Multigenre Memoir Days 7-9

11-04-08

Election day! Students are taking too long on their first and second genre pieces! They need to work faster. They are also talking TOO much. I am circulating, pointing out to students who think that they are multi-tasking that they are actually sitting and talking with pencil in mid-air. This type of intervention seems to be semi-effective, as I am timing how long some just sit and chat. I hate days like this. Glitter all over genres where it doesn't belong, students sitting in peer conferencing corners without drafts, Ah Ha! I have been giving daily participation grades. That's how I deal with these time-wasters! Those who don't complete what they said they would at the beginning of class are breaking their contracts with me. More mini-lesson on genres--newspaper articles aren't covered in glitter....Note to self---hide the glitter next year, and beg student examples to help them see finished products. HW: Begin to bring in materials to bind these pieces together.

11-05-08

Back shot. Students working with sub. Hope it goes well.

11-06-08

Good note from sub = happy teacher! Students did well with writer's workshop without me which means that they have started to get used to the routine of it. YAY! Today's mini-lesson: what unifying theme is there in your work? My Life doesn't count. This part is hard to teach. I wonder if anyone has suggestions....One of my ELL girls realized that all of her entries are about the changes coming to the US brought, so that's her theme. Another realized that his are mostly about Christmas. I talked about how my memoir is about the theme of hope and loss--my sister's illness and death and my daughter's illness. Blank faces. I'm not sure if I'll get titles that show a theme. Lots of students also at a loss about how to put these together, aside from scrapbooks. Where is the creativity today? My skateboarder got it--he cut out two skateboard-shaped pieces of cardboard from a box and decided that these would be his binding.

Comments

A Book Review of Sark's (2008) Juicy Pens Thirsty Paper: Gifting the World with Your Words and Stories and Creating the Time and Energy to Actually Do It

A Book Review of Juicy Pens Thirsty Paper: Gifting the World with Your Words and Stories and Creating the Time and Energy to Actually Do It by Sark. Three Rivers press, 2008. 185 pages. $18.95. When I first discovered Sark, I was at once inspired, envious, and critical. I remember sitting on my best friend’s bed, covered in its usual tangle of sarongs and tapestries rather than real bed clothes, growing more incredulous as I flipped each page of Succulent Wild Woman (1997). What kind of new-age hippie crap was this? Someone had gotten paid to write this ? These doodles and handwritten pages were worthy of my ultimate goal, that pinnacle of success, PUBLICATION? But each spunky drawing and passage motivated me to continue my own writing. Sark wrote the way I wrote, turning letters to friends into artwork, and if she could get paid for it then I could. ...

Making the Standards Explicit: North Carolina Standard Course of Study English II Guided Notes, Graphic Organizers

When students are able to clearly articulate what they are learning and what they are expected to do, they will be more successful. I have been teaching for 22 years, and I have found that it is helpful to begin each new unit of learning by emphasizing a focus standard. We know that the ELA standards are artfully intertwined, but picking a standard or two to really emphasize helps me to be intentional about instruction and for students to know the purpose of their learning. I am currently teaching English II in North Carolina, and I am helping students prepare for the North Carolina Final Exam. I have been developing slideshows, guided notes, and graphic organizers to help students understand the academic vocabulary of the tested standards as well as to help them analyze informational and literary texts in the 9-10 grade band. These resources are available individually or bundled on Teachers Pay Teachers . Add a free copy of RL.9.10.1 Lit...

Unlocking Creative Brilliance with Digital Magnetic Poetry: Teach Syntax, Diction, and Tone

Originally published 1/14/2009. Updated 11/4/2023 The possibilities are infinite--ish when you use online magnets to get creative. No refrigerator necessary. Free online kits here . Poetry, with its mesmerizing ability to encapsulate emotions, stories, and ideas within the boundaries of words, is a true art form. But there's a particular type of poetry that holds a special place in my heart—the kind that challenges our traditional understanding of language and syntax. I'm talking about magnetic poetry, the quirky, wordplay-filled realm where creativity knows no bounds. I love this type of poetry! It really makes me think in a different syntax, playing with a strange juxtaposition of words. Often, I use this format when I am bored or if I have NO IDEA what I want to write about! The beauty of magnetic poetry lies in its simplicity and boundless potential for creativity. It's an art form where words become movable puzzle pieces, waiting to be rearranged into poetic masterpi...

Out of Her Mind -- Musings on Education and Life

Search This Blog