Socrates is a Greek God?

Today was great! We read chapter 11 in the novel and will finish it tomorrow! I cannot wait! We also talked about conflict and the different types you will find in stories. I introduced the socratic seminar we will be having on Wednesday and I think it is going to be fantastic. We also talked about grades and I handed out grade printouts and missing work slips.

Here is the deal:

If you have lower than a B- in challenge or C in regular and have missing work, you must stay after on Thursday to finish it. If you have any missing work by next Wednesday (early release day), you must stay with me until it is finished. I am giving you guys a chance to get any late work in to my before you have to miss out on fun times in order to do it. Take advantage of it! :)

theoretical chaos

All the classes are in different spots, so here is - basically - what we have done this week:

We have been reading The Outsiders - we will finish it next Tuesday, there will be a test Wednesday, and we will watch the movie Thursday and Friday of next week. It is really getting exciting! :)

We are also working on the memoirs. I have your prewrites and you should be working on your rough drafts. They are due Monday. I have or will share my memoir with you and we will talk about what is good and bad about it.

So, I know, boring blog today. Maybe tomorrow's will be better. :)

did you ever have to make up your mind?

Challenge: Friday we listened to some music that would appeal to the two gangs in The Outsiders. 5/6 hour we also used the "clickers" to log answers to some very very easy questions about the two gangs. I must say that I was very impressed by your answers. I need to expect more from you, because you had such amazingly insightful evidence for why each group would like the songs - without prompting by me! :)

Tomorrow we will be going over the Tungsten and take care of anything we missed on Friday (3/4 hour, that means the "clickers" for you). There will be questions about the novel on think.com, so be on the lookout for those.

Regular: Friday we talked about how the gangs are different (we contrasted them) and then we used the "clickers" for further discussion. It was great and you guys did a good job with it. We kind of ran out of time, so we will do the music portion of it on Monday. I think you will really enjoy it! :)

busy, busy, busy

Okay, I know, I know. I have been really slacking at updating this and I apologize. A lot has been going on and you all need to know it, so I will really try to be better from now on.

This week has been excellent. We started The Outsiders and it is such a fantastic book! Some of you have confessed that you cannot put it down - literally - that you can't help but read ahead. I suggest you find another book to occupy you so that you can stop reading ahead and possibly ruining it for everyone!

Tomorrow we will finish the Tungsten and do a fun activity to compare and contrast the gangs. I think you will really enjoy it!

posters with personality

We have accomplished a lot during the past couple of days! Yesterday the regular class worked on the posters and went to the library for a presentation from the librarians. Challenge classes went over the reading autobiographies and also went to the library for a presentation.

Today challenge classes read The Circuit and we talked about the plot arc. It's great that some of the sixth grade teachers taught it so that we can get into the elements of plot even more. The regular class presented their posters and it was so much fun to learn more about you guys. I loved it!

amazing personalities

Today the challenge classes presented their personality posters. I so loved hearing about your interests, friends, and likes and dislikes. It was fun to hear you guys talk about yourselves! We also read a crazy story called Being Mean by Gary Soto about his childhood and the mean things he did. We talked a bit about the characters.

The regular class spent time working on their posters, which are due Wednesday. I am so proud of how hard you guys worked! All of you were very productive!

short week

We spent a lot of time this week working on the personality posters. Most of you used the time in class very well and I am so excited to see the finished products. Remember - for the challenge classes they are due tomorrow, for the regular class they are due Wednesday.

We also focused on setting and mood this week. We read stories and talked about how the setting affected the mood. Thursday we spent time at stations identifying what sort of story would take place in different situations and figuring out why a story makes you feel a certain way. I feel like you guys have a good handle on setting and mood. Next week we will move on to another literary element.

Friday was a lot of fun. In the challenge classes, we got set up on think.com and played with the site a little bit. In the future, we will be using it a lot to publish our work and to discuss the things we read. In the regular class, we read a story by Gary Soto called Being Mean about his childhood and the crazy things he and his brother and sister did. After that we spent time working on the personality posters.

autobiographical reading

Sorry about the gap, guys. I was sick this weekend and just couldn't get the strength to post.

Today I collected the reading autobiographies. I cannot wait to read them and find out what you've enjoyed reading in the past.

We also studied the effect of the setting on the mood in a story, A Secret for Two. What a sad ending!

Then I introduced the personality poster, which is due Friday for challenge and Monday for regular classes. I think it will be a lot of fun creating them and seeing them. I may not have mentioned that you will have to present them. We will have some time in class tomorrow and Thursday for you to work on them. So, don't fret. :)

newspaper shelter

Today we spent some time getting to know our fellow classmates. We talked about the reading autobiography a little bit and looked at ways to spice it up. Then we played the newspaper game. This was so much fun! The goal was to create a shelter using newspaper, copy paper, and tape. You had five minutes to plan, but couldn't touch the materials. Then you had ten minutes to build, but couldn't talk. You learned about non-verbal communication and teamwork.

We also went up to the book fair and I spent too much money on books for the classroom! There were so many good ones! Some of you got these titles: Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life, Pretties, Specials, Rules (which was so popular they have to order more), and Code Orange. Remember that the book fair will be up there all week, so if you forgot money today you can bring it later and I'll send you up there.

Tomorrow we will work on those reading autobiographies for most of the time, so bring in brainstorming lists. :)

expectationing?

Today was so much fun! I got the mobile lab and we looked at the websites. You guys figured out how to find information on the team website and on mine. I also showed you how to post comments on here. I loved reading all your silly comments from today!

I also had my challenge classes get on think.com and request accounts. I have a sheet for you to take home and get signed before we can really get started with it, but I think it will be fantastic.

The last thing we did was start talking about the reading autobiography. This will be due next Tuesday and will be a paper in which you tell me about all the books you have loved while you were growing up. I can't wait to read them and find out what you liked to read as a tot. :)

one week down...

So, one week has passed and I think this year is going to be great! You're getting used to how I do things in class and learning about the resources.

This week we mainly did beginning of the year stuff - handed out agenda books, got those civility contracts signed, handed out my syllabus and talked about my expectations. I read Tulip Sees America by Cynthia Rylant and had you write about your summer. I also read What's the Worst that Could Happen? by Bruce Coville and had you write about your most embarrassing moment. Friday, I had you make postcards that we sent home and I did not read them!

Next week we will start doing some English stuff. I will give you your first big-ish written assignment and we will start on some short stories. We will also be getting on think.com in challenge classes and will be checking out the websites when I get the mobile lab.

I hope you guys feel as good as I do about this year! :)

On that note, here is a question for you. What are some of your expectations for this year? What do you hope will happen? What do you hope will not happen?

school daze...

Well, I have been trying really hard not to be aware of the exact date that school begins, but I am starting to think that I must accept it. Don't get me wrong...I am very excited to meet all the new 7th graders and to start my year on the French team. I am just sad that the summer is almost over. I am sure you all understand. :)

I truly cannot wait to meet you and I think it will be so much fun on 7B. I spent the past two years on 7A with the Spanish speakers, but I actually speak some French. It was neat seeing how alike the two languages are, but it will be really nice to be around the Frenchies. Je suis heureuse vous rencontrer (maybe Mlle. Anthony will tell me if that is correct). :)

coming to terms with literary terms

Today we spent much of the class period going over literary terms that may come up on the MAP test. I know it isn't the most exciting thing to do, but it will help you on the test and I want you to do well, so...

In other news, the caterpillars arrived today! Over the next seven days they will be fattening up and building cocoons to become Painted Lady butterflies. They are teeny tiny and cute (in a weird insecty way). Remember to bring in sticks for them to climb on and to which they can attach their cocoons. :)

what is advertising?

Today we continued the advertising packet and learned about how much the industry spends targeting your home. We also talked a bit about target audience and I hope you think about that as you watch television together at home. Who are the ads trying to reach? You? Your parents?

Tomorrow we will do some review of terms for the MAP test and fill out those lovely cards that you should keep in your binder. I will also reveal what my special surprise is underneath the orange sheet. :)

bombarded by ads

Today we started advertising and I think you will all really enjoy it. It may outrage you a little bit, and that is good, but I think the amount of power you have with your dollars will (at least) surprise you.

We also did a little bit of housekeeping - I talked about what we will be doing for the rest of the year.

Challenge class: I apologize ahead of time for the amount of work you will have to do in finishing up The Hobbit and starting advertising right before the MAP test. I know you can handle it! :)

spring break is over...sigh

I hope you all have had a wonderful spring break and are ready for what is ahead of us! We will be quickly going over some advertising stuff before MAP testing (April 11-13). During testing, we will read Seedfolks, a wonderful story of friendship, hard work, and community pride. We will do some projects on it and I have a special surprise treat in store. After MAP testing, we will return to advertising and do a fun project in which you make your own ads.

Don't forget! Regular classes - Bronx Masquerade projects are due tomorrow at the beginning of class. Challenge class - You were to read chapters 10 & 11 in The Hobbit, which I discovered was only about 23 pages - not bad! You were also to write answers to those Iron Giant essay questions. We will discuss them tomorrow. :)

giants of iron

I love this movie so much! I had forgotten how good it was since it has been awhile since I have seen it. I hope you are enjoying it as much as I am. Remember, fill out those sheets on it. I need you to really know those literary elements for the MAP test. Also, 7/8 hour, the essay questions are due after spring break. Work on them during the week you are off school!

Tomorrow we will finish the movie and do some more review before we exit for the lovely week off.

iron man

The movie we are watching tomorrow and Friday was based on a long children's poem written by Ted Hughes, a former British poet laureate. He was also married to Sylvia Plath, a renowned American poet. It takes place in the past, but is still science fiction since there is a very definite message in there.

3/4 & 5/6: Today was a work day since we are watching the film tomorrow. Most of you got a lot done and several are completely finished with the projects. They are looking so fantastic! Remember that they are due the moment you return from spring break.

7/8: We talked about chapter 9. We also discussed Bilbo's luck, the importance of words, the use of magic, and I can't remember the last one (if anyone knows, comment me and tell me). I enjoyed talking about the different important events so far in the story. I am hoping to have many more discussions like this and like the Socratic seminar after the break. :)

work day, shirk day

Today was mainly a work day for Bronx Masquerade projects and vocabulary. Some of you were slacking off a bit and that disturbs me. I expect to see spectacular things from you on your projects.

I forgot to hand back the ch. 4-7 vocab (7/8 hour), so the quiz will be Friday instead of tomorrow. I'll give you an extra day to work on it.

Don't forget to turn in your movie permission slips tomorrow!

the poetry of simon and garfunkel

Today was fun! In the regular classes, we listened to "I Am a Rock" because of Amy Moscowitz's poem from Bronx Masquerade - "Ode to Stone". We also found a whole bunch of figures of speech in it (the title for one). We also read "Richard Cory" and listened to "Richard Cory" discussing what they were about and what they said about life. We talked about the fact that material possessions and money do not buy happiness, especially not for Richard Cory. In challenge class, we talked about our wonderful Socratic seminar on Friday, went over the questions from chapter 8 and started reading chapter 9. For homework, you were to finish the chapter.

Remember that we are watching The Iron Giant on Thursday and Friday, so bring in the permission slip by Wednesday!

socrates schmocrates

Friday was absolutely fantastic! We got a lot done in 3/4 hour and 5/6 hour. We read more of Bronx Masquerade and talked a bit about the third quarter grades. I am most excited about 7/8 hour, though.

We did our first Socratic seminar and it went to incredibly well! I was so impressed by the way you all discussed the two questions and some of the insights you had. It was so wonderful! I was especially happy with the fact that you took turns and were so darn polite with one another. That is something that has been missing in our classroom this year. It is good to know that it is possible. We may have to use that bear for the rest of the school year! :)

March madness?

Today seemed hectic, but that may just have been because grades were due and I was behind. Overall, I am pleased with the grades for third quarter. I expected them to drop, but most of you managed to keep it up. I will be giving you a breakdown of how many people had what grades in each class tomorrow. We'll see how each class stacked up. Even those of you struggling mostly managed to keep your heads above water. I want to see you do more than that during our last months together!

We did different things in each class today, which also contributed to the hectic feel of the day.
3/4 hour: We took the Tungsten and I cannot wait to see your scores! I think everyone did really well on our last Tungsten test of the year.
5/6 hour: We covered hyperbole and I think most of you got it down. Those examples you came up with were so good, they seemed like they came from the smartest people in the world (my lame attempt at one myself). We also read a little of Bronx Masquerade. My goal is to finish it tomorrow or Monday, but we will see.
7/8 hour: We did vocab charades, which is so much fun! We also prepared for a Socratic seminar tomorrow and I just know you will do fantastic. Jessica and Jordan have a chance to show they are really tops in the class by leading the discussion. It will be so much fun!

got those old tungsten blues again

Today two of the classes took our last Tungsten test of the year! From what I saw, the scores were fantastic! We also had some questions to do along with the Tungsten passages to practice some more for the MAP test. We will continue to do more practice in these last few weeks before the test.

Tomorrow, 3/4 hour will take the Tungsten and do constructed response questions. Whatever time is left will be devoted to project work. I know you guys will do well!

masquerading as a work day

Today was extremely productive! I was so impressed with all the work I witnessed - definitely not a masquerade. In the regular classes, you guys got so much done on your Bronx Masquerade projects. I can't wait to read what you guys are writing! In challenge class, I let you spend some time working on the vocabulary that is due tomorrow. It was difficult because the page numbers listed were based on a different edition of the book and I heard lots and lots of complaints about that. But you were able to figure it out since it was only a page or two off most of the time and many of you got close to finishing it. I was disappointed at the number of you who hadn't even started it. I gave it out on Friday, people!

Remember, no late work during fourth quarter! Get that stuff in to me on time!

so sue me...

Okay, okay, okay...I know I have been really bad about keeping this up-to-date during second semester. I also know that I have promised a couple of times to do better, but this time I mean it...really. Fourth quarter has begun and we are finishing poetry in the regular classes and working through The Hobbit in challenge class. I have been having a blast with these two subjects since I love poetry and science fiction/fantasy.

In regular classes: Today we looked at Nikki Grimes's website with the mobile lab and learned more about her. I had a good time with it. We were also going to take an online quiz to find out your learning styles, but the website wasn't working. Try it from home and let me know the results! Go here for the inventory quiz. I also introduced the projects you will be doing with Bronx Masquerade. Tomorrow will be a work day for it, so make sure you use that time wisely!

In challenge class: Today we spent some more time on riddles - they are so much fun and so difficult! You guys did a great job on them and I am impressed! We also read most of chapter 7, where they go to visit Beorn and ingeniously trick him into letting them all come in by telling the riveting story of their journey so far. You need to finish chapter 7 and read chapter 8 tonight. Also, your questions are due for chapters 6-7 tomorrow. Don't forget about the vocab due Wednesday. We will act out the words to see if you really know them.

I think this quarter will be the best! We are doing some of my favorite activities! I am excited for it all and I hope you are too.

is it art?

In class we looked at a bunch of examples of different types of "art", food art, anime, outsider art, etc. I asked you to examine it and tell me if you thought it was art according to some criteria I gave you. Now I want you to look at something else and tell me if it is art. I found this website last year and just thought it was one of the coolest things I have seen, but is it art? I also found this today. Could it be art? Take a look and comment to let me know.

Go here to look at the first one. Go here to look at the second one.

alliteration always alleviates anger

Today was pretty good. Regular classes read up to chapter 8 in the novel. Some mysterious coincidences have been arising. If you can think of some, comment them here!

Challenge class learned about and identified alliteration in poems and then we wrote our own poems with alliteration. Many of them were quite inspired.

Tomorrow regular classes will look at what makes something a piece of art and challenge class will continue to study figures of speech. Pretty cool! :)

mystery schmystery

We continuing the novel in my regular classes and learning more about Petra and Calder. Friday we spent a lot of time working on the MLK poster and essay. I am so impressed with the ones I have already seen. You guys really worked hard on this. If you are entering the contest, I need your form tomorrow.

My challenge class also worked on the poster and essay. Then we played Taboo. I love that game and you guys are getting a lot better at it. The key is thinking around the object - "thinking outside the box," which is your specialty.

This week regular classes with continue the novel and try to decide what makes something a work of art. Challenge class will continue with poetry, moving on to alliteration, hyperbole, and personification.

pentomino fun

Today the regular classes continued reading the novel and we have gotten through chapter 5. We also read the paragraph descriptions of the objects and had fun guessing what they were. Some of you did an excellent job describing them!

In challenge class, we covered some heavy stuff, but you guys did great asking questions. I hope that eventually all of you were able to understand. We talked about the idea that language affects how we see the world and how we behave. For example, how we label things affects what we think of them. I enjoyed the discussion!

All classes got some time to work on the poster and essay due tomorrow. The ones I have seen are so wonderful! You guys have really done fabulously and I can tell you really understand what diversity and togetherness are all about! :)

mysterious poetry

Okay, guys. This week has been busy for me, but I will do better at updating this. Really. :)

This week we have started new, but different, adventures in all classes. It is so neat! We are beginning to study some of my favorites!

My regular classes have begun to study mystery stories and are reading Chasing Vermeer. We are really getting into the puzzles in the book, as well as the playing with the pentominoes. Some of you have already gotten a twelve-piecer! Excellent! We are going to continue with the novel, but also look at what makes something a piece of art.

My challenge class has begun poetry and figures of speech. I love the poems you have already written. We have been focused on simile and metaphor this week, which can be tricky. Remember - NOUN VERB NOUN, NOT NOUN VERB ADJECTIVE! You are comparing something to something else, not describing it!

Okay, okay. You guys are so talented. I know the rest of the year is going to be fabulous. Keep it up! :)

text support

I know today wasn't the most fun, but this is all designed to help you be successful in the future, even beyond the MAP test. We began our weekly MAP preparation and most of you seemed to do pretty well on it. Remember to echo the question, stay within the margins, and use at least three examples from the text to support your answer and you will be just fine. We will be doing this every Wednesday, so be prepared.

Tomorrow we will be starting Devil's Arithmetic. I can't wait! :)

we're back!

Sorry, guys! I got lazy just before and after break. I will try to update regularly here on out.

This week we are celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr's birthday by learning about his life and work, as well as many of the other important people in the Civil Rights Movement. We watched a biography of MLK today and completed a KWL chart, detailing what we knew about him, wanted to learn about him, and learned about him. I even learned some things from that video!

We are also going to learn about other times in history during which people treated each other horribly based on arbitrary things like the color of their skin or their religion. Later this week we will be watching The Devil's Arithmetic, a wonderful film about the Holocaust. Some of you have read the book and I hope you are not disappointed by the movie - it is really quite good.

Also, I uploaded the memory box podcasts to the podcast manager on my website. Check them out and tell me what you think! :)

box works

Today was mainly another work day. You guys have been getting a lot done! I am so proud of the job you are doing! I also gave out printouts and told you that all late work must be turned in by Wednesday, 12/20. If you give it to me after that, it will not count. Some of you are hanging by a thread this quarter, so get a move on!

Tomorrow is the "timed test", so don't forget about it (tee hee). We will also have a lot of work time tomorrow.

box work

Today was another work day. I was thrilled to discover that you guys were really good for the sub yesterday! Wonderful! Most of you used this time well and got a lot done. Keep it up!

Tomorrow will be similar to Tuesday in that if you are working for the first half, you will get the second half. I will also hand out grade printouts so that you can see if you are missing anything before the end of the quarter. :)

workshop work day

Today was a work day for most of it, though I was not there. The workshop was great and you may see some new activities in class next semester as a result. I hope everything went smoothly and that you guys were working!

Tomorrow you will have the entire class period, so use it!

ah the memories

Today was the first work day for the memory boxes. Many of you did very well and took advantage of the time in class. Some did not. If you do not use the time I am giving you to work on it, you will lose that time! Maybe some of you think there is plenty of time this week to get it all done, but you will find that this is not the case. I hope tomorrow is more productive.

Wednesday will be another full class period work day. If I do not see you guys working hard without me reminding you, Thursday and Friday may be taken away as far as work time goes. Don't let that happen!

all your database are belong to us

Today we spent some time working (compare/contrast essay, business letter, missing work, research). We also learned some important information about accessing online resources at home and at school in the form of databases. These are wonderful and I used databases all the time when I was in college at Mizzou. It was much easier to look up information on the computer through the library than to go there and try to check out books.

Next week we will be working on those memory boxes. I will be staying after Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday to give you extra time to work on them. :)

big 6

Today we spent half the period typing things. Compare/contrast essays, business letters, etc. Most of you were extremely productive! The second half of the class was spent learning the big 6 method of research - breaking the research down into six steps. I think it will really help you guys with the memory boxes.

Tomorrow will be a work day! Hooray! The essays must be finished, along with the business letters. The second half of the period will be spent in the library with Mrs. Struckhoff learning about accessing the databases - wonderful resources for your research. :)

book or movie?

Today some of us worked on the compare/contrast essay that is due Friday. The rest did a sequencing activity for The Outsiders. I had a meeting for about half the day, so there was a sub and I was disappointed with the report. I was also extremely disappointed with the room when I returned. So, something will happen tomorrow - a lesson.

Tomorrow we will be finishing up the sequencing activity and I will be telling you about the memory box project that you will be doing next week. I will also be introducing the spelling sheets.

Snow Day!

Well, I am feeling much better. I was so very sick all week, but I am ready to come back (after the weekend, of course). I missed you guys and am looking forward to finding out how you're doing!

Next week we will dive into those compare/contrast papers. We should be able to finish them by Friday or Monday. We will also be going over theme and main idea because it seems like a lot of you are having trouble with that. Can't wait! :)

the outsiders - the movie part 2

Today we finished the movie and some classes got to watch some of the extras on the DVD. This includes Hinton talking about the making of the movie and actors looking back on it. It was neat to see how they were with each other during the making of this wonderful film. We also learned that it was a letter from a seventh grade class that made Coppola decide to read the book and make the film. Cool!

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving break and roll back in here refreshed and ready to go! I know I will!

the outsiders - the movie

Today we talked a little bit about the compare/contrast paper and then started the movie. I love this story so much! The book is great, the movie is great, what else can I say! :)

outside the outsiders

Today we did all different things in each of my classes. Here is the rundown:

3/4 hour read chapters 10 and 11 and then we tried to get caught up on the summaries. If you are missing chapters, go to the podcast manager and listen to 7/8's summaries of chapters 1-8. After that we talked about grades. Progress reports are being mailed Tuesday and I don't want you guys to be surprised. We will finish the last chapter on Monday and then talk about the paper and start the movie.

5/6 hour finished the book! It was so fun seeing your faces! We also worked on the summaries and then talked about grades.

7/8 hour worked on the summaries and recorded some more of them. Then we talked about the poem and tried to figure out a picture representation of "Nothing Gold Can Stay". I ran out of time to talk about your grades, but I will share your printouts with you on Monday.

5/6 and 7/8 will start out Monday introducing the compare/contrast paper you guys will write for the film and the book. Then we will start watching it. You guys are going to love it!

Remember that the double-entry journals are due Tuesday and 7/8 hour has summaries for chapters 9-12 due Monday.

no release

Today was hectic! We had a lot to do and not enough time to do it! I am proud that so many of you were able to finish your business letters. After school I put them in the mail, so they will go out tomorrow and be on their way. It will be neat to see how many come back! Many of you also completed the survey. I appreciate your patience with the slowness of the internet. I think everyone was doing them at once and that slows the whole system down. UGH! Anyway, you guys were great. I also got many great responses to the blog question. There will be another one up there soon.

Tomorrow will be cleanup. If you did not finish your business letter, you will be first on the computers. Then the people who need to take the survey. Last will be the blog questions. We will also listen to a chapter and go over the worksheets that were due yesterday. We are almost done with the book!

don't judge a book by its cover

Today we read some more of The Outsiders and talked about the theme of the novel. There are many possible themes to it. Just one of them is that we should not stereotype people - don't judge someone by the way they look or dress. Just because someone has long, greasy hair, that does not mean they are a hood. Not all Socs are like Bob and not all greasers are like Dally. We will talk more about the theme as we finish the book later this week.

We also worked on the summaries. 7/8 hour recorded two podcasts for everyone to use as a resource. They are fantastic! You can listen to them here.

Tomorrow is an early release day, but we have much to do! We have the lab and we will (finally) finish and mail the business letters. Anyone who needs to will finish the Tungsten and you will have time to answer the blog question (and there will probably be another one up there). I want us to have a chance to really discuss this book since it is such a wonderful story and is so deep with meaning - there is so much to talk about and I want to know what you think! :)

gang music

Today we compared and contrasted the two gangs in The Outsiders, the Socs and the greasers. We talked about it and then we listened to the music they each like. Finally, we used the clickers to determine which would identify with two other songs, "Did you ever have to make up your mind?" by the Lovin' Spoonful and "My Generation" by The Who. I really enjoyed it and I hope it will help you guys remember the differences between the two groups!

We also listened to a little bit of the next chapter, but I want you to finish it at home tonight. We will listen to a lot of it tomorrow and discuss it. We will also be going over the summaries and character charts, as well as the two worksheets on conflict and idioms. I have to say that from what I've seen, you guys really know conflict! Er...the literary kind..you know, not the physical kind. Aw, you know what I mean! :)

This is not happening.

Today we read an extremely exciting chapter in The Outsiders. In previous chapters we discovered that it is important to judge individuals by themselves and not lump them into groups (Soc or greaser). We also discovered that Socs may not have the easiest lives ("Things are rough all over."). Well, in chapter 4 there was an altercation. Ponyboy almost got killed and Bob was killed by Johnny. They managed to get out of there and are staying in a church in Windrixville. I can't wait to find out what happens next!

7/8 took the tungsten. The rest of you will take it tomorrow. It seems like you guys did pretty well on it, but I will check on that tomorrow morning.

personal point of view

How does the point of view affect the telling of The Outsiders? How would it be different in third person omnicient or third person limited? Be specific and write at least five sentences.

blades and sunsets?

Today we read some more of The Outsiders. I love this book! We are really exploring the class relationships and enjoying the wonderful language of the book. I hope you guys are enjoying it as much as I am! I will post a question tonight or tomorrow morning - so be on the lookout.

We also worked on summaries and I am so impressed with your skills. Those sixth grade teachers have taught you well! My challenge class will be posting podcast summaries of each chapter starting next Monday (or perhaps sooner?). So, that will be an added resource for everyone.

I neglected to warn you that we will be taking the Tungsten tomorrow. I am not sure if the paper copies have come back from the copy center yet, but I am hoping we can do it on paper first again since I think that helps you guys a lot! We'll find out! :)

inside the outsiders

Today we started reading The Outsiders - a story about gangs in 1950s-60s Tulsa. Everyone loves this book (including me!) and it is so much fun to read. We will be doing fun things with it in class. I also handed back a bunch of papers and we did hearing screenings up in the library.

I had so much fun meeting your parents at conferences tonight! You all are wonderful and I love telling your parents that!

Tomorrow we will continue with The Outsiders and will try to finish up the business letters.

feelin' nouny

Today was crazy! Ms. Roussin and Mr. Rheinecker were on a field trip, so 7/8 hour was weird and different. We worked on nouns - using different proper and specific common nouns in writing. I can't wait to read what you guys wrote! We also figured out how you were going to publish your memoirs. Many of you read them to the class or had them hung up in the room and a few will be made into podcasts for the website. That will be so neat!

I am going on a grading frenzy this weekend - so check Webgrade Sunday night to see your current grade in my class. :)

podcasts are up!

Today we (3/4 hour) read a personal essay about homelessness and discussed the causes of homelessness as well as sharing our experiences with it. It was a wonderful discussion! In 5/6 and 7/8 hour we finished Griffin and Sabine and wrote about what we thought happened at the end. We also recorded our podcasts and I put them up on my website. So, go here to listen online or download them! They are so cool!

We also all checked out The Outsiders and will begin it next week. I can't wait! You guys are going to love it!

more business letters

Today we worked on peer editing our business letters. I hope to have all the addresses so we can finish and mail them out by Monday. You guys did a very good job at peer editing. I'll just have to take a look at the results.

We also read Tina the Teen Fairy (3/4) and more of Griffin and Sabine (5/6 & 7/8). Griffin and Sabine is really getting interesting!

I also collected your podcasts (5/6 & 7/8) and we will record them tomorrow.

halloween fun

Today was neat! We watched the Disney version of Legend of Sleepy Hollow with narration and songs courtesy Bing Crosby. We talked about the mood of it and how it accomplishes the spooky feeling.

I also scared you guys something awful with a fake car commercial! That was so cool!

And we did fun spooky mad libs, which were hilarious. You guys are getting so good - I barely ever have tom remind you what the parts of speech are anymore! :)

Have fun and be safe tonight!

messing with fate - not a good idea when animal appendages are involved

Today two classes read The Monkey's Paw and watched the Simpsons take on the story (the Simpsons have a take on everything!). We talked about the similarities and differences between the story and the Simpsons clip. The other, middle, class read Legend of Sleepy Hollow and we ran out of time to talk about it. It was way too difficult and long and I realized this after we were really far into it. So, I summarized sections of it for you and then finished it. In the end, when he was being chased by the headless horseman (Galloping Hessian) it got really exciting.

We also reviewed the expectations for classroom behavior because some of you have forgotten that you aren't supposed to talk while I'm talking...you know who you are...
And we talked about the upcoming intruder drill and what to do if there is a stranger in the building. I think we're pretty safe in my room because there is no window in the door.

Tomorrow, in honor of Halloween, we will be silent reading the entire class period - just kidding! You will find out what we are doing when you get there, but remember that your projects are due! 400 points!

the business of business letters

Today was a work day and most of you got a lot done! I got the mobile lab so that you guys could type your business letters and any of the projects. I think most of you are doing extremely well on the projects. I think about seven or eight of you have even already turned them in to me. Excellent!

Remember that the typed business letter and take-home test are due Monday. The projects are due Tuesday. 5/6 and 7/8 hour, the podcast scripts are due Wednesday. We will record them on Thursday. :)

epistolary fun!

Today 3/4 hour had some time to work on projects. The due date is quickly approaching (Tuesday) so we all need to get a move on!

5/6 and 7/8 hour worked on their podcasts, which will be available on my Lindbergh website for a listen late next week. Don't miss 'em! I also started reading the book, Griffin and Sabine to them. This is an epistolary novel or a novel written in the form of letters and it is a rather interesting one in that the letters are actual letters in envelopes that you can take out and unfold to read. There are also many postcards with beautiful and haunting artwork. It is going to be such fun to read and view.

Tomorrow we will spend some time working on our business letters. We will also read more of the story.

this place is a ZOO!

Today we went to the ZOO! It was so much fun! I enjoyed getting to see you guys and talk to you outside of school. It was great.

I decided to extend your deadline on the take-home open-book test to Friday, so it is due at the beginning of the hour on Friday.

Tomorrow we will work on business letters. 7/8 hour will work on podcasts. I will also read to you guys - a new story called Griffin and Sabine.

I am going to the choir concert tonight and it is going to be wonderful! :)

reflection

Today we spent some time reflecting on the previous quarter. I had you guys fill out self-evaluations and let me know what has helped you the most in your reading and writing. I also handed out a take-home open-book test on Witch of Blackbird Pond worth 50 points. It is due Thursday. Finally, some of you worked on your business letters and we will continue with that the rest of the week.

Tonight I went to the orchestra concert and I must say that you guys were amazing. So wonderful! I also loved the costumes!

Tomorrow we are going to the ZOO! It is going to be a blast! My 8th hour needs to remember to check in with me by the sea lions at 11:30 and to meet at the south entrance at 1:00 to depart. There are consequences if you are late, so be on time!

that sounds like witch talk to me...

Today was fun! We watched three videos. One long one about the Salem witch trials to put some more historical perspective on the novel we just finished (or are finishing) and two silly shorter ones to show how popular culture has grabbed onto the story.

We also talked about grades and I handed out a "final" grade printout. I will accept any late work tomorrow and tomorrow only. I am entering grades tomorrow after school.

Also after school, I plan to attend the orchestra concert. If there are any other events that I should know about and attend (choir, band, stamp collecting expo), let me know.

go cards!

Today we played a game for the first part of class since you guys were so good with the sub last week. It was fun! And I learned some things about you guys that I didn't know. We also read some more of the novel (3/4) and will finish it on Monday. The other classes got time to work on their projects. Some of you have even turned them in! Excellent work! :)

Word redux

Today was so much fun! We listened to another chapter of the novel and will be finishing it tomorrow. One class took a quiz instead. But most of the hour was spent with Mrs. Hunt's class learning the basics of Microsoft Word. Now we are all on the same page and should be able to do everything we need to when typing papers. We learned centering, double spacing, saving, and keyboard shortcuts. We were also reminded about how much I hate the grammar check and how it doesn't know what it is talking about! If you need another copy of the pretty purple sheet, let me know. :)

Kit...a witch?

Today we read another chapter of the novel. It is really getting exciting! I wonder what is going to happen to Kit! Remember to read the chapter at home. We should be able to finish the novel by the end of the week. You should also be working on your projects at home. They are due on October 31st!

We also did some work with verbs (it's more than just what you do). We talked about states of being verbs and infinitives and how English is screwy in how it forms infinitives (with "to" in front of the main verb). We compared the "to be" conjugation with Spanish and then we brainstormed some wonderful movement verbs. No more "walk" and "run"...bo-oring! We now can flip, slither, trudge, and creep.

Tomorrow is an early release day and we will be doing something special with the laptops and Mrs. Hunt's class. It's a surprise! :)

projects work part 3

I got an awesome report from the substitute - so, way to go, guys! For that, I am giving you no homework tonight and we will do something fun at the beginning of class on Friday! :)

Today we spent most of the day working on projects. Most of you are doing very well and have plenty of points. Remember that they are all due on Halloween, but you can turn them in earlier if you want to do so.

We also reviewed Tungsten and most of you saw where you were making mistakes. Remember that if you get a high enough score or improve by at least 20 points you get a homework pass.

Tomorrow we will continue with the novel and work on some more vocabulary.

friday the 13th?!?

Hey guys! I was home sick today and I would have missed you except I was sleeping! I left plans for you to continue with the book, work on vocabulary, and take a quiz (not in that order). I hope you were all good for the substitute (I'm looking at you, Sam - jk).

Yesterday we took the Tungsten and I am so happy about the scores! Most of you improved so much from September and I think those reviews we had really helped.

Next week we will be finishing the business letters and continuing with the novel. Remember to work on those projects this weekend. I will be checking your progress on Monday and you all should have at least 200 points finished.

tungsten review

Today we went over some strategies for answering the questions on the test. We will be taking the Tungsten tomorrow and I hope this will help you do better on it. We also went to the library since it will be closed tomorrow and Friday to get the new shelving in. 7/8 hour - We spent some time talking about dialects and how people talk in different parts of the country (and right here in St. Louis). I had a lot of fun with that and I hope you guys found it interesting too!

Remember, get lots of sleep and be ready for the test tomorrow! :)

love trapezoids?

We read some more of Witch of Blackbird Pond and it is starting to get complicated with all of the people who like each other. I love it! I do hope it all works out for everyone. We also started our business letters. I can't wait to read what you are writing to everyone! It is so much fun!

Tomorrow we will do some more preparing for the Tungsten. We will also try and read some more of the book. I can't wait to read what happens next!

reviewing tungsten

Today we went over some of the Tungsten questions you guys missed last month in preparation for taking the October test on Thursday. Some of you worked in small groups, some of the review was as a class. After we were finished, I gave you some time to work on your projects. Too many of you are waaaay behind and need to get a move-on with those. Remember - they are due on Halloween.

Tomorrow we will be reading more of the novel and working on our business letters. Hooray!

party like it's 1687 - question 6

How would the story be different if it were set in a different time? How would it be different if it were set in the present, future?

projects work part 2

Today was our second work day for the projects. Most of you are doing a fantastic job using the time in class wisely. Remember that if you do not, you will lose the time. I will be checking your progress on Monday, so be sure you get some done over the weekend. My 3/4 & 5/6 hours should have at least 80 points finished. My 7/8 hour should have at least 100 points finished. Remember that all of the projects are due October 31st.

Enjoy your day off tomorrow! I will be thinking of you while I sit in meetings. :p

question time - "question" 5

Now it is time for you all to submit some questions of your own. They must be about the novel, Witch of Blackbird Pond. What are you wondering about? What do you want to bring up? This is the place to ask. This is a requirement for the class. So, let's go! :)

love triangles

Today we read some more of Witch of Blackbird Pond and discovered some interesting things about the story. I truly hope it is getting more interesting for all of you! Now Mercy likes John Holbrook (who Judith likes) and Kit is hanging around with Nat Eaton when she is supposed to be dating William Ashby. I think there will be some explosions soon!

Starting tomorrow, I will have you all submit questions to me on here. I will make a post inviting you to ask your questions (required). Then I will invite everyone to answer the questions and truly have a discussion. Yay!

We also started working on business letters today. Be thinking about recipients for your letters!

meeting the witch at blackbird pond...

Today we continued reading the book and took a look at how the author created her characters. We also had a little time to work on projects (5/6 hour). The story is starting to get really good, I think!

Tomorrow we will start working on our business letters and continue reading a little bit in the novel. :)

projects work

Today was a work day for the Witch of Blackbird Pond projects. For the most part, you guys got a lot done on the projects. There were only a few that were not using their time. Make sure you use it or you will lose it!

Tomorrow we will spend some time going over the characters and how the author developed them. We will also read the next chapter.

witchy projects

Friday I introduced the projects you need to be working on in the coming weeks. They are all due October 31st. This assignment is worth 400 points, a third of your grade for 2nd quarter. You need to be certain that you've done enough of them to get you an "A". We also read some more of the novel.

Monday we will take some time to work on the projects and clarify any questions you have about the novel.

vocabulary schmabulary

Today in 3/4 and 5/6 we spent some time on vocabulary. The biggest issue you guys seem to have with the novel is that there is some difficult vocab in it, so we took some time out to learn these words.

We started our review of letter writing in all the classes with a letter to me about the novel. I am looking forward to reading those over the weekend. Next week we will begin learning about business letter format.

In 7/8 we went to the library and mainly wrote the letters. It seems like we may have to work on summarizing since those summary paragraphs look awfully long and detailed. Remember that summary means distilling out the most important events from the story - big things.

Tomorrow I will introduce the projects you will be working on for the novel. We will also make sure everyone has had a chance to print out their memoir for me. They are due tomorrow. :)

love is in the air

Today we read some more of Witch of Blackbird Pond. We discovered that Judith is into John Holbrook and William Ashby thinks Kit is cute. They are trying to date and some of you think Kit will marry William. We'll find out!

Tomorrow some of you will finish up memoirs and retake the STAR test. I really want to get these memoirs done and turned in so we can start on the next writing assignment. Remember that they are all due by the end of the day on Friday.

We will also read some more of the novel. I hope it is getting more exciting for some of you! :)

even more typin'

Today was crazy! I appreciate that so many of you were patient with the laptops when they weren't working right or not printing or whatever. Remember, if you were unable to print your memoir, be sure you ask me to let you do that sometime before Friday. We pretty much spent the entire hour typing on the memoirs and answering the latest question on the blog. I will be putting a list of the question titles on my Sperreng website so that you can find them more easily on here.

Tomorrow we will be focusing on the novel. We will discuss it and hopefully clarify some issues you all have. I believe many of you are confused by it and maybe asking questions about it and listening to me and your fellow students will help. We will also work on filling out the character chart and 7/8 hour should have their vocab for chapters 4-6 done.

3/4 hour, you should be finished up through chapter 4 and the other two classes should be finished up through chapter 5. There may be a pop quiz at any time on the book, so be sure you are reading!

character development (aka poor little rich girl revisited) - question 4

What do you guys think about Kit so far? What can we tell about her character? Make sure you back up your answer with evidence from the novel (include page numbers).

poor little rich girl

We learned some more about Kit today. We learned that she is spoiled and that she is used to getting her own way. We also discovered that she is a bit shallow. I still kinda like her, though. I think her heart is in the right place.

Today we also took a quiz using the "clickers". I had a lot of fun with it and can't wait to see how you all did on it. I may change the amount of points since it seems like using the machines might have been a bit different for some of you. I'll have to see how your scores are first.

Tomorrow we will have the lab, so we will be editing and polishing those memoirs. Most of you should be able to get them in to me by the end of the hour, but they are due to me by Friday. Make sure you put them in the box! (Remember, they will vanish if you put them in my hands!)

A witch coming to Wethersfield?

Today we started Witch of Blackbird Pond by listening to the first chapter in class. I know some of the vocabulary was difficult, that's why I gave you a vocab sheet to complete over the weekend (and I know that each of you has already finished it, right?). We met Kit, John Holbrook, Nat Eaton, and Goodwife Cruff. We will be learning much more about them later in the story.

We also completed a study guide for the quiz on Monday covering literary elements (mood, theme, character development, setting, plot, and conflict). We will use the "clickers" to take the quiz, so I think it will be much more fun than it usually is. Hey, I rhymed!

I gave you a lot of homework over the weekend, but I figure it balances out since I gave you none all week. Right? :)

You were to complete the vocab sheet, study for the quiz, and some of you were to read Witch of Blackbird Pond on your own. 5/6 should have read chapter 2. 7/8 should have read chapters 2 & 3. We will be continuing the story on Monday! :)

I've been moody

Today was so much fun! We went to the library and got Witch of Blackbird Pond. We'll be starting that tomorrow, so don't forget to bring it to class to start reading. We also read "The Lady or the Tiger" and you all were very upset by the ending! I know, I hate it too, but it is kind of a neat story. We worked on figuring out the theme of the story. At the end of class, we read "The Raven" (one of my very favorite poems!) and watched the Simpsons take on the classic Poe poem. That was the part I enjoyed most! You guys wrote about the mood Poe creates in it and how he achieves it.

Tomorrow we will be starting the novel and going over the Poe poem again since I feel like you guys were bowled over by it a bit. It's got a lot of difficult vocabulary and that can make it tough to understand. You will also get a study guide for the literary elements quiz on Monday.

tungsten part deux

Today we finished taking the Tungsten test and had work time. 5/6 hour had time to look at the poem The Raven and talk about the mood of it, but we ran out of time to do the rest of what I had planned. I was very upset, so we will finish up tomorrow.

Tomorrow we will also be going to the library to check out Witch of Blackbird Pond and we will begin that on Friday. I think you all will enjoy it. It is the perfect book to read at this time of year! It also coincides with Mr. Rheinecker's lessons on colonial America - so pay attention to what he tells you, you may need to know about it in English class! :)

Be ready for an exam on the literary elements this Monday!

theme days

Sorry I missed yesterday. We looked at plot and talked about the plot arc. We read "The Circuit" and filled out a plot wheel. Most of you took the STAR test for reading levels.

Today was nice. We started theme, which is hard. But you guys did a great job. Theme is slippery and difficult to pin down, but most of you seem to get it. We'll do more with it on Thursday. We read some fables and figured out the theme of them.

I also gave out your STAR reading level scores. If you have below a 6.1 GE (grade equivalency), you will have to take the test again. If you still are not up to that level, I will be working with you on getting you there. A 6.1 GE means sixth grade, first month. If you do not pass by the end of the year, you will have to go to summer school for reading (probably taught by me) and as much as I love you, I do not want to see you there. I want you to enjoy your summer.

Tomorrow is early release! We will be finishing Tungsten (for some) and reading a poem/watching a video. :)

preset stations

Friday we looked at setting a little bit deeper and how it adds to the mood of a story. Some of you (really just Katie Holbrook, but I am sure others were thinking it) commented that it is all a bit confusing how there is a setting and characters and then the mood and the setting has to do with the mood, etc. Well, I hope it was a bit clearer after you went through the stations. I had five stations set up, two pictures, two passages from books, and one video clip. All the stations had questions about setting and mood. I had so much fun listening in on your conversations at each of the stations and especially manning the station with the video clip. It was great! After we did that, we did MadLibs, which were hilarious! You guys make me laugh so hard! :)

Tomorrow we will take the STAR test (I know, I know) and look at theme in writing. Theme is a tricky concept, so we will spend a few days on it. Also, as of Monday you may take AR tests if you choose (during SSR time). I will give ten points of extra credit for any test score of 7 and up. Just put the printout in the box for your hour.

Also, remember that book club money is due this Wednesday. If you want to get books, but won't have the money in time, let me know and we can work something out. I want everyone to have an opportunity to get books if they want them.

setting the stage

Today we looked at setting in the story "A Secret for Two". It was a very sad story and it took place in Montreal, Quebec. I really enjoyed saying all the French phrases! We remembered that setting is the "where and when" of the story, the location and time period. We also did Mad Libs to practice our grammar. 7/8 hour had the funniest I have read in awhile!

Tomorrow we will be taking the STAR test to see about your reading levels. We will also be studying setting a bit more at stations. Remember, tomorrow's Friday! :)

more typin'

Today we spent some more time in the lab and I walked you guys through logging onto Webgrade to check your grades. Everyone should have their Webgrade login now and I will be emailing parents with them soon. We also finished typing the memoirs and did an activity with adjectives.

At home I want you to write for 20 minutes about anything you want (minimum of 5 sentences). The catch is that every noun must have an adjective. Lots and lots of description!

:)

typin' typin' typin'

Today we typed memoirs and printed them out. Most of you were able to finish and those who didn't will be able to do so tomorrow. We will spend part of the period up in the lab and the rest of it in the classroom.

We also were able to get on here and comment a bunch. I love reading what you write to me! I have noticed, however, that some of you are a bit lazy with your spelling when you write comments. Remember that you need to be certain you try to spell things correctly. I may have to start doing some sort of spelling tests. It doesn't look very good when you misspell words from the question - they are right in front of you!

a real character - question 3

Who is a character that you remember well? What do you remember about him or her? Why do you think you remember them so well?

A character I remember well is Wilbur from Charlotte's Web. I never spent much time on a farm or anything, but I loved E.B. White's description of Wilbur. I also loved the way he acted, he truly loved everyone on the farm and just wanted to be friends with everyone. He was also very loveable, himself. I think I felt the way Charlotte felt about him, protective.

elemental literature

Today we worked on literary elements some more with character and conflict. I think you guys are really doing well and getting it, so we will be moving on to setting and some of the other ones later this week. We read a story called "La Bamba" by Gary Soto and looked at character in a little more depth. We also went over some of the conflicts in the story (mainly internal). At the end of class, we reflected on 9/11 and I had you guys write what you were feeling. I really enjoyed our discussion of what happened and I can't wait to read what you wrote. You are all so insightful and analytical and wonderful!

Tomorrow we will be in the computer lab, typing our memoirs. If you finish, you can get on here and blog (provided I have a permission slip from your parent/guardian).

As a side note, I may have to postpone Witch of Blackbird Pond until next Thursday so that we can finish the short story elements.

Bye!

working for the weekend

Today was a fantastic day! We started looking at elements of short stories with character development and conflict in the story "Thank you, M'am" by Langston Hughes. We also watched the video of the story. I really enjoyed it! I also handed out grade printouts (I will do this every Friday) and if you got a C- or lower (regular classes) or a C+ or lower (challenge) you must have it signed and return it on Monday or you will have a lunch detention with me and we will call your parents.

Yesterday we took the Tungsten and the scores were better than I expected for the first time taking the test. Remember - if you score a 70 or better for my regular classes or and 80 or better for my challenge class, you get a homework pass worth 40 points.

We will be up in the computer lab on Tuesday (except 7/8 hour) and Wednesday to finish the memoirs and work on the blog. I will also be giving you your Webgrade logins and showing you how to access them on Wednesday.

:)

word

Today we spent most of the time typing our memoirs. I will see about getting some more lab time to type since many of you were unable to finish. Otherwise, I will have to rotate you through the computers in the room and maybe see if some of the other teachers will let you use theirs. If any of you want to take yours home to finish typing it, let me know and I will help you save it to disk. Once they are typed and printed, we will work on peer review and editing.

Tomorrow is Tungsten testing! Make certain you bring something on which to work after you finish the test. Also, remember that if you score an 80 or above on it, you get a homework pass worth 40 points!

novel, tome, scroll, treatise, opus, publication, volume... question 2

What is the last book you finished? Did you like it? Why or why not?

For me, the last book I finished was Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I read a lot over the summer and wanted to catch up on my Harry Potter. I enjoyed it, but not as much as Prisoner of Azkaban. I was originally hesitant to read the Harry Potter books, but picked up the first one when I was in Paris (over there it is the British version - Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - something having to do with alchemy makes the meaning a bit different). I could not put it down. It is perfect guilty pleasure reading for me. I liked Goblet of Fire, especially at the end, because it seems like they are building to something really big. The other books more or less stood on their own, but this one seems to be the beginning of something more far reaching. I can't wait to get Order of the Phoenix and Half-Blood Prince!

new additions

Well, it is the start of another fabulous week (partly because it is a short one) and we have some newbies to our wonderful classroom. I am so glad to have everyone who is new or staying and sad to see some leave - but we're all still team 7A!

Today we worked on those memoirs some more and most of you finished your rough drafts. We mainly worked on adding sensory details so that the memoirs I read are full of vivid language and I can feel like I am there. Friday we worked on adding the author's thoughts and feelings so that I can get inside those heads of yours. So, my hope is that these memoirs will be amazingly rich and wonderful. Based on what I have read of your reading autobiographies - they will be!

The rough drafts are due tomorrow and I have procured the laptops so that we can type (and get on here to answer questions).

Remember! It is picture day tomorrow - so look your best! :)

open house-capades

I loved meeting all the parents who came to the open house last night! It was a lot of fun! Thanks.

Yesterday, in class, we worked on the memoirs. We read my memoir and talked about how I "made up" some of the details to make it interesting while staying true to what I was feeling at the time. Then it was time to work on your memoirs and most of you did very well at focusing and working hard.

So far, so good! I can't wait to read them!

Newspapers flying

Today we did a team building exercise (pictures on my lindbergh website) in which I divided everyone into teams of four or five people. Each team received a section of the newspaper, copy paper, and tape. They had five minutes to plan how they would construct a structure that could cover all of their heads. They could talk during those five minutes, but could not touch the materials. Then, they got ten minutes to build it, but could not talk. It was extremely funny and a lot of fun. We learned about cooperation and teamwork and helping each other. The most creative group in each class got a special prize.

After all of that craziness, I read some short memoirs - "Being Mean" and "7th Grade" by Gary Soto (not all classes got to hear all of the stories). We talked more about how a memoir doesn't necessarily have to be completely true - the details are made up, but are true to the memory and the sense of the story.

memoiric moments

Today I introduced the first major writing assignment - the memoir. A memoir is a story about an event or person in your life that changed you. The event must be very significant, you know, life-changing. Also, it is a story. So there should be dialogue and wonderful details to put the reader (me) "inside" the story. The embellishment is what makes a memoir more interesting than most autobiographies.

We also did the prewrite, so everyone already has 20 points toward their total.

I had fun today and I hope you guys did too!

Manic Monday

Yesterday we did many things. We finished and turned in reading autobiographies and I can't wait to read them. We also started our online discussions (hence the 50+ responses to my question about the summer). I want to thank all of you for being so patient with the mobile lab. I know it was frustrating that there were so many problems with the computers and the internet (believe me, I was very frustrated!), but you all stayed calm and didn't turn the room into mass chaos when it didn't work right at the beginning. That was the first time that lab has been used this year - so it isn't surprising there were some bugs. Good job rolling with it, guys!

One down, Thirty nine to go...

It has been a fantastic first week and I want to get started putting our
daily activities up here since that is one purpose of this blog.

Because it was the first week, we didn't do a whole lot in class. Many things were passed out including, but not limited to:

1. agenda books
2. school activity calendars
3. dividers
4. early release schedule
5. classroom expectations
6. class syllabus

Several things need to come back, signed...

1. civility contract
2. record card
3. online discussion permission slip

We also made nameplates for your desks to aid me in learning all of your names. I read Tulip Sees America by Cynthia Rylant. I also read "What's the worst that could happen?" by Bruce Coville from the book 13. We talked about your first writing assignment (due Monday) - a reading autobiography - and I handed out the scoring guide. That's about it. If I have forgotten anything, please comment and add to this list.

I think we are going to have a fabulous year together and I look forward to meeting all you parents on Thursday at the open house.

Only two days away! question 1

I have been hard at work getting everything ready for you guys. I am really looking forward to the new school year, but I did have a wonderful summer. I spent much of it swimming and relaxing poolside, but I also became addicted to the computer game Civilization IV. And even though I did not travel farther than Columbia, MO this year, I did have a great time.

So, now I want to ask you - What did you do this summer? What was something amazing that you saw or experienced? Did you go to a faraway land? Or witness something amazing in your own backyard? Tell me about it.

:)