Ahhh…Week 28…
After last week, I did not know what to expect.
I had spent the weekend working on lesson plans, and my work paid off.
I walked into class on Monday armed with plans and rubrics.
Oh, and I was wearing new clothes…
Teacher + New Clothes = Sassy Attitude
My juniors and seniors saw this on the board…
We were going to cover a quick unit on the Cavalier Poets. Students would be writing essays at the end of the unit.
My sixth graders were also in for a surprise…
They were going to write expository essays! Whoop Whoop!
Thud.
Yeah. That was how they reacted.
They seemed overwhelmed when I handed them the instructions and rubrics, but I quickly adopted my cheerleader attitude and got them pumped up for the assignment, assuring them that I would be with them every step of the way.
Because they were having a hard time understanding the instructions, I compared, in a flash of brilliance, the essay to a courtroom trial. I told my students that there were like lawyers, and their essays were their defendants. I would be the judge. Their responsibilities were to present their cases, using “evidence” from the poems they would be selecting (per the instructions I provided) to make them have stronger cases.
Let’s all pause a moment while I pat myself on the back.
Just kidding.
This was totally a God-moment.
It was the perfect analogy for my sweet little sixth graders. They understood what I was asking them to do.
We worked on these essays all week in class so I could provide much needed support and feedback.
Next up were my ninth and tenth graders…
They had been given the task of writing compare/contrast essays, and their first rough drafts were due on Monday.
I’m telling you…the new shoes gave me energy! My students fed off of that energy, using it to motivate them to peer review their classmates’ papers much more closely than in times past.
We talked about fragments. We talked about topic sentences. We talked a little about everything.
I explained that peer reviewing and editing would be an ongoing task all week.
Monday ended well.
When Tuesday arrived, I wasn’t feeling all that great thanks to the head cold I managed to pick up. At least I had a new pair of shoes to lift my spirits…
Yeah.
I went back and bought the shoes.
Bad AuburnChick.
Oh, but they looked so adorable with my new blue jeans and the pink shirt that my friend, Barbara, had given me. The three inch heels made feel like an Amazon woman too! I sure wish my legs would grow three inches!!
Anyhoo…back to the purpose of this post…
My 11th and 12th graders shared the Carpe Diem poems they had written for homework. In the poems, they “advised” incoming freshmen of ways they could “seize the day.” The poems were quite funny and, in the end, reflective. Then, we proceeded with our lesson for the day…Homer and his Carpe Diem poem…
My seniors and I got a little sidetracked when one of my students asked me about being a Christian and going to heaven. Actually, this question was related to the theme of Carpe Diem – a theme in which Cavalier poets ignored or even denied the existence of an afterlife. In their minds, living for today was the only thing people should concern themselves with.
My students and I agreed that people should have balance in their lives…seizing opportunities today with our eyes on the future.
This is one thing I really love about teaching. Teaching should not be about rote learning but about invigorating and challenging young minds to think outside of the box. Doing so leads to true understanding and a desire to learn more.
My sixth graders continued working on their big writing assignment. We spent the class period working on their essays’ theses and webs, which would teach them how to organize their ideas…
I am amazed at how much slower I have to take things with my youngest class. Earlier this school year, a friend of mine, who also happens to be a teacher (not Barbara) suggested that I focus on teaching one skill each day in regard to my sixth graders.
I have found this to be sage advice. Sixth graders cannot handle too many concepts at one time. I think it is far better to hone in on one, help them develop this skill thoroughly, and then move on to another skill.
My ninth and tenth graders peer reviewed their compare/contrast essays. I had a chance to work one-on-one with a few of my students.
I believe that writing is an aspect of English education that gets overlooked in high schools. This is such a shame. I think that writing goes hand-in-hand with reading comprehension. What good does it do a child to understand a story but not be able to put their thoughts about the story on paper in a coherent manner?
I am praying that some of the things I teach my students will stick in their minds.
So…Wednesday…what did we do on Wednesday?
Hmmm…
My juniors and seniors continued their readings about carpe diem.
My 6th graders saw this when they walked in…
Because I had made this essay their final exam, they had a little bit of incentive to work extra-hard. I was able to spend time with each student while the other students worked on the bodies of their essays. A really neat thing that happened is that students began helping one another…reading each others’ work and offering suggestions…all without my asking them. This is writing at its best — collaborative effort.
My 9th graders got an impromptu, yet visual, lesson on essay organization. Merely describing how an essay should be organized is not enough for some students. They need to see it. So, I wrote this for them…
I saw light bulbs go on, and I realized that they were getting closer to understanding what I expected.
My tenth graders were awesome, as always, and copied down the outline. Their rough drafts were looking really good, but we still managed to tweak them further.
On Thursday, my juniors and seniors were treated to a special reading…
This was a writer they could identify with. They were able to shed light on the word “rubai,” and even tried to help me pronounce it correctly. Arabic and Mrs. AuburnChick do not get along well, I’m afraid. I cannot make the guttural “r” sound that the language demands and, hence, put my Redneck spin on certain names and words.
Regardless, we discussed the poem above. I had learned, through my research, that this is one of the most famous poems in the world and has been translated into many different languages. One of my students expressed interest in reading the original version.
This is teaching at its best…sparking curiosity that inspires seeking knowledge outside of the classroom. I love it!
During my 6th grade class, I went into “editor” mode, working with them to edit their body paragraphs and begin work on their conclusions.
When the bell rang, one of my students said, “Mrs. AuburnChick, this isn’t as hard as I thought it was going to be.”
Ahhhh…I had told my class that I would walk them through every step of the process. I think my students are finally learning to trust me.
My ninth and tenth graders had one more day of peer editing. I enjoyed watching my ninth graders work. We had been turning the desks into one large circle, so they were able to give each other feedback easier. I actually smiled when I heard students arguing about the virtues of Romeo and Juliet. This is not a class that regularly debates literary issues, let me tell you.
They’ve also been throwing around the word, “effeminate.” It was one that really stood out during one of our lessons, and I don’t think they will ever forget it.
Before I knew it, Friday had arrived.
I had a HUGE surprise for my classes…
I had received “feedback” from a few of my students. They were concerned about the rubric that I had given them for their upcoming essay. Grammar will consist of 1/5 of the final grade. We have not done a lot of formal grammar lessons simply because I have found it extremely difficult to balance all of the English components in the short class times that we have. I have, however, been providing extensive formative feedback on their rough drafts throughout the year.
So, they spoke, and I listened…
The afternoon before, I had stayed late after school to write some of the most common issues I have found in my students’ writing.
We went over each of these items very carefully, and I answered all of their questions, adding examples to the board. By the end of the day, my board looked like this…
I did not make my 6th graders endure the lesson. It would have been too overwhelming for them. Rather, I gave them feedback on the conclusions they had written for homework. One of my students stayed in my room during part of his lunch so he could get some extra help. Another of my students went running into my classroom at the end of the day to get last-minute feedback on his last sentence.
It was a crazy week. I don’t know if I want to do essays for final exams again, although I will say that they are great assessments to use at the end of big units. I also really enjoy the writers workshops that we participate in whenever large essays are due.
It is hard to believe that we have two more instructional days left before finals. Term 3 is almost over. We’re all beyond ready.
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