An archived stack of papers: 'English 3'
Next Steps
In a stack of papers called Instruction.
- Feb
- 03
- 2011
So I told my students today all those things I’m feeling that I wrote about yesterday: that feeling of “ugh” and how I don’t like the way things are progressing. I read a passage from Fahrenheit 451 to my English 2 today wherein Montag gives an impassioned plea to his wife that she needs to feel... read more
The Feeling Of “Ugh”
In a stack of papers called Instruction.
- Feb
- 02
- 2011
The feeling of “Ugh.” You know the feeling. The feeling that you get when plans do not pan out. The feeling of “it’s too late to change now!” The feeling that things were not supposed to go this way. The feeling that reality does not match the vision. The feeling of not being entirely sure why. Are those the feelings of an average day for you, too?
In both of my... read more
TTTC: Focus
In a stack of papers called Instruction.
- Jun
- 22
- 2010
This would have been more successful if it wasn’t the final unit and piece of writing of the year. That brings with it a certain degree of scattered students and work, no matter how well planned you are. I decided we’d finish off the year with The Things They Carried, something that seems to appeal to a fairly wide audience. I’m thinking of starting with this novel next year.... read more
Something New(ish)
In a stack of papers called Instruction.
- Aug
- 14
- 2009
My school doesn’t start for another ten days; students arrive in eleven. Some teachers were just told earlier this week what they will be teaching next year. I’m willing to bet that other teachers still don’t know. There is a possibility that teaching schedules could change between now and the 25th. It’s slight, but still a possibility. This all worries me, but I’m sure... read more
What Video Has Taught Me – Part 2
In a stack of papers called Instruction.
- Jun
- 07
- 2009
I feel like an idiot for not realizing this sooner. What have I been doing the last eleven years? Why didn’t I discover this until just about a month ago? Such a simple thing made a huge difference. And it all started with those documentaries in Speech.
Vision
“Tell me about your project. What do you see on the screen? What are you doing a documentary... read more
What Video Has Taught Me – Part 1
In a stack of papers called Instruction.
- May
- 16
- 2009
In the Support class, we slowly piece together videos on things students like about San Jose. Speech works diligently on documentaries. Some incredibly cool stuff has happened as a result of me leading these two different classes through this work. That’s had a big impact on how I work with my English 3 students, even though they aren’t in on the video action. I’ve learned a lot over... read more
TTTC: Day One
In a stack of papers called Instruction.
- Mar
- 19
- 2009
The Things They Carried, this is the first time I’m teaching it. It’s a great book, one I had a fantastic time reading a few summers back, but I’m not really sure what to do with it in the classroom. Here’s what I did today:
Times And Handout
Reading the first ten pages takes about twenty minutes. You read the first paragraph, other students read in... read more
OFOCN: Socratic
In a stack of papers called Instruction.
- Feb
- 27
- 2009
The plan is to have a Socratic seminar next week as a new way of discussing the novel and to help students get closer to their idea of theme. With the final fifty pages of One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest yet to come, students will surely adjust their thinking after the big events described there. But to understand the novel as completely as they can right now, I’m hoping that some... read more
Writing: Freedom Vs. Definition
In a stack of papers called Writing.
- Feb
- 24
- 2009
We’ve steadily worked our way through the majority of One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest. We have about one-hundred pages left. One practice, group paragraph and one big-point, solo paragraph later, we’re about ready to dive into the conclusion. I’ll hit them with a writing assignment Thursday and move on to a ... read more
OFOCN: Days One And Two
In a stack of papers called Instruction.
- Jan
- 23
- 2009
One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest is a great novel. It’s fun to teach because it’s so far removed from what students are used to reading in class and the content typically gets them intrigued enough to give the thing a fair shake. It’s a bit of a challenge, though, for those very same reasons.
Times And Handouts
We spent about forty minutes reading today... read more