Today we continued working on the 4 part assignment we started last class. This assignment is called the Collage Write. The assignment sheet is a 1/2 blue sheet of paper. The first part was to complete the following statement: "To Me Writing is Like..." Then the second part was to make a collage: find images that represent how you feel about writing.
In class today we discussed the third and fourth parts. The third part is an L2 (level 2) written response in which you will explain the images you used on your collage. As it says on the assignment sheet, you may choose to focus on one image, two, or all of them. It's up to you. Your response will be graded on how thorough you are in your explanations.
Finally part 4 is a short written reflection (7-10 sentences). I want you to reflect on how completing parts one and two helped you clarify or better understand your feelings toward writing. Be thoughtful and evaluative of your thought process and feelings.
While you continued to work on these two parts or read the book you were to bring, I continued to chat with each of you individually about your goals for the term.
Things to remember for Wednesday:
1. You must have your binder and all of the tabs/materials! You will get points for this!
2. Bring all four parts of the collage write to turn in:
- "To me writing is like..."
- Collage
- Explanation of collage (L2)
- Reflection
Have a wonderful long weekend! I hope you used your time in class wisely so you don't have homework this weekend.
Today we started looking at our attitudes toward writing. For our punctual piece we wrote about if we like writing and what types of writing we like. After that we played a fun game. (Well at least I thought it was fun). What we did was I read several statements about writing and the class moved to one of the four corners of the room depending on how much they agreed or disagreed with each statement.
Then we continued examining our attitudes toward writing by completing the following statement: "To me writing is like..." We wrote at least 5 sentences to complete this statement in order to make our attitude toward writing into a simile (a comparison using like or as). Next, as a way to further develop our attitude toward writing we made collages. We cut out pictures and words from magazines to show through pictures how we feel about writing.
The two pieces above ("To me writing is like..." and the collage) are the first two pieces in a four piece assignment that we will turn in next week! So, be sure to keep your response and your collage.
For Tuesday:
One independent reading book: You MUST have it with you IN CLASS!
Binder with tabs and paper!
You will get points for both of these assignments. They are easy points, so make sure you get them!
Have a great long weekend!
Today we started looking at our attitudes toward writing. For our punctual piece we wrote about if we like writing and what types of writing we like. After that we played a fun game. (Well at least I thought it was fun). What we did was I read several statements about writing and the class moved to one of the four corners of the room depending on how much they agreed or disagreed with each statement.
Then we continued examining our attitudes toward writing by completing the following statement: "To me writing is like..." We wrote at least 5 sentences to complete this statement in order to make our attitude toward writing into a simile (a comparison using like or as). Next, as a way to further develop our attitude toward writing we made collages. We cut out pictures and words from magazines to show through pictures how we feel about writing.
The two pieces above ("To me writing is like..." and the collage) are the first two pieces in a four piece assignment that we will turn in next week! So, be sure to keep your response and your collage.
For Friday:
Remember your independent reading book! You get points for it!
Today we talked about genre. Our Punctual Piece was done as a class. We listened to different songs and decided and debated what genre each song fell under. (alternative, classical, oldies, reggae, jazz, hip-hop, etc.) After talking about genre we discussed our Outside Reading Assignment for this term in which you will be required to read two (2) novels--meaning books that are at least 100 pages in length! One novel should be from the Genre of Escape Fiction, and the other should come from our class book list of World Literature. (I will get the book list to you on Wednesday).
Then we went to take school pictures and then we had some time to go to the library to look for books. Remember you must bring your book with you to class on Friday!
Things to Remember:
(1) Learning Writing and Learning Survey are due on Thursday--that's next time!
(2) Bring one of your outside reading books with you on Tuesday!
Today we talked about genre. Our Punctual Piece was done as a class. We listened to different songs and decided and debated what genre each song fell under. (alternative, classical, oldies, reggae, jazz, hip-hop, etc.) After talking about genre we discussed our Outside Reading Assignment for this term in which you will be required to read two (2) novels--meaning books that are at least 100 pages in length! One novel should be from the Genre of Escape Fiction, and the other should come from our class book list of World Literature. (I will get the book list to you on Wednesday).
Then we went to take school pictures and then we had some time to go to the library to look for books. Remember you must bring your book with you to class on Friday!
Things to Remember:
(1) Learning Writing and Learning Survey are due on Wednesday--that's next time!
(2) Bring one of your outside reading books with you on Friday!
Hi A1 Students! For your blog/website assignment post your appropriate comment here! To post your comment click on the comment link at the bottom of this post, then follow the instructions. Remember to use your first name and last initial, so I know that you posted. Email me or call if you have questions, okay?
A few IMPORTANT Announcements: tell our other class members if you can!
1. Remember School Picture Day is on Tuesday! Everyone will have their picture taken.
Hi A2 Students! For your blog/website assignment post your appropriate comment here! To post your comment click on the comment link at the bottom of this post, then follow the instructions. Remember to use your first name and last initial, so I know that you posted. Email me or call if you have questions, okay?
A few IMPORTANT Announcements: tell our other class members if you can!
1. Remember School Picture Day is on Tuesday! Everyone will have their picture taken.
Hi A3 Students! For your blog/website assignment post your appropriate comment here! To post your comment click on the comment link at the bottom of this post, then follow the instructions. Remember to use your first name and last initial, so I know that you posted. Email me or call if you have questions, okay?
A few IMPORTANT Announcements: tell our other class members if you can!
1. Remember School Picture Day is on Tuesday! Everyone will have their picture taken.
Today we finished talking through the Umbrella for Success as a way to help you not only succeed in my class, but in any class! We talked through each of the categories and what they mean and look like and how they will help you succeed. Then we wrote up our thoughtful answers to the questions on the umbrella on the left side of the page and turned those in. So, if you missed class you need to write up answers to the questions in the Umbrella and turn them in next time!
After that we talked through your homework assignments:
(1) The Blog/Website Assignment (due Tuesday, Aug. 26th): This assignment is designed to help you become familiar with our class blog and our class website. It shouldn't take more than 10-15 minutes to complete. I just want you to know how to use our blog and website as resources to help you succeed in our class.
(2) The Learning Experiences Writing Assignment (Due Thursday, Aug. 28th): This assignment is on a 1/2 sheet of paper. It asks you 6 questions. You need to write one paragraph for each of the questions, except question #6. I want to know where you are coming from as a learner, and I want you to think about yourself as a learner.
(3) The Learning Experiences Survey (Due Thursday, Aug. 28): Questions 1 and 2 can be done at any time, but Question 3 needs to be done AFTER you complete the Learning Experiences Writing Assignment. For Question 3, I want you to think about the Umbrella categories. What is a category that you are awesome at? How can you use that category to help you this term? Then what is one category that you still aren't that great in? What can you do to develop and improve in that category? On the back write down your strong category and the category you want to develop, what your goals for each category are, and how you will achieve them.
Have a great weekend! See you Tuesday :)
Hi B2 Students! For your blog/website assignment post your appropriate comment here! To post your comment click on the comment link at the bottom of this post, then follow the instructions. Remember to use your first name and last initial, so I know that you posted. Email me or call if you have questions, okay?
A few IMPORTANT Announcements: tell our other class members if you can!
1. Our class will now be in room 162 (it's in one of the portables outside)
2. Monday is School Picture day. Everyone will have their picture taken!
Hi B3 Students! For your blog/website assignment post your appropriate comment here! To post your comment click on the comment link at the bottom of this post, then follow the instructions. Remember to use your first name and last initial, so I know that you posted. Email me or call if you have questions, okay?
A few IMPORTANT Announcements: tell our other class members if you can!
1. Our class will now be in room 182 (it's in one of the portables outside)
2. Monday is School Picture day. Everyone will have their picture taken!
Hi B4 Students! For your blog/website assignment post your appropriate comment here! To post your comment click on the comment link at the bottom of this post, then follow the instructions. Remember to use your first name and last initial, so I know that you posted. Email me or call if you have questions, okay?
A few IMPORTANT Announcements: tell our other class members if you can!
1. Our class will now be in room 115 (it's across from the computer lab near the library)
2. Monday is School Picture day. Everyone will have their picture taken!
Today we finished talking about the disclosure and expectations (what I expect from you as a student). Then we looked at the Umbrella for Success as a way to help you not only succeed in my class, but in any class! We talked through each of the categories and what they mean and look like and how they will help you succeed. Then we wrote up our thoughtful answers to the questions on the umbrella on the left side of the page and turned those in. So, if you missed class you need to write up answers to the questions in the Umbrella and turn them in next time!
After that we talked through your homework assignments:
(1) The Blog/Website Assignment (due Monday, Aug. 25th): This assignment is designed to help you become familiar with our class blog and our class website. It shouldn't take more than 10-15 minutes to complete. I just want you to know how to use our blog and website as resources to help you succeed in our class.
(2) The Learning Experiences Writing Assignment (Due Wednesday, Aug. 27th): This assignment is on a 1/2 sheet of paper. It asks you 6 questions. You need to write one paragraph for each of the questions, except question #6. I want to know where you are coming from as a learner, and I want you to think about yourself as a learner.
(3) The Learning Experiences Survey (Due Wednesday, Aug. 27): Questions 1 and 2 can be done at any time, but Question 3 needs to be done AFTER you complete the Learning Experiences Writing Assignment. For Question 3, I want you to think about the Umbrella categories. What is a category that you are awesome at? How can you use that category to help you this term? Then what is one category that you still aren't that great in? What can you do to develop and improve in that category? On the back write down your strong category and the category you want to develop, what your goals for each category are, and how you will achieve them.
Have a great weekend! See you Monday :)
Today we talked about what you expect from a good class and what you expect from a good teacher. You all made a list of 15 things that you expect from a good class and a good teacher. Then we listed your ideas on the board. Thank you for letting me know what you expect!
Then we went through my expectations for you: the disclosure document. Remember read through the document with your parents and bring your signed disclosure signature page and internet permission slip to class on Friday.
After we talked about expectations, we started talking about how to succeed in Ms. Thackeray's class. I gave you a copy of the Umbrella of Success and we began reviewing the categories. Your assignment is to answer the questions on the left model for you personally and bring your responses to class with you on Friday.
So to recap for Friday:
Disclosure Signature Page
Internet Permission Slip
Answers to Umbrella of Success Questions
Welcome Back to school! I am so excited to get this year rolling. Today we did so much great stuff. We wrote 3/4 page about the coolest place we have ever been and one place we would want to go and why. Then we got to know each other. I introduced myself too. I'm Ms. Thackeray :) I was born and raised in SLC, UT. I attended West High School, which was fabulous. Then I attended BYU. I was the black sheep in a family where aunts, uncles, cousins, parents, and grandparents all attended the U of U. I didn't even know until I was attending BYU that my grandmother went there. (Apparently that is kept secret in my family). So I bleed purple. I still have a hard time at BYU vs. Utah games. I have lived and worked in Chicago, IL where I was the marketing coordinator for a friend's business. I have also taught high school in Washington, DC in an inner city school. I taught 11th grade there too! I have also lived in Thailand where I learned to speak Thai. It is amazing! And I'm sure I will bring it up a lot throughout the year.
After introductions we did a great learning activity: everyone guessed how many pieces of candy were in a jar. Then two students (self-proclaimed experts) told the class their guesses because they thought they were closest to the actual number of pieces of candy in the jar. After the experts gave us their guesses we did something unheard of: we did math in an English class! I know. What we did was we collected everyone's guesses and then averaged them together. And guess what the result was. Well the class's average was closer to the actual number of pieces of candy than either of the experts. Then we discussed what this means for our class. It means that collectively we are smarter than we are individually. And when we work together we come closer to perfection than we can on our own.
This is what I want for our class this year. I want us to establish a community in which we all work together to reach a higher level of success than we ever could on our own. We went on to discuss the origin, roots, and Thai translation of the word community. You can look up the PowerPoint slides on our class website: Community PowerPoint
After that we discussed what expectations you have for our class and for me as your teacher. And finally we started reading the disclosure document for the class. We didn't quite finish discussing it yet, but we will finish it on Thursday. However, your assignment is to read through it with your parents and bring back all of the attached forms (the signature page and the internet usage form) for Thursday.
Awesome.
Welcome Back to school! I am so excited to get this year rolling. Today we did so much great stuff. We wrote 3/4 page about the coolest place we have ever been and one place we would want to go and why. Then we got to know each other. I introduced myself too. I'm Ms. Thackeray :) I was born and raised in SLC, UT. I attended West High School, which was fabulous. Then I attended BYU. I was the black sheep in a family where aunts, uncles, cousins, parents, and grandparents all attended the U of U. I didn't even know until I was attending BYU that my grandmother went there. (Apparently that is kept secret in my family). So I bleed purple. I still have a hard time at BYU vs. Utah games. I have lived and worked in Chicago, IL where I was the marketing coordinator for a friend's business. I have also taught high school in Washington, DC in an inner city school. I taught 11th grade there too! I have also lived in Thailand where I learned to speak Thai. It is amazing! And I'm sure I will bring it up a lot throughout the year.
After introductions we did a great learning activity: everyone guessed how many pieces of candy were in a jar. Then two students (self-proclaimed experts) told the class their guesses because they thought they were closest to the actual number of pieces of candy in the jar. After the experts gave us their guesses we did something unheard of: we did math in an English class! I know. What we did was we collected everyone's guesses and then averaged them together. And guess what the result was. Well the class's average was closer to the actual number of pieces of candy than either of the experts. Then we discussed what this means for our class. It means that collectively we are smarter than we are individually. And when we work together we come closer to perfection than we can on our own.
This is what I want for our class this year. I want us to establish a community in which we all work together to reach a higher level of success than we ever could on our own. We went on to discuss the origin, roots, and Thai translation of the word community. You can look up the PowerPoint slides on our class website: Community PowerPoint
Now, your assignment...it's not much today. I just want you to think, but think hard about what you expect from an English class and what you expect from me as your teacher. We will talk more about expectations next time. See ya soon!
Welcome! This blog is designed as a resource for you. I urge you to use it! This will be a place where I recap what we do in class each day. That means...if you miss class, you need to come here first to see what you missed. Or say we went a little bit fast during class time and you didn't catch everything. That's okay. Just come to the blog so you can review what we did. Excellent.
