Mrs. Stubbs's English Blog: All Signs are Pointing Up!

Here we are, entering the last week of February, and I feel like I can see the end of winter coming! We've still got lots of snow, but the days are warmer and believe it or not, some melting has occurred! If only we could quit having these darn snow days! I will say, though, that I have enjoyed some aspects of them. Here's what I took time out to do with my son in the back of the neighborhood on Tuesday:

The rest of the week, however, was business as usual, so here's what's been going on.

In English 9, we're still working on a Nonfiction unit. We read a couple of argumentative essays this week and did study guides. This was done in the traditional classroom format, though I let them move around and work with partners on the study guides. Because I haven't checked out books to them, all of the work on these two pieces was done in class. Here's a picture of my 2nd Hour working away:

I then assigned an argumentative essay (topic - making up snow days!) to be turned in on Tuesday. In the meantime, since all textbook work is being done in class, they need to continue reading their own book of choice. By Wednesday they should be at least two-thirds of the way through the book, and their 2nd Reading Blog entry is due by midnight Wednesday night. They do all of this on their own time.

In English 11 - we're still reading The Lord of the Flies. It's a great book, but long, so they need to be reading on their own time. By early next week they should be through chapter 6. We did some traditional classroom discussions, took a vocabulary quiz, worked on study guides, but I also tried to shake things up and had them try what I call a "Walk and Talk." They spread out in groups around the building and did just what the assignment says in its title: they walked, read passages, talked, then answered questions. Many really like this because the movement helps them wake up and think. I don't do it all the time, but it's nice to try something different. Here's a set of pictures from that day (all three hours are represented):

Now I should probably address ACT/MME and all of the upcoming events. This coming week's events will impact both English 9 and 11, since I'm pulled out of my class to attend an afternoon session on Thursday. To prepare them for the tests, a guest speaker will be in the high school on Tuesday and Thursday. The junior class has been split into four groups and they are scheduled to miss either morning or afternoon classes on one of those days so they can go hear what he has to say. I am scheduled to attend the Thursday afternoon schedule, so there will be a substitute in my room at that time. All throughout the week the scheduled afternoon reviews will still take place, so feel free to check the green calendar. The following week (March 3-7) will be the actual tests. On Tuesday, 3/4 - ONLY JUNIORS WILL COME TO SCHOOL AT THE HIGH SCHOOL! Freshmen have the day off because it is ACT day. All of the elementary schools and Wagar have a normal day. The ACT is from 7:30 to a little after noon and then they are free to go. On Wednesday 3/5 and Thursday 3/6, the juniors come to school in the mornings and take the MME tests, and then they can leave. Freshmen attend school as usual on those two days.

There. That's the worst of it. So now let me add a picture collage from the basketball game on Friday night against Flat Rock. What a joy it is to see my students in a different way, and I was treated with a winning game played by both current and former students, and those I don't know but wave to in the hallways!