Oh how I missed my kids yesterday! I had to take a personal day, but I can't tell you how much I wish I could have been there.
Week four wrapped up with all the freshmen finishing "The Most Dangerous Game" and taking the Unit I reading quiz. Two of the classes started working on setting and reading "The Pedestrian," and the other two will do the same next week. We will also continue working on persuasive writing next week, and the Unit I test is scheduled for Thursday and Friday.
The seniors finished up Unit I by starting their in-class essay and taking the test. As far as I know, everyone survived the experience, and I'm proud to say no one lost their minds, either. They are also trying to finish reading The Inferno so they can present their projects on September 9th. I know they are worried, but I can't wait to see how creative they can be.
The essay counts for both an RHS SR English grade and one of their DSCC essays, and I'm hoping that by doubling up like that I can give them what they need for both courses without destroying their social lives.
Here's to everyone having a grade Labor Day weekend. See you Tuesday :)
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
I hope everyone enjoyed their day off. I missed my kids, but there was a lot of information to cover in our meetings on Monday, so it was worth the time.
The freshmen got off to a rough start this morning, primarily because the majority of them forgot to read their homework assignment! Luckily for them, I had prepared the wrong quiz, so they didn't have to take it today. They will take it on Thursday, though, so I hope they're ready this time.
We started another ACT rotation today, and I covered guidelines and procedures for the ZILLIONTH time this semester :)
The seniors discussed personal demons and public monsters they face in relation to Beowulf, and I was impressed by their willingness to be so open and forthright in sharing their feelings. We spent some time discussing the end of Beowulf, which I'm SURE they all remembered to read over the weekend, and we connected the journal starter to the literature.
After lunch we took notes over comparative analysis writing and I assigned the DSCC homework for the week, which students will use as a model to write their own comp/cont essay on tone in Anglo-Saxon literature later this week.
Anyway, it's been a long day, gang, and I'm beat! Signing off but see you soon :)
The freshmen got off to a rough start this morning, primarily because the majority of them forgot to read their homework assignment! Luckily for them, I had prepared the wrong quiz, so they didn't have to take it today. They will take it on Thursday, though, so I hope they're ready this time.
We started another ACT rotation today, and I covered guidelines and procedures for the ZILLIONTH time this semester :)
The seniors discussed personal demons and public monsters they face in relation to Beowulf, and I was impressed by their willingness to be so open and forthright in sharing their feelings. We spent some time discussing the end of Beowulf, which I'm SURE they all remembered to read over the weekend, and we connected the journal starter to the literature.
After lunch we took notes over comparative analysis writing and I assigned the DSCC homework for the week, which students will use as a model to write their own comp/cont essay on tone in Anglo-Saxon literature later this week.
Anyway, it's been a long day, gang, and I'm beat! Signing off but see you soon :)
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Week Three
What a great week! Though we are a little off schedule, the extra time being spent in class to cover the material is allowing us to really dig deep into the work and make those important connections between the work and our lives.
The freshmen continued to read "The Most Dangerous Game," and I was able to get enough textbooks to send one home with each and keep a class set to use at school. I am hoping that will help keep their backpacks a little lighter and encourage them to read ahead. We also practiced identifying and supporting the main idea of a passage and the difference between fact and opinion, both of which will help them in all their classes.
The seniors FINALLY started reading "Beowulf" this week, and the participation has been great. Connecting it to the monster research presentations they made on Tuesday and the poetry we had already covered and quizzed for on Wednesday really added a level of depth to our discussions that I hope made understanding the material much easier for everyone in class.
Progress reports also went out this week, and I'm happy to say that almost everyone in my classes has an A or B! Those with lower grades are either missing work or did poorly on the first quiz, but I am sure those students will figure out how class works and improve before the next report.
Monday is a teacher inservice day, so enjoy your day off while your teachers go to school. LOL.
Have a great weekend, and I'll see everyone on Tuesday!
The freshmen continued to read "The Most Dangerous Game," and I was able to get enough textbooks to send one home with each and keep a class set to use at school. I am hoping that will help keep their backpacks a little lighter and encourage them to read ahead. We also practiced identifying and supporting the main idea of a passage and the difference between fact and opinion, both of which will help them in all their classes.
The seniors FINALLY started reading "Beowulf" this week, and the participation has been great. Connecting it to the monster research presentations they made on Tuesday and the poetry we had already covered and quizzed for on Wednesday really added a level of depth to our discussions that I hope made understanding the material much easier for everyone in class.
Progress reports also went out this week, and I'm happy to say that almost everyone in my classes has an A or B! Those with lower grades are either missing work or did poorly on the first quiz, but I am sure those students will figure out how class works and improve before the next report.
Monday is a teacher inservice day, so enjoy your day off while your teachers go to school. LOL.
Have a great weekend, and I'll see everyone on Tuesday!
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Wow! How did a whole week go by so fast???? School is definitely up and running now, and there's not a lot of time to spare when there is so much to do!
Thursday was a big day on campus--we started our annual magazine campaign. I hope lots of students and families participate in this fundraiser. Not only is a great way to raise money the school needs to support the library, it is also a chance for the kids to take ownership of their school and win cool prizes.
Friday and Monday were important assessment days for the freshmen. We took our Unit I vocabulary quiz, and I hope everyone did really well. Even if the grades aren't the best, taking the quiz taught them a lot about how to take a quiz in high school and what kind of information high school teachers are looking for when they give tests and quizzes.
The ninth-graders continued to read and analyze the plot of "The Most Dangerous Game," by Richard Connell. It's taking us awhile because we are sharing books right now, but my goal is to issue a textbook to every student on Thursday and Friday this week.
The seniors spent Thursday analyzing another Anglo-Saxon poem, "The Wife's Lament," one of the few poems from the period written from a female perspective. We had a great discussion, and several of the students made excellent connections between the poem and other works we've read this year and in year's past.
Friday and Monday were dedicated to monster research! Students worked in groups to research their assigned monsters--Loch Ness, Bigfoot, Chupacabra, etc--for presentations on Tuesday. The kids all did a fantastic job, and we all enjoyed the media used to share the information each group discovered.
RHS also hosted two family/student meetings this week, something I can't remember ever doing before but am so glad we did. I missed the junior/senior meeting on Monday, but I know there was a bunch of important information shared that night. I did attend the freshman/sophomore meeting, and it, too, seemed to be a success, so I hope this is something that continues in the future.
No wonder I missed so many entries! I'm tired just thinking about it. Maybe I'll grade these senior reading quizzes . . .
Thursday was a big day on campus--we started our annual magazine campaign. I hope lots of students and families participate in this fundraiser. Not only is a great way to raise money the school needs to support the library, it is also a chance for the kids to take ownership of their school and win cool prizes.
Friday and Monday were important assessment days for the freshmen. We took our Unit I vocabulary quiz, and I hope everyone did really well. Even if the grades aren't the best, taking the quiz taught them a lot about how to take a quiz in high school and what kind of information high school teachers are looking for when they give tests and quizzes.
The ninth-graders continued to read and analyze the plot of "The Most Dangerous Game," by Richard Connell. It's taking us awhile because we are sharing books right now, but my goal is to issue a textbook to every student on Thursday and Friday this week.
The seniors spent Thursday analyzing another Anglo-Saxon poem, "The Wife's Lament," one of the few poems from the period written from a female perspective. We had a great discussion, and several of the students made excellent connections between the poem and other works we've read this year and in year's past.
Friday and Monday were dedicated to monster research! Students worked in groups to research their assigned monsters--Loch Ness, Bigfoot, Chupacabra, etc--for presentations on Tuesday. The kids all did a fantastic job, and we all enjoyed the media used to share the information each group discovered.
RHS also hosted two family/student meetings this week, something I can't remember ever doing before but am so glad we did. I missed the junior/senior meeting on Monday, but I know there was a bunch of important information shared that night. I did attend the freshman/sophomore meeting, and it, too, seemed to be a success, so I hope this is something that continues in the future.
No wonder I missed so many entries! I'm tired just thinking about it. Maybe I'll grade these senior reading quizzes . . .
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Well, folks, although I've never been a big fan of "hump day," and would much rather have stayed under the covers this morning than take my turn at making breakfast, the day turned out to be a good one after all.
The second group of freshmen reviewed their vocabulary and took notes over plot, and we had a fun time filling in our fishbone graphic organizer and coming up with creative and appropriate names for him. I settled on Mr. Plotty, since he is a plot fish. We also had a chance to start working on the study guide for "The Most Dangerous Game", but we ran out of time, so everyone promised to come back on Friday with the first section complete.
In ACT prep we practiced listing reasons, not excuses for and against a topic, because good writers can argue either side of a topic, not just the side they agree with. We also practiced removing wishy-washy language from our writing, like "I think", "I feel", and "I believe." We didn't have a chance to work on our dead words list, but we can do that for our exit tomorrow.
Finally, the seniors were assigned their textbooks today and filled out their textbook agreements. We also continued the awesome discussion we've been having about Anglo-Saxon Poetry and the Christian influence on literature. I'm proud of their interest and insights.
A note to all: Don't forget vocabulary quizzes on Friday and Monday!!!
The second group of freshmen reviewed their vocabulary and took notes over plot, and we had a fun time filling in our fishbone graphic organizer and coming up with creative and appropriate names for him. I settled on Mr. Plotty, since he is a plot fish. We also had a chance to start working on the study guide for "The Most Dangerous Game", but we ran out of time, so everyone promised to come back on Friday with the first section complete.
In ACT prep we practiced listing reasons, not excuses for and against a topic, because good writers can argue either side of a topic, not just the side they agree with. We also practiced removing wishy-washy language from our writing, like "I think", "I feel", and "I believe." We didn't have a chance to work on our dead words list, but we can do that for our exit tomorrow.
Finally, the seniors were assigned their textbooks today and filled out their textbook agreements. We also continued the awesome discussion we've been having about Anglo-Saxon Poetry and the Christian influence on literature. I'm proud of their interest and insights.
A note to all: Don't forget vocabulary quizzes on Friday and Monday!!!
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
We have an AWESOME Tuesday in class today! The freshmen had a chance to practice their new vocabulary words, and one class even worked on coming up with hand signals to go with each word. That was a sight to see, believe me. After that, we took notes on plot and made individual graphic organizers. Since we made fishbones, first block named theirs "Bones", and second block named theirs "Nemo." Some of the fish heads and tails looked really life-like!
Finally, the freshmen went over how to follow a PRC study guide, a tool I use in class to help students understand and connect to the reading. We even made our first prediction before the end of class today, and we decorated our test folders as an exit activity.
The ACT juniors reflected on the guidelines and procedures we covered in class yesterday, and they had some interesting comments. Several of you agree that being courteous and prepared are really important, while others thought being on time and following directions is more important.
A lot of the juniors wanted to get rid of the rules about tardies, dress code, and eating in class. Sorry, gang. Those have to stay. Others in class wanted to make it okay to use cell phones or to sleep in class. Sorry, again, everyone, but I need you awake and off the phone to teach you.
The seniors had a phenomenal discussion today comparing and contrast "The Seafarer," "Sea Fever," and "The Wanderer." I loved how upset some of you were that the original work had been altered, no matter what the purpose. I really enjoyed listening to your comments and appreciated the thought and effort they put into class today. I even sang for them--poor babies!
Finally, the freshmen went over how to follow a PRC study guide, a tool I use in class to help students understand and connect to the reading. We even made our first prediction before the end of class today, and we decorated our test folders as an exit activity.
The ACT juniors reflected on the guidelines and procedures we covered in class yesterday, and they had some interesting comments. Several of you agree that being courteous and prepared are really important, while others thought being on time and following directions is more important.
A lot of the juniors wanted to get rid of the rules about tardies, dress code, and eating in class. Sorry, gang. Those have to stay. Others in class wanted to make it okay to use cell phones or to sleep in class. Sorry, again, everyone, but I need you awake and off the phone to teach you.
The seniors had a phenomenal discussion today comparing and contrast "The Seafarer," "Sea Fever," and "The Wanderer." I loved how upset some of you were that the original work had been altered, no matter what the purpose. I really enjoyed listening to your comments and appreciated the thought and effort they put into class today. I even sang for them--poor babies!
Monday, August 15, 2011
Hey everyone!
I hope you all had a fun weekend and had a chance to recover from the busy first week of school. I know I was exhausted. As a matter of fact, I slept most of the two days away! Guess that means I'm getting old.
Today was a productive days in class. The freshmen classes finished up their guidelines and procedures quizzes, and the last two classes were able to watch the vocab videos. First and second also had a chance to take one of the interest surveys I had planned for them last week but ran out of time to do.
The new ACT rotation began today, and after a week of diagnostic tests, it was nice to get a chance to go over guidelines and procedures with this new group. They will take a quiz over those on Friday, and their signed sheets are due Friday as well.
The seniors finished up their Anglo-Saxon notes and began reading, discussing, and analyzing the poem, "The Seafarer." We didn't get to finish, but we will tomorrow, and we'll connect it to the other poems in this time period.
I hope you all had a fun weekend and had a chance to recover from the busy first week of school. I know I was exhausted. As a matter of fact, I slept most of the two days away! Guess that means I'm getting old.
Today was a productive days in class. The freshmen classes finished up their guidelines and procedures quizzes, and the last two classes were able to watch the vocab videos. First and second also had a chance to take one of the interest surveys I had planned for them last week but ran out of time to do.
The new ACT rotation began today, and after a week of diagnostic tests, it was nice to get a chance to go over guidelines and procedures with this new group. They will take a quiz over those on Friday, and their signed sheets are due Friday as well.
The seniors finished up their Anglo-Saxon notes and began reading, discussing, and analyzing the poem, "The Seafarer." We didn't get to finish, but we will tomorrow, and we'll connect it to the other poems in this time period.
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