with all of my classes recently, and I had one group take a sentence from one of their own essays and write it on the board. When one student finished writing his, his friend said, "Dude, you need to put that sentence on Weight Watchers and trim the fat."
My AP English Language students are working on style analysis this quarter. Last week, they analyzed Bill Clinton's DNC speech, and one student wrote, "Clinton tries to convince his listeners to re-elect Obama. People "on the fence" know which meadow they want to be in. If it's one that breeds donkeys or elephants, only they know."
Yesterday, my juniors began studying "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," the fiery sermon by Jonathan Edwards. When I asked the group what they knew of the time period in which the sermon was delivered, one boy confidently said, "The Great Awakening happened just before the Great Depression."
Today's Tip/Resource: I need to clarify the way in which I bundle my products on TeachersPayTeachers because many of my buyers are purchasing the same item twice. My 77-page unit, Style Analysis (or Rhetorical Analysis) for AP English Language and Composition, is also sold in pieces. The following products are part of that unit, so please be aware that when you purchase the unit, you purchase ALL of these items as well. It is much less expensive to buy the entire unit than it is to buy the pieces.
If you have made double purchases in error, shoot an e-mail to TpT for reimbursal, OR e-mail me to get a product of equal value for free.
HANDOUTS ONLY for Style Analysis (or Rhetorical Analysis) for AP English Language and Composition
Back Door Syntax Organizer
Tone Words in Categories
AP English Syntax Test
Using Images to Introduce Tone
AP English Style Analysis Tool Box
AP English Syntax Scavenger Hunt
Point of View Terminology Graphic
SOAPS Acronym Visual and Activator
AP English Syntax Bundle
Figurative Language Analysis Bundle
Rhetorical Triangle Graphic
I've been working on conciseness with all of my classes recently, and I had one group take a sentence from one of their own essays and write it on the board. When one student finished writing his, his friend said, "Dude, you need to put that sentence on Weight Watchers and trim the fat."
My AP English Language students are working on style analysis this quarter. Last week, they analyzed Bill Clinton's DNC speech, and one student wrote, "Clinton tries to convince his listeners to re-elect Obama. People "on the fence" know which meadow they want to be in. If it's one that breeds donkeys or elephants, only they know."
Yesterday, my juniors began studying "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," the fiery sermon by Jonathan Edwards. When I asked the group what they knew of the time period in which the sermon was delivered, one boy confidently said, "The Great Awakening happened just before the Great Depression."
Today's Tip/Resource: I need to clarify the way in which I bundle my products on TeachersPayTeachers because many of my buyers are purchasing the same item twice. My 77-page unit, Style Analysis (or Rhetorical Analysis) for AP English Language and Composition, is also sold in pieces. The following products are part of that unit, so please be aware that when you purchase the unit, you purchase ALL of these items as well. It is much less expensive to buy the entire unit than it is to buy the pieces.
If you have made double purchases in error, shoot an e-mail to TpT for reimbursal, OR e-mail me to get a product of equal value for free.
HANDOUTS ONLY for Style Analysis (or Rhetorical Analysis) for AP English Language and Composition
Back Door Syntax Organizer
Tone Words in Categories
AP English Syntax Test
Using Images to Introduce Tone
AP English Style Analysis Tool Box
AP English Syntax Scavenger Hunt
Point of View Terminology Graphic
SOAPS Acronym Visual and Activator
AP English Syntax Bundle
Figurative Language Analysis Bundle
Rhetorical Triangle Graphic
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Constipated Red Blood Cells
Today's Zingers: Another bonus day! You get three student funnies for the price of none!
1. (Out of context, this one's funny.) "That red blood cell looks constipated."
2. (From a student's memoir) "She looked as scared as a raccoon that was almost hit by a minivan."
3. (Again, a gem out of context) "Why rats need erectile dysfunction medication, I'll never know."
Today's Tip and Resource: I LOVE http://www.weebly.com/! You can create a free teacher web site and then set up student accounts. Students can create multiple-page sites, and the instruction you would front load aligns with Common Core. Imagine knocking out several standards as students analyze literary and informational texts, write, and collaborate on their sites.
1. (Out of context, this one's funny.) "That red blood cell looks constipated."
2. (From a student's memoir) "She looked as scared as a raccoon that was almost hit by a minivan."
3. (Again, a gem out of context) "Why rats need erectile dysfunction medication, I'll never know."
Today's Tip and Resource: I LOVE http://www.weebly.com/! You can create a free teacher web site and then set up student accounts. Students can create multiple-page sites, and the instruction you would front load aligns with Common Core. Imagine knocking out several standards as students analyze literary and informational texts, write, and collaborate on their sites.
Thursday, September 13, 2012
AssAss ination
Today's (Overheard) Zinger:
Student A: "How do you spell assassination?"
Student B: "Oh! I know this! Double ass-i-nation."
Bonus: "Everyone in my urgent family does it." I think she was going for immediate.
Today's Tip: As you come to grips with the new Common Core standards, mount a pacing guide, unit guide, or standards grid on a bulletin board near your desk. As you incorporate each standard, highlight what you've done.
Today's Resource: I created a grid so that I can see all the Common Core ELA 9-10 standards at once. It made so much much sense to me that I thought it would be valuable to others. I'd love some feedback on the format.
Student A: "How do you spell assassination?"
Student B: "Oh! I know this! Double ass-i-nation."
Bonus: "Everyone in my urgent family does it." I think she was going for immediate.
Today's Tip: As you come to grips with the new Common Core standards, mount a pacing guide, unit guide, or standards grid on a bulletin board near your desk. As you incorporate each standard, highlight what you've done.
Today's Resource: I created a grid so that I can see all the Common Core ELA 9-10 standards at once. It made so much much sense to me that I thought it would be valuable to others. I'd love some feedback on the format.
Common Core Instruction Tracker (ELA 9-10 Grade Band)
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
9/11, the day the Japanese attacked America
Today's Zingers: On the way to school today, I realized that this year's freshmen would likely be my first group to have no memory of 9/11. These kids were four and five years old. Before beginning a photo response writing exercise on the World Trade Center collapses, I decided to assess students' background knowledge. I was dismayed when one of my freshmen said, "Wait, 9/11, I've heard of that." It only got worse. Not one student in my first block class could tell me the nationalities of the hijackers. Guesses ranged from Indian to American. Not one student could tell me how many planes were involved. What I did not realize was that "Flight 93 landed in Transylvania." I was also surprised that "9/11 was the day the Japanese attacked America." Better yet, "The emergency number 911 was named after 9/11." I'm so afraid that this generation will never know the story.
Today's Tip: Trim back on paper by using blog posts as journal entries. The blog post is your prompt, and students respond by commenting. Here's an example from my school site.
Today's Resource: Here are some FREEBIES from my store on TeachersPayTeachers.com:
Tone Words in Categories
Accessing The American Pageant
Persuasive Speech Matrix Rubric
Today's Tip: Trim back on paper by using blog posts as journal entries. The blog post is your prompt, and students respond by commenting. Here's an example from my school site.
Today's Resource: Here are some FREEBIES from my store on TeachersPayTeachers.com:
Tone Words in Categories
Accessing The American Pageant
Persuasive Speech Matrix Rubric
Monday, September 10, 2012
Grattamarically Wrong
Today's Zinger: Bonus day! You get two! Four students were using my room during lunch to plan a group project for another class. I overheard these two lines:
"You can't use that sentence. It's grattamarically wrong."
"I was nervous about getting my lip pierced until I went with my mom when she had hers done."
Today's Tip: Before beginning a unit, copy all materials needed for instruction, practice, and assessment. You'll save yourself the drama of running down the hall to the copier just before the bell rings ... because you were late to work ... because the baby threw up on you TWICE. This scenario is hypothetical, of course.
Today's Resource: TeachersPayTeachers.com is gaining thousands of members each week. Here's a Romeo and Juliet freebie from a newbie.
"You can't use that sentence. It's grattamarically wrong."
"I was nervous about getting my lip pierced until I went with my mom when she had hers done."
Today's Tip: Before beginning a unit, copy all materials needed for instruction, practice, and assessment. You'll save yourself the drama of running down the hall to the copier just before the bell rings ... because you were late to work ... because the baby threw up on you TWICE. This scenario is hypothetical, of course.
Today's Resource: TeachersPayTeachers.com is gaining thousands of members each week. Here's a Romeo and Juliet freebie from a newbie.
Friday, September 7, 2012
Keeping Us Straight
Today's Zinger: I teach an integrated Biology/Creative Writing class, and a student wrote this line on a review bellringer today: "The animal cell does not have a cell wall because we don't need one to keep us straight." This (unintentionally) funny line made me laugh aloud while grading the assignment, and when students looked up to find out the reason for the laughter, one asked, "Did one of us make the blog?!"
Today's Tip: At my school, students are allowed to have cell phones. We were losing the texting battle, so our administration team decided to come up with a compromise. Students may have them on campus and even use them between classes and during lunch, but they must surrender them before walking in to any classroom. The teachers stand at their doors with baskets, buckets, and boxes collecting phones as the kids come in. Everyone does it, so there's no drama when one teacher plays the heavy. Students know to turn their phones off before placing them in the basket, and they pick them up on their way out.
Today's Resource: I utterly love the work of Sabrina Hinson, a crazily creative high school English teacher. I highly recommend that you check out her TpT store here.
Today's Tip: At my school, students are allowed to have cell phones. We were losing the texting battle, so our administration team decided to come up with a compromise. Students may have them on campus and even use them between classes and during lunch, but they must surrender them before walking in to any classroom. The teachers stand at their doors with baskets, buckets, and boxes collecting phones as the kids come in. Everyone does it, so there's no drama when one teacher plays the heavy. Students know to turn their phones off before placing them in the basket, and they pick them up on their way out.
Today's Resource: I utterly love the work of Sabrina Hinson, a crazily creative high school English teacher. I highly recommend that you check out her TpT store here.
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