ELA 101

I still remembering reading The Outsiders back when I was in eighth grade.  It was one of my all-time favorite books, though I do still think the names are kind of corny (Ponyboy, Sodapop – what gives?).  The thing that really struck me about it was the way that it seemed so real, so true.  Even if there weren’t Socs (pronounced soashes and short for “Socials”) and greasers, there were “jocks,” or “preps” or “geeks,” and the list goes on. 

That’s what makes the book timeless in my opinion.  I think that readers at any age level (especially upper middle school) can really connect with the idea of groups, differences and similarities.  I also think that’s what makes the transformation of the characters in the group such a powerful tool for learning.

Whereas the 7th graders have read 10 chapters in their book, Chernowitz, the chapters in The Outsders are much longer.  We’re 10-pages into Chapter Two.  So far our class discussions have been very lively and some students have participated in class for the first time as a result of this text.  My goal is to have students finish Chapters 2-5 next week in class.  We will be taking Tuesday and Friday to go to the computer lab to try a different tool for discussion and/or processing the information in the story. 

This week we tried our hand at wikis (pronounced “wickies”), and it was, how shall I say this eloquently….a big flop!  We battled technically difficulty after technical difficulty.  But the kids were troopers and didn’t give up.  If things aren’t in better working order next week, we might just stick with the low-tech tools like pencils and paper, which are just as valuable.

I would like to have students take their first vocabulary quiz next week and I’m thinking of either Wednesday or Thursday.  I will provide a study guide and the exact day on Monday.

There are also some fabulous websites that students can access (Google search “Outsiders”) to help make sense of the characters in the book.  I will say, however, that some are spoilers and give away big action or events in the book.  I really stress that students shouldn’t read ahead only because they’ll get confused when it comes to comprehension activities that we do in class.  If you’re students is surfing some of these sites and comes across a big event in the book – please remind him/her not to spoil it for the rest of the class.  Thanks! 

I’ll leave you with this, an exercise students did as a pre-reading activity last week.  Have you ever felt like you didn’t belong somewhere?  If so, what was the context, the situation?  How did you respond and why do you think you felt that way?  Students were very insightful with this activity and realized that everyone feels like an “outsider” at some point.  So I wonder…doesn’t that make us all part of the same group in some way then?

Have you ever had one of those months weeks days that has gone by in a blur? Here I am, in a computer lab full of kids who are slightly hyper but doing remarkably well considering that today is the first dance day of the year, and I just realized that the first quarter of the year is ending next week!

OK, I really did know that the quarter was coming to a close (just ask the students how many times I’ve reminded them about that very fact).  It just seems like time is flying by.  This week we have started our first novel – Chernowitz by Fran Arrick.  So far we’ve read a quarter of the book (the first 10 chapters), with the plan being to read at least another quarter (if not more) next week. 

Students will be having their first vocabulary quiz on Wedesday, October 31st (Happy Halloween) and will receive a study guide on Monday.  We’ve been working in the computer lab this week for a few days trying to explore the wonderful world of wikis (pronounced “wickies”).  I’ll admit that it went……well, it was pretty rough.  First, we had to contend with a finicky computer lab, then a s-l-o-w wiki site and by today I think kids were just plain tired of the tech trouble. *sigh* 

Next week we’re going back to some good ol’ paper and pencil, throwing in the occasional marker or colored pencil too.  Don’t get me wrong, I haven’t scrapped the whole high-tech possibility for collaborative learning, we just won’t be focused on wikis for a while.

How about you?  What have you tried recently that turned out differently that you’d expected?  Was there something valuable that you learned even though the outcome didn’t meet your expectations? 

it is to read with a pillow in our room, Hey!  Ok, so it’s a bit early for Christmas carols, but yes I am one of those put-your-fake tree-up-the-day-after-Thanksgiving people anyway.  But the point of this post is to report the resounding success we’ve had with our Teen Read Week celebration.

Sadly, my life has become so unbelievably filled with school and personal extra-curricular activities, that one of my favorite hobbies (writing/blogging) has been back-burned slightly.  I would have loved to report on this last week to let you know what we were planning, but I didn’t get around to it.

In any case, students have spent the past two days in comfy clothes, dragging their pillows and blankeys into our English classroom which has been temporarily transformed.  All the desks have been relocated and the floor is free game!  Surprisingly, students really prefer to perch around the periphery of the room instead of laying in the nice open space in the middle.  Yet wherever they’ve chosen to rest their heads, it’s been great to see them filling their minds with the wonderful stories housed between the covers of a book. 

Be sure to swing by our Edline page where I will post a picture on each class’ homepage.  (Can I be honest…I really had to check with a few people about the whole s-apostrophe thing and I still don’t know if we’re 100% right!).  In any case, I hope to get photos uploaded this evening so you can check them out.

My apologies for not getting this posted last week as intended, but with the crazy schedule, moving furniture in and out of our classroom, plus planning my husband’s surprise birthday party, time just got away from me. 

How about you? What has been vying for your time lately?  How do you balance work, family, hobbies, etc?  What’s the one thing that you always make time for and the one thing you wish you did?

The thing I l-o-v-eabout middle school is the incessant change!!  This constant state of limbo is pretty scary, but can also be a lot of fun.  This week, we’ve spent nearly every minute of English class taking the fabulous M.E.A.P. test (she said facetiously).  What I’ve noticed during these testing sessions are the ways in which my students really are kids.  Added to last week’s work time on neighborhood maps, when tongues were curled and lips were pursed in concentration, this week I’ve seen some pretty interesting faces as well.

And if there’s one thing students l-o-v-e about the M.E.A.P. test, it’s the suckers!!  That’s right.  A simply little Tootsie pop has them all a-twitter!  Today, in fact, we actually celebrated getting suckers when I noticed one particular student do a little “happy sucker dance” when he acquired his favorite blue sucker via trade. 

I guess it just reminds me that life is full of simple pleasures.  And even if I want to pull my hair out sometimes because I’m so frustrated by students…there still are these moments when they totally crack me up and allow me to remember why I love my job!

What about you?  What are some of your simple pleasures in life?  What makes you “do the dance?”

My first hour class has the pleasure of watching the high school broadcasting program on Friday mornings.  It amazes me how intently they watch, how carefully they listen and how completely transfixed they are for this 10 minutes. 

Today there seemed to be a “good ol’ country” theme to the show and Jones Soda kept popping up on various shots.  In one scene, the anchors were wearing crazy afro wigs and talking with thick southern drawls.  Would it work if I wore a wig too?  I think not.

Maybe it has something to do with the unknown world of high school.  Seeing their friends from last year doing fun and cool things that they can’t wait to do themselves.  Whatever it is, I appreciate the opportunity to see them completely in tune and focused.  I’m thinking about using this tool to teach visual literacy and/or the importance of viewing skills. 

What about you?  What are some of the things that captured your attention in middle school?  What types of programming “hook” you now?

I just found a really interesting article that talks about exactly the kind of learning that we’re doing here on my blog!  Looks like others have thought this was a pretty cool way to get parents, teachers, and students all on the same page too!  Maybe you can look forward to some literary interpretation homework in the future as well!

Check this out and then leave me a comment about your thoughts!!

Week 5 already….Wow!  This week, both 7th and 8th graders have been digging deep into their memory banks for those priceless jewels.  You know, those totally unplanned, yet completely memorable family activities, or some your “finest” parenting moments.  Actually, most students are recalling things like accidents, emergencies, and a few first crushes. 

Many of you have completed your portion of this assignment as well by creating your list of 10 memories of your precious child.  I’ve only been able to give these a passing glance at this point (still knee-deep in 7th grade comics and 8th grade descriptive paragraphs – oh yeah, and whatever it is that my adorable child keep hacking up at 3am!!) but they are turning out fabulous! 

We will revisit these “neighborhood maps” later in the school year when students begin to work on their memoir.  You may have heard them talk about writing personal narratives in previous years, and a memoir is much the same.  One slight difference is that we try to guide students toward the events in their past that have evoked some kind of change in their lives.  Often these pieces are very meaningful to the students and reflect a great deal of time and energy.

Okay.  Here’s the nitty gritty part of this post.  Next week, starting Monday, October 8th, students will be taking their ELA MEAP test in their ELA classes.  This will continue all through next week and the ELA portion of the test will wrap up on Monday the 15th.  We spent the first couple weeks of this school year talking about the various portions of the test and different strategies they could employ to make it more manageable.

Lastly, students have received their weekly reading logs which I will collect on Monday, October 8th.  Students are asked to complete 60 minutes of reading time and obtain verification of said reading in the form of intials or a signature on their reading log.  We will not be doing a log next week in lieu of the MEAP. 

Have a fabulous weekend!