*Send an email to your students' parents at least once a week to let them know what is going on in your classroom.
*Textthemob.com! This is an awesome website where you can create a poll and have students text in their answers! (similar to an I-clicker). Only students with unlimited texting can do this (otherwise they will be charged), so make sure to have students pair up. This is a great way to engage students. Be careful of your school's cell-phone policy, though.
*Class blog!
*There is always the issue of teaching literature with questionable material. While one has to be sensitive to the community in which one is teaching, my YA Lit Professor at BYU (Raphael Jonstaneux) gave some great advice. Some literature that contains themes concerning sexuality has a great place in the classroom. However, make sure what you are teaching is not pornographic or sexually stimulating. "Scarlet Letter" is fine because it deals with the consequences of adultery, but is not graphic. When I was in 11th grade, we read "Growing Up" by Russell Baker. Fine book, but contained at least 2 very sexually explicit scenes. In my opinion, this is inappropriate in public schools.
*Use Lewis Carroll's "Jabberwocky" to have students identify what type of speech the made-up words are. Then, discuss how they knew that. (by using context clues)
*For a well-written 5P essay model written by an 8th grader, check out this site:
*Don't forget the amazing resource of Novelinks!
*For an idea for high school seniors, use the essay "An American Scholar" by Ralph Waldo Emerson. It talks about the need to not be a bookworm, and that a true scholar is creative and gains real-life experience, not study their life away. I love this essay!
*If you ever use the "My House Has Stars" unit, show them a clip from "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" to activate the schema. The best clip is at the very beginning, when it shows how Toula's family culture is quite different than her peers. Then, after the clip, have kids discuss some of the things important to Toula's family's culture. This will prep them to explore their own culture.
*If teaching satire, you can use Brad Paisley's "Celebrity" and "Online" (this one is a bit suggestive, so censor as needed) to teach that satire is not just bitter, it can be funny and amusing too!
Punctuation matters! Here is the link to two different letters with the exact same words but different punctuation. The letters mean exactly the opposite of each other! Fun, entertaining, and very informative. Students will love it.
*How do high school student really feel about graduation?
For any sort of unit on beauty/women's vanity, perhaps use excerpts/summary of Pope's "The Rape of the Lock," Scott Westerfields "Uglies," and (my personal favorite), Dan and Ben Tengelsen's song "Factory" (lyrics and actual song at this link). By contrast, use the song "Wrinkles" by Diamond Rio to talk about accepting ourselves. Maybe talk about cosmetics, Mary Kay wrinkle cream? I don't know.
*Use Lewis Carroll's "Jabberwocky" to have students identify what type of speech the made-up words are. Then, discuss how they knew that. (by using context clues)
*For a well-written 5P essay model written by an 8th grader, check out this site:
*Don't forget the amazing resource of Novelinks!
*For an idea for high school seniors, use the essay "An American Scholar" by Ralph Waldo Emerson. It talks about the need to not be a bookworm, and that a true scholar is creative and gains real-life experience, not study their life away. I love this essay!
*If you ever use the "My House Has Stars" unit, show them a clip from "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" to activate the schema. The best clip is at the very beginning, when it shows how Toula's family culture is quite different than her peers. Then, after the clip, have kids discuss some of the things important to Toula's family's culture. This will prep them to explore their own culture.
*If teaching satire, you can use Brad Paisley's "Celebrity" and "Online" (this one is a bit suggestive, so censor as needed) to teach that satire is not just bitter, it can be funny and amusing too!
Punctuation matters! Here is the link to two different letters with the exact same words but different punctuation. The letters mean exactly the opposite of each other! Fun, entertaining, and very informative. Students will love it.
*How do high school student really feel about graduation?
Listen to Vitamin C's "The Graduation Song"
Then, have students read the following passage from Annie Dillard's novel An American Childhood:
**********
For any sort of unit on beauty/women's vanity, perhaps use excerpts/summary of Pope's "The Rape of the Lock," Scott Westerfields "Uglies," and (my personal favorite), Dan and Ben Tengelsen's song "Factory" (lyrics and actual song at this link). By contrast, use the song "Wrinkles" by Diamond Rio to talk about accepting ourselves. Maybe talk about cosmetics, Mary Kay wrinkle cream? I don't know.
*Tier 1, 2, and 3 Vocabulary Words! Click here for an explanation!
A lot of times, English teachers give lists of Tier 3 words. Think of tests you've had on "phobia" words, for example: Chronophobia (the fear of time), astraphobia (the fear of thunder and lightening), entonophobia (the fear of ticks). TOTALLY LAME! English teachers should focus their vocabulary instruction mainly on Tier 2 words. But be aware that some ELL students may need help with Tier 1 words.
*When dealing with sex in literature, be careful! You don't necessarily need to avoid it altogether, but avoid giving students sexually explicit material to read ("The Notebook," for example). Books like "The Scarlet Letter" are good because they deal with the aftermath and the consequences of an affair without being graphic or inappropriate.
*For a possible extra credit activity, have students make a "Goodreads" account. Show them your Goodreads and explain how it is a useful way to keep track of your books (ones that you've read and want to read), and also how it is fun to compare books with your friends.
No comments:
Post a Comment