Today was the eighth-grade field trip: I was one of the teachers who stayed behind to keep an eye on the kids who didn't go on the trip. After lunch, we stayed outside for a few minutes. Tomorrow is...
Archive
What our classroom did in previous days, weeks, months, even years…
Letters from the Past
Today students had a chance to re-read the letters of introduction they wrote at the beginning of the school year. Most students couldn't help but giggle at some of the things they thought were so...
SC-Ready 2024 Day 1: Writing
We had our first day of testing for the 2024 testing season today. Well, that's not quite accurate, but that's a story for a different day. Today's story is one of writing, of thinking, of...
TDA Prep and Lit Circles
All classes had a last-minute strategy session for tomorrow's TDA SC-Ready test. A few pointers: Everyone's goal is a minimum of 1 Schaffer body paragraph. Two body paragraphs would be better, and...
TDA 1 Example
Prewriting: The Graphic Organizers As you look at the graphic organizers I created, notice that I never really write a complete sentence. I just write enough to help me remember what my original...
Lit Circles All Around
All classes worked on literature circles today, which meant the classroom looked quite different than it normally looks: English 8 students (above and below) worked on The Diary of Anne Frank. We'll...
Group 4 Presentation and Chapter 24
English 8 students had their final day of presentations for the Diary of Anne Frank play. Students who were absent when their groups presented will have an opportunity later to make up that major...
Thursday Before the Long Weekend
English 8 students worked on active/passive as well as some inference work from The Diary of Anne Frank. The comprehension questions from act 1 scene 3 are due Monday. English I students finished up...
1.3 Complete and Subordinate Circles
English 8 students had their third day of The Diary of Anne Frank presentations today. Once again, I forgot to take any pictures of the events, but both periods did a good job. We'll have our final...
More Acting and More Drawing
English 8 students continued with their Anne Frank acting presentations. We've done two out of the four groups. We also have been working on active/passive verbs this week, trying to tie up some...
Presentations and Drawing
English 8 students had their first day of presentations for The Diary of Anne Frank. The first group in both classes did a good job. English I students continued with their lit circles for To Kill a...
Indirect Characterization and
English 8 students began the second part of their fourth-quarter major project: we looked at indirect characterization and the role it plays in drama (since all direct characterization would be in...