Who knows why I'm still thinking about school on a Friday night. The lessons that I have planned for next week are new for me, and that could be part of it. I usually try to complete any assignment before the students to do myself, just so I have a sense for the challenges or pitfalls. I have to be honest, though, most of the time students find ways around my road blocks, but then they are stumped by some task I took for granted, so it all usually works out. I think it's best to be open about that-- it builds community when the teacher is willing to admit that she or he doesn't know it all. Well, let's be clear, it's the admission, not the lack of knowledge that the kids respect; credibility relies on you knowing your subject most of the time.
But I guess that brings us back to my thoughts tonight. I want to know what I'm doing next week when I introduce the lesson. It's the found poetry thing that I've mentioned in previous posts. There are many variations of this activity made available on the internet by generous teachers, and basically, students select a powerful prose passage, and cut it to a free verse poem. I gave it a go before I left school this afternoon, and it was kind of challenging the way I have it planned.
Most lessons of this type start with a model prose passage, then show a model of a poem that has been "found" there. They ask students to focus on which words, phrases and images have been selected for the poem. My idea tonight was to have the kids start instead by identifying what they took out to get the poem and then to develop a theory about poetry from that. It just seems a little more concrete to do it that way, but I'm sure they'll let me know.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Group Dynamic
I've known a lot of kids over my teaching career, both individually and collectively. It's funny how a group takes on a personality of its own; any teacher will tell you it's true. At the end of last school year, rumor had it that we had a good group coming up-- the fifth grade teachers reported that these were the nicest kids they'd ever taught.
And they ARE nice. I sat in the theater this afternoon as 200 sixth graders listened and asked questions about the IB Middle Years Programme that we have at our school. They were very polite and eager to participate; they asked terrific questions that showed they were listening and engaged. Before that, we had our first class meetings of the year in my English classes. We use Glasser's model, and the counselor comes in to facilitate a student-directed agenda. The first session is usually taken up by guiding the students to set rules for the group, but every meeting includes compliments and the chance to identify topics to discuss.
In each class, I looked around the circle and listened carefully to each of the comments, not just its content, but also the spirit in which it was offered by the individual student. I tried to observe how the comments were received by the group as well. These kids were super-positive-- it was great to hear how happy they are with the school, and their teachers, and each other, too.
I'm curious though: how does that happen? How does one group develop characteristics different than another, even though the members of each are very similar? Where does a group dynamic come from? Not that I'm complaining, mind you.
And they ARE nice. I sat in the theater this afternoon as 200 sixth graders listened and asked questions about the IB Middle Years Programme that we have at our school. They were very polite and eager to participate; they asked terrific questions that showed they were listening and engaged. Before that, we had our first class meetings of the year in my English classes. We use Glasser's model, and the counselor comes in to facilitate a student-directed agenda. The first session is usually taken up by guiding the students to set rules for the group, but every meeting includes compliments and the chance to identify topics to discuss.
In each class, I looked around the circle and listened carefully to each of the comments, not just its content, but also the spirit in which it was offered by the individual student. I tried to observe how the comments were received by the group as well. These kids were super-positive-- it was great to hear how happy they are with the school, and their teachers, and each other, too.
I'm curious though: how does that happen? How does one group develop characteristics different than another, even though the members of each are very similar? Where does a group dynamic come from? Not that I'm complaining, mind you.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
ISO Poetry
We read Knoxville, Tennessee, by Nikki Giovanni, as our common text today. The poem turned out to be a good bridge between the Writers Read focus of this week, "How do writers use sensory details to create an experience for the reader?" and the question that we use to help us find subjects for free verse poems, "Where does poetry hide?".
After we read it together, the students highlighted one detail from Knoxville for each of their five senses, and we also talked about where Giovanni "found" her poem. I shared my own list next, and then the kids got a good start on theirs, too, before taking them home to continue with.
For our next Writers Read, the students will choose a descriptive passage from their independent reading and do a found poetry activity with it. After that, they'll do some free-writing on one of their poetry topics, taking care to include sensory details, and then we'll work to cut the free-writes into poems using the same strategies, as well as some mini-lessons on free verse poetry.
After we read it together, the students highlighted one detail from Knoxville for each of their five senses, and we also talked about where Giovanni "found" her poem. I shared my own list next, and then the kids got a good start on theirs, too, before taking them home to continue with.
For our next Writers Read, the students will choose a descriptive passage from their independent reading and do a found poetry activity with it. After that, they'll do some free-writing on one of their poetry topics, taking care to include sensory details, and then we'll work to cut the free-writes into poems using the same strategies, as well as some mini-lessons on free verse poetry.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Where Does Poetry Hide?
...in the scruff of my dog's neck, right between her ears and her shoulder blades
...in the way the charcoal burns red hot in the chimney before I dump out the coals
...on the cool side of my pillow at 3 am
...in my mother's handwriting
...in the window of my classroom when I drive by in the summer
...in Halloween
...in the stack of waxed cardboard cartons of vegetables at my CSA pick up
...in the chain-link pattern of sunlight on the pool bottom
...in my fireplace
...in potatoes
...in my sister-in-law's eyes-- what color are they anyway?
...in playdoh
...in getting up early on Sunday morning and cooking
...on my bike
...in reading the newspaper
...in Adirondack chairs
...in my grandmother's diamond ring
...in cold tap water
...in Russian tea cakes (or are they Mexican wedding cakes?)
...in Scooby Doo: this time the monsters are real
....in La la
...in the way the charcoal burns red hot in the chimney before I dump out the coals
...on the cool side of my pillow at 3 am
...in my mother's handwriting
...in the window of my classroom when I drive by in the summer
...in Halloween
...in the stack of waxed cardboard cartons of vegetables at my CSA pick up
...in the chain-link pattern of sunlight on the pool bottom
...in my fireplace
...in potatoes
...in my sister-in-law's eyes-- what color are they anyway?
...in playdoh
...in getting up early on Sunday morning and cooking
...on my bike
...in reading the newspaper
...in Adirondack chairs
...in my grandmother's diamond ring
...in cold tap water
...in Russian tea cakes (or are they Mexican wedding cakes?)
...in Scooby Doo: this time the monsters are real
....in La la
Monday, September 21, 2009
Confession
We've been in school two weeks tomorrow, and my students haven't had a chance to write anything "good"... yet. My friend who was in the Writing Project Summer Institute posted on her fb status that she has written with her students every day! Ya. And then a bunch of her SI friends commented back that they had, too. ARGHHH. This year has been super-frustrating in that, for numerous reasons, I have spent the last couple of weeks on procedure instead of substance. Oh, I know the argument: my students and I will be grateful later when we are totally immersed in a fully-functional, well-organized and totally authentic writing workshop. Mm hmm. As I looked around the room today, I could sense a definite, is-this-all-there-is? vibe, even though they were very busy with their second Writers Read assignment.
Bottom line? These kids need to get to writing, and so do I.
Bottom line? These kids need to get to writing, and so do I.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Allow Me to Introduce Myself
On Friday, my students had an assignment where they were asked to introduce themselves in writing to a couple of hundred other sixth graders.
Our school system subscribes to Blackboard, a web-based instructional platform, and every teacher has access to an internet course that we can adapt for our students. For the last four school years, my teacher friend and I have used Blackboard to create an online community of sixth grade readers and writers called Write Here, Write Now. Even though we work in different schools, every couple of weeks, our students communicate and collaborate on common assignments, posting their work on WHWN. In between times, they have access to an unstructured (but not unsupervised) discussion board where they use writing to connect with the other kids about common interests.
I'm always amazed at the insight that reading what students write to an audience of their peers can provide. We always start with the "Introduce Yourself" assignment, and I spent some time this weekend looking over what my students posted. I was pleased that many kids wrote how much they enjoyed middle school so far, liked our English class, and loved reading and writing. Then there were the funny, surprising, and moving things that some kids felt compelled to share:
My favorite subject is science because you can make things blow up.
I laugh really easily.
I moved to [another school] because a bad principal moved in.
We had our fights but I still like my sister.
English is my favorite class. I'm a bad liar.
I used to write a few books, I was never very good.
New York is an amazing city. It is filled with music and life.
My dream is to start a sporting goods company. I will only sell quality goods to my customers.
Hey Weirdical,
I am also in love with my boyfriend, except he doesn't know we're dating. His name is Ron Weasley.
The front of my house has an American flag out front with white steps and a concrete porch and a see-through door.
I'm an only child and it's SO boring.
My favourite Earthling foods are a brown substance known as "chocolate", sugary objects known as "cinnamon buns", white objects referred to as "marshmallows", primitively cooked over a fire, and a liquid known as "cocoa"
...in the words of my mom "ABSOLUTEY NOT ALLOWED TO GET A PUPPY"
In school I am as focused as a painting.
I collect snow globes
Ello, I'm Lauren.
I like to dance when the teachers aren't looking.
Oh, yeah... it's going to be an awesome year.
Our school system subscribes to Blackboard, a web-based instructional platform, and every teacher has access to an internet course that we can adapt for our students. For the last four school years, my teacher friend and I have used Blackboard to create an online community of sixth grade readers and writers called Write Here, Write Now. Even though we work in different schools, every couple of weeks, our students communicate and collaborate on common assignments, posting their work on WHWN. In between times, they have access to an unstructured (but not unsupervised) discussion board where they use writing to connect with the other kids about common interests.
I'm always amazed at the insight that reading what students write to an audience of their peers can provide. We always start with the "Introduce Yourself" assignment, and I spent some time this weekend looking over what my students posted. I was pleased that many kids wrote how much they enjoyed middle school so far, liked our English class, and loved reading and writing. Then there were the funny, surprising, and moving things that some kids felt compelled to share:
My favorite subject is science because you can make things blow up.
I laugh really easily.
I moved to [another school]
We had our fights but I still like my sister.
English is my favorite class. I'm a bad liar.
I used to write a few books, I was never very good.
New York is an amazing city. It is filled with music and life.
My dream is to start a sporting goods company. I will only sell quality goods to my customers.
Hey Weirdical,
I am also in love with my boyfriend, except he doesn't know we're dating. His name is Ron Weasley.
The front of my house has an American flag out front with white steps and a concrete porch and a see-through door.
I'm an only child and it's SO boring.
My favourite Earthling foods are a brown substance known as "chocolate", sugary objects known as "cinnamon buns", white objects referred to as "marshmallows", primitively cooked over a fire, and a liquid known as "cocoa"
...in the words of my mom "ABSOLUTEY NOT ALLOWED TO GET A PUPPY"
In school I am as focused as a painting.
I collect snow globes
Ello, I'm Lauren.
I like to dance when the teachers aren't looking.
Oh, yeah... it's going to be an awesome year.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
X Marks the Spot
I've never been a big fan of The Family Circus comic; I guess I just don't get it. In fact, a friend and I have a running joke: whenever we are in the same place in the morning, whoever gets the paper first (it's usually him) will report to the other, and so far the details have never varied. "Guess what?" we say. "The Family Circus was not funny today."
As a child, though, I was sort of intrigued by those Sunday strips that showed one of the children (or perhaps their dog, Barfy) starting and ending in one place. These were drawn almost as treasure maps, with the character's paces marked as dashes, meandering and looping back around, only to end up on a big 'X', where the punchline was delivered.
Tonight, when I reflected on my day, that's how I imagined it. This morning, a friend called to suggest that we all go hiking with the dogs; she had an errand to run first, but it was on the way. Fine, I told her, but since we were driving out to Shenandoah National Park, could we stop at the big grocery store in Gainesville on the way back? That was okay with her, but what about lunch? I packed some snacks and water, and there was a really great sandwich place right by the cable office where she needed to go. We phoned in a takeout order, and planned to run by on the way out of town. But wait, Heidi needed to pick up a prescription-- maybe we could swing by the pharmacy at her HMO on our way home?
And so, stopping here and driving there, we did it all, and at the center there was a most amazing hike up the Devil's Staircase to an elevation where the climate was so different that the leaves were already changing. The trail ran along a mountain stream, criss-crossing it several times over slippery rocks and past lots of little waterfalls, pools, and rapids. It was challenging and even treacherous at times, but our little dash marks made it back to the parking lot and eventually to the big X, home.
As a child, though, I was sort of intrigued by those Sunday strips that showed one of the children (or perhaps their dog, Barfy) starting and ending in one place. These were drawn almost as treasure maps, with the character's paces marked as dashes, meandering and looping back around, only to end up on a big 'X', where the punchline was delivered.
Tonight, when I reflected on my day, that's how I imagined it. This morning, a friend called to suggest that we all go hiking with the dogs; she had an errand to run first, but it was on the way. Fine, I told her, but since we were driving out to Shenandoah National Park, could we stop at the big grocery store in Gainesville on the way back? That was okay with her, but what about lunch? I packed some snacks and water, and there was a really great sandwich place right by the cable office where she needed to go. We phoned in a takeout order, and planned to run by on the way out of town. But wait, Heidi needed to pick up a prescription-- maybe we could swing by the pharmacy at her HMO on our way home?
And so, stopping here and driving there, we did it all, and at the center there was a most amazing hike up the Devil's Staircase to an elevation where the climate was so different that the leaves were already changing. The trail ran along a mountain stream, criss-crossing it several times over slippery rocks and past lots of little waterfalls, pools, and rapids. It was challenging and even treacherous at times, but our little dash marks made it back to the parking lot and eventually to the big X, home.
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