0 Three best ideas from conference days....

 "Classroom teaching…. is perhaps the most complex, most challenging, and most demanding, subtle, nuanced, and frightening activity that our species has ever invented….The only time a physician could possibly encounter a situation of comparable complexity would be in the emergency room of a hospital during a natural disaster."-Lee Shulman

This week has been a huge blur. Monday started with teacher orientation followed by conference days today and tomorrow. A lot of information is being given out to me in such a short amount of time...which makes for a very overwhelming week and sleepless nights. However I am discovering amazing new resources and tools that I hope I can start implementing in my classroom soon. Here are my favorites:

1. Charlotte Danielson Rubric:
Some schools are using this rubric to fit into the evaluation piece of the new teacher evaluation system. Reading performance indicators on the rubric on each 'domain' of teacher performance, I can easily understand what I can be working towards; and which behaviors to change. For example, one aspect of the rubric is "Demonstrating knowledge about how students learn".
An unsatisfactory behavior for this is :

The lesson plan includes a
teacher presentation for an entire
30 minute period to a group of 7-
year olds.

I chuckled at that one. A distinguished behavior for this category is:

The teacher plans to provide
multiple project options; students
will self-select the project that best
meets their individual approach to
learning.

I just think this rubric really spells out what actions indicate effective teaching. 

2. My Big Campus: my district will be using this website and I can't wait to learn how to use it! You can do blogs, wikis, post homework and even have online tests! I am so excited. I have always wanted to make a 'school facebook'....and this application would basically take the place of that. 

3. Edutopia: This is a great professional development resource that I had no idea existed. There are countless videos and webinars on every aspect of education. Watching some of the videos I was amazed at the activities some teachers were executing in their classrooms around the country. I no longer have to go to a day-long workshop to get professional development. 

It's good to know I am getting something very useful out of the time I've spent at conference days. Can't wait for the kids!!

 

I've also started a teacher Twitter account...follow me! @MissBurgwin

1 How to set up your classroom to support the Common Core Standards

       I've been pretty busy last week and this week preparing for the first day of school and setting up my classroom. I've actually NEVER had my own classroom so this is all new to me. I've never had to deal with organizing, putting up posters, setting up different areas of the classroom, etc. I feel like I want to have everything perfect and set up before the first day but I know it's not going to happen. I have found a lot of great ideas on Pinterest, and I know I will find more as the year progresses. I just always had an idea in my mind that I would be so organized and have everything set in stone about how my classroom will run and what it will look like, but it's not the reality. You try things...then it turns out it didn't work. You can't just have everything set and expect it to work. 

    This year I am focusing on setting up my classroom to help students adjust to the new Common Core National Standards. All the teachers I know are going into major stress mode about these new standards! A couple of important things I've noticed about the shifts for literacy are the emphasis on text-based questions and answers, close reading and non-fiction. So my students will be enjoying a very non-fiction heavy year :)

 I found (then made) this poster on Pinterest to emphasize students to pull evidence from the text to support their answers:

 

I also designed this poster myself to highlight key words to help students with analysis, summarizing and reading strategies:

I've also been using the sticky note strategy for a couple of years now. The first year I did it I had a poster with sticky note starters and students used it frequently when stuck. That poster got ruined in the many classroom moves I've had to do over the years, so I wanted to design a new format for this display. I ordered the poster in the middle from Really Good Stuff, then I created the sticky note starters and cut them out in 'think' bubbles.

                                                          

Another new thing I am really excited about in my classroom is my 'missing work' pocket folder. I have NEVER had my own classroom as mentioned before and therefore was in many different classrooms so couldn't really have a 'hub' for students to grab work if they were absent. I can FINALLY have a station for students to self-advocate and get missing work when they are absent. I ordered the pocket chart from Really Good Stuff and labeled it with the days of the week. I always have piles of extra copies after doing a lesson so I am planning on just putting the copies in the corresponding folders and students can grab what they need and then ask me after school for clarification on certain things. Let's just hope that A. students use it and B. I can keep up with adding things!

I took the picture before I added the days of the week

I hope to continue to find new things that support the common core in my classroom! Until then I am anxiously awaiting the first day of school. Only a week and a half left!!

0 First Day of School Activities!

I can't believe there's only 2 1/2 weeks until I start school again! Summer went by in a flash, as usual. It seemed like it was even faster for me because I had a move and I will be starting my fourth English teaching job in 5 years! God forbid I am at a school for more than a year...and this is not by choice! Anyways, I have been brainstorming and planning for activities for the first day of school. I decided to do a variation of a couple of things I have done before.

First idea: 'Toilet Paper' Ice Breaker Activity
Many teachers (especially middle and high school teachers) will start out the class describing the syllabus and going through the rules....yawn. I plan on covering that material, but starting off class with something a little more fun.
I'm planning on having instructions for students as they come into the room for them to locate the roll of toilet paper at the front of the room and take 'as much as they think they need'. This creates a humorous and confusing atmosphere as some students try to roll out the whole roll, and some; trying to look cool, take a couple of sheets. The directions are purposefully ambiguous. After all the students are in the room and everyone has their TP, I will let them know that for each 'square' of TP, they have to write down one fact about themselves.  Some students will groan when they realize they've got quite a biography to write!

After giving students time to write, each will share. I will share a fact about myself too, but will save most of the important info for the second activity.

Second idea: Get to know the teacher listening activity
This is a great idea to let your students get to know you and allowing them to practice their listening skills. Just prepare a short biography of yourself (or create a '25 fun facts about Ms./Mr._______________) with accompanying questions for students to answer. You could even have them guess the questions to some of the answers before you read the bio to see if any of the students can correctly guess facts about you. Or, tell students to take notes as your read the bio. Optionally, allow students to look at the questions and answer them as you read it a second time. Then have the students work with partners to make sure they got the answers to all the questions.

Those are two activities I will be doing for the first day of school this year; will let you know how they go! I'm sure they are a million more creative things a teacher could do but I find these simple and they don't rely on intricate technology or expensive supplies!

0 ABC Review

It's finals and Regents time! What ways are you helping your students review for their final? Believe it or not I've finished regular instruction in both of classes and started reviewing for the final. This was one fun way that I reviewed the literature we read in class this year. It is called ABC review. 

Students were put into groups of 5. I gave them each a piece of large white butcher paper. The students write the entire alphabet down the left side of the paper (grouping XYZ together). Students had to think something for every letter of the alphabet from any of the pieces of literature we've read this year (characters, literary elements, titles, themes, authors, etc).

Student Example

A section of the ABC review

           When they were done, each group shared their poster.

This can be adapted to any grade level or subject! Great for general, fun review. You could even have each group do a different piece of literature exclusively; then have the groups jigsaw. What other ideas could you use the ABC activity for? Post below! 

0 Greek Gods Facebook/Resume Project

Most of my students are on Facebook...or at least know what it is. It is important to me to find ways to connect to my students and find ways to motivate them. Technology is definitely something that is ingrained in students' lives....and mine! I'll be the first to admit I'm not capable of putting down my cell phone any more than my students can. Using technology is sometimes limited in my district, so I do what I can. This project was something I adapted from various ideas I've heard and seen on the internet and from other colleagues.

This project began our unit on The Odyssey (a unit I initially dreaded). It turns out learning about the various gods and goddesses and reading and teaching the myths was very interesting! I started the kids with a Prezi presentation on the Greek gods. Students were given a packet with descriptions of various gods and goddesses that were important to the narrative of The Odyssey. Students had to choose one of the characters and complete a Facebook page or a formal resume for that character. I gave them examples of each and time in class to complete the project. I limited the amount of time given to work on the project in class...I've been noticing students like to waste time when given time in class to do work.....so....I stopped giving them so much time. Students did really well right off the bat with the project! They already knew the parts of the Facebook page (wall, friends, info, photos, etc) and they used the resume template to complete the resume. Students had to be creative to think of a character's email address, contact information like phone number and address, and skills and abilities. Students who chose the Facebook option had fun creating the 'wall' with conversations with the other gods and goddesses.


I think they did well with this because it was something that they could relate to. Even students who normally don't complete work got right into this. The project could literally be adapted to any book and any character....or even people in history. Here are some student samples:

Medusa's Facebook Profile

Resume for Hera

Rubric for the project was :

Creativity/Neatness: 5 points

Effort/Participation: 5 points

Amount of info given: 5 points

Accuracy of info given: 5 points

There are also actual websites that allow you to make a mock Facebook profile. I didn't have access to computers for the class, so I just had them draw the profile out. But if you can get your class to a computer, I'm sure they would love these tools too!

My Fake Wall

Fakebook

0 A Time to Kill & To Kil a Mockingbird

Everyone loves Samuel L Jackson! 

So one weekend while I was watching TV and A Time to Kill came on I couldn't help noticing the parallels between it and To Kill a Mockingbird. 

A Time to Kill and To Kill a Mockingbird have similar themes/events:

  
Similar                                      Different

• A white lawyer defending a             ATTK is set in the (80's)?
  

 black man.                                TKAM is set in the 1930's.

• Involves a rape (alleged one           IN ATTK, there actually is
  

in TKAM)                                   evidence a crime was

• Both men are tried with an             committed.
  

all white jury.                            In ATTK, Carl Lee gets found

• The white lawyer is terrorized         not guilty; Tom Robinson
  

by the community.                           is found guilty. 


All in all, they have parallels that are worth studying. 

I didn't think I would have time to watch it in class, but then decided to tie it in with one of the Common Core writing prompts we have been doing all year. The writing prompt for the fourth marking period is an informative. My original idea was to have them to a compare and contrast paper on both works, but then decided it was too easy for 10th graders. Then I decided since all semester we have had sort of a 'court' theme (12 Angry Men, To Kill a Mockingbird), we would watch A Time to Kill in conjunction with reading an article about the court system, then I would have students write an informative paper on how a criminal trial was run and the important parts of the justice system. 

 
Here is the prompt:

Informative Essay Writing Prompt

Name:_______________________________________

Write a response of at least 1.5 pages and referring to at least one outside print source:

How does a criminal trial work? What are the different roles in the courtroom?

Students read an article I found online then filled out a graphic organizer:

 

Guided Notes: Juries and Trials- Fill out and use this sheet for your informative paper.

Five Facts: About juries/how a jury works	Five Facts: Roles in the courtroom

Students filled out these guided notes which later helped them fill out a template to complete the informative paper. They used the article as well as the visual of the movie to write about the parts of the court system, how a jury is picked, and how a criminal trial proceeds. Students then had to cite the article in their informative paper.

 All the students love the movie! As do I.....if you've never seen it.... do it now! Here's the trailer:

0 Graphic Novels

I had a crazy idea back in December when I was out for surgery that I wanted to do something fun during Romeo and Juliet. Reading Romeo and Juliet would definitely present some challenges for my ninth graders, and I had planned on photocopying some acts from the Spark Notes graphic novel version. A graphic novel is basically like a comic strip format with character dialogue and pictures. It made it way easier for students to understand the story.

To introduce Romeo and Juliet, I had students study different types of love. I then decided that they would create their own graphic novel based on one of the types of love- unrequited love- since Romeo and Juliet had unrequited love. Originally I wanted to make the groups myself, but I figured this project really needed students to open up and share ideas and I wasn't sure if they would participate as much as if I let them make their own groups. I also thought if I grouped on heterogeneous behavior and ability I'd have one or two people in each group doing the whole project while everyone else just sort of 'hitchhiked' along.  So......I allowed them to make their own groups for the project. It worked out fine. Obviously there were some issues, but for the most part students cooperated. I had one group in one class that didn't complete the project...not bad.

Going along with new common core standards, students had to create a narrative with all parts of a fictional narrative plot (setting, characters, conflict, climax, resolution) in which two people couldn't be together for SOME reason. Students were allowed to be creative with WHY the two people couldn't be together. I allowed probably about three half-class periods for them to work. At the end, they had to do a group evaluation to grade each group member's participation and effort. I thought it was a fun project that the students actually enjoyed. Here are some samples....

 The above story was about two characters who were going to different colleges after high school....but then in the end they ended up together again!

This one was about two people who couldn't be together because their parents wouldn't let them....similar to R&J.

My favorite one, which was too long to take pictures of, was about a girl who fell in love with an illegal alien from Canada. He got caught in Minnesota without a Visa and was taken to jail. In the end he learned his lesson not to sneak into the U.S illegally. And she was happily in love with her 17 cats.

I don't know if I'll do this project again. I don't think it was rigorous enough for all the time it took. It was fun, of course, but I'll have to brainstorm different ways to make it more challenging. I was thinking of replacing the narrative in the beginning of the year with a project like this while we're doing short stories. Or maybe making it an individual project. I thought overall the project was a success. I really just want to find different ways for students to enjoy my class and be motivated.