Will We Be Going To School In Late June?

Goodness.  It's turning into another one of those years.  I really hope we will not be in school in late June, making up snow/cold days, but you do what you've got to do, right?  I'm all business-like today, so I'm going to go straight to it:

English 9

• Last week we did manage to finish our presentations and deal with vocab - both old and new.  I was able to start putting in some grades (as one of my talented students in "The Dust Bowl" group commented, "The Dust Bowl on grades is over!").  With the addition of snow days, I was able to catch up completely on grading and everything is as up to date as I can make it.  I also posted the vocab. quiz online, so they can do it from home as long as they have internet.
• This week I will send home mid-term progress reports, we will actually read the novel and start our annotations, and vocabulary will happen again this week.
• Scheduling for 10th grade will begin on Wednesday.  They will be pulling students from my class to come meet with the counselors.  Please look for the worksheet to come home and plan on locating the course selection booklet online (they do not print them off anymore).  Parents have to sign off in order for the schedule to be submitted.  Once I know all of their deadlines, I'll send out an email so everyone is on top of things.

English 11

• Last week we managed to get through chapter 11 through a combination of reading and doing things in class, and enough foresight to send home reading and study guides in case of snowdays.  They have a 10% Summary to complete and turn in on Monday. They also have their vocabulary quiz posted online and can complete it on their own.  I managed to get completely caught up on grading over these past couple of days, so we're set to move forward.
• This week is big for them.  We will finish Lord of the Flies by midweek and the test will be on Friday.  They will also have vocabulary and an ACT-style argumentative essay.  In the meantime, we're cranking into high gear for the ACT (which is on March 3, 2015).  They will be bubbling forms and attending an ACT workshop for a half-day.  We will be very busy, and I pray that there are no more snow days between now and the tests.

It's a busy time, a difficult time in many ways, but that's what makes life exciting!  I hope everyone has a great week.  Ciao!


Will We Be Going To School In Late June? by Laura Stubbs is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Happy President's Day!

What a wonderful week I had last week with all of my students!  My 11th graders finally got to the best part of the novel we're reading, and my 9th graders helped me learn how to use my new Chromebooks and worked on a really fun project.  I love weeks that go well!

Let's start with English 11 this time.  Last week they accomplished quite a bit:  vocabulary, reading through chapter 9 of Lord of the Flies, and a non-fiction article on teen brain development.  They also continued to annotate the novel, searching their own way through the novel instead of relying completely on me.  This week they'll be reading another article on teen brain development and how it impacts not just risk-taking behaviors, but the impacts of those choices, we'll write a 10% summary about one of the articles, and then they'll do an ACT-style writing applying the knowledge in the articles to the choices that have been made by the characters in our novel.  We will also continue with vocabulary (quiz Friday), read two more chapters, and do more activities as we build toward the end of this book.  We will finish it the week of February 23rd.

In English 9, I don't have a lot of grades to show for how much they've learned (yet), but I have to say that I think they've learned a plethora of things.  The first couple of weeks of the term focused on what quality writing is all about, and now we're applying that knowledge to some group presentations.  In addition, they've learned how to use the library's system for databases of quality resources, they've learned how to cite sources in MLA formatting, they've learned how to create a group project on Google Drive, and now they're learning how to present that information to an audience.

Here are some pictures that show our evolution from using the computer labs to using Chromebooks in my classroom.  To me, the beauty is in both the quality of the machinery (Chromebooks are much faster) and in our ability to pick them up and move them.  At the beginning of the week we were still in the lab, which used up time both in getting in there and in booting everything up, but you can also see how each student is working completely independently on their group project, which is not ideal since they need to communicate:

Once we were able to get on the Chromebooks in my room, we were able to bring them to the desks and I could teach from my computer and overhead projector while they followed along on their computers -

- and then they were able to pick them up and move the computers to their groups where they could truly colaborate with their information to create their presentations:

Of course, once they were able to work faster, their questions for me came much faster, and so I didn't get very many photos, but trust me, it was really fabulous to watch them collaborate and learn - from me, from the computer, and from each other.

They are using Google Drive Slides and Presentations to share their information.  I love this because they all access the presentation independently so each person is responsible for his/her own information, but they work on just one document.  They can also access Google Drive from anyplace that has internet access, so the work can continue away from the classroom and school.  We watched our first presentation on Friday - which I think went very well - and the feedback from them was very positive.  There are definitely downfalls, but overall, I'm very excited about having these Chromebooks in my room.  Thank you Airport Community Schools for giving us this opportunity!

Coming up this week in English 9 - we'll finish the presentations and start reading To Kill a Mockingbird.  I'm going to use a combination of study guides and annotations to help guide them through.  I prefer annotations because it helps them learn how to locate and identify key aspects in the reading, but I do like to mix things up so that they don't get bored.  We'll be working on rhetorical language and its applications, and vocabulary will be a part of the week (quiz Friday).

Big things are happening in my classroom, and I couldn't be more thrilled.  I hope everyone has a wonderful President's Day, and I look forward to being back at school on Tuesday.  Ciao!

Happy President's Day! by Laura Stubbs is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

Can We Do a 5-Day Week?

Well, all my plans got tossed up in the air last week due to snow, and then my busy life got in the way of the rest of my time, and I swear, I think I may have lost my mind at one point. 

Last week in school, here is what we did not get to:  vocab. and vocab. quizzes; 10% summaries; an argumentative essay; we're behind on research and projects.  The one thing I feel like I did well?  English 11 is cranking out the reading of Lord of the Flies, and I think we're actually on pace!

Proud mom moment: both of my children participated in their school's amazing production of Aladdin, Jr., and my eldest performed three numbers at the regional Solo & Ensemble where he received two 1's and one 2.  While the end result was fabulous, the week leading up to it was insane.  During the snow days, I did things like create turbans and drive up to the school to help set up lights and sound.  Then when things got back to "normal" I drove all over God's creation from lessons to rehearsals to meetings.  I don't think I got home before 9:00 PM any night last week.  Here's a couple of pictures from this weekend:

This week I hope to get pictures of my students to put into this blog!

So what is on deck for this week?

• English 9 - they are going to do the project to prepare for To Kill a Mockingbird.  The first part of the week will be used for research, then I'll show them how to use Google Drive to create a collaborative presentation to present the research.  They will also have a vocab. quiz on Friday.
• English 11 - by Monday they should have read through chapter 6 of Lord of the Flies, so they will have quizzes and activities.  Then they will move forward in the book through chapter 9.  In addition, they will be looking at a couple of non-fiction articles and writing an ACT-style argumentative essay.  Vocab. will also happen this week.

It's a busy week, and a busy time of year, but isn't it always?  I hope everyone has a great week; stay safe on the roads and try to kick back and enjoy life a little - I intend to!  Ciao!


Can We Do a 5-Day Week? by Laura Stubbs is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

The Mid-Winter Blues

I don't know about anyone else, but I'm exhausted!  At one point last week I got so tired that when a student (who shall remain nameless) did something really silly, I started laughing, then he laughed, and soon I couldn't stop until I was crying.  It really wasn't the most hilarious thing ever, but I was so tired I got slap-happy.  It seems like it's that time of year when we just run and run and run with so many things to do, that it's hard to slow down even for sleep.  So that's why this snow is a blessing:

February Snowstorm 2015



It's forced me to slow down and get things done at home, since all of our activities for the day have been cancelled.  I'm kind of bummed since my kids were performing at a church in three different services this weekend.  My eldest did get to do his Solo & Ensemble clarinet piece last night, as well as leading us in song throughout the service -

but they were both supposed to sing with the middle school choir and perform numbers from their upcoming play Aladdin, Jr., and all of that is cancelled.  On the plus side, I get to take my time getting my work done, the house can get cleaned, and all of the laundry will be put away.

Right now, I'm still planning for a full week this week so here's what's up:

• In English 9 we have worked our way through the 6+1 Traits of writing, and we're ready to critique our own pieces for all of the elements.  On Monday, they need to have a draft of their personal essay in hand so that we can apply the rubrics, and then they'll need to revise their drafts into a final form.  We will also have vocabulary this week:  I'll hand it out on Monday, check it in on Tuesday before going over it, and then the quiz will be Friday.  We'll also head into some research for background information before reading To Kill a Mockingbird.  Once again, they won't have much homework other than vocabulary and the essay, because we'll do the research in school.  One week from today I hope to give you the date for when they'll start reading the novel, and then they'll have reading homework every night.
• In English 11, we have completed chapters 1 and 2 of Lord of the Flies.  I had them practice a system of annotations using Post-its.  It's a system I hope will help them to learn how to do close readings more independently.  There's only one way to learn how to identify important details in what you read, and that's to practice.  By Monday they need to have their annotations for chapter 2 done.  This week we will read chapters 3-5 and I will offer them options for how they want to be held accountable for the reading:  they can continue to annotate with Post-its, use a study guide, or take notes on notebook paper.  We'll be doing some quizzes, activities, and reading non-fiction articles for 10% Summaries and Argumentative Essays.  In addition to all of this, they will have vocab. again this week (quiz Friday).

There's a lot going on, but I'm pretty sure I can move things as necessary if a snowday occurs.  I'll try to keep everyone posted, and if we happened to end up with multiple days and I need to assign readings for English 11, I'll do so through emails and Remind101 texts.  In the meantime, I'm sticking to this plan unless told to do otherwise.

I hope everyone stays safe and warm, and enjoys this Superbowl Sunday!  Ciao!

The Mid-Winter Blues by Laura Stubbs is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

A New Semester, A New Start

I was so busy last weekend driving my children all over the earth, celebrating family birthdays, grading papers, and planning for a new semester, that I didn't get my blog done!  So this is going to double up for the past two weeks. 

Let me first finish off Semester 1 by sharing some photos from my English 9 class.  We tried something new and I asked adults (teachers, counselors, parents) to help me by interviewing my students for a faux job at McDonald's.  I didn't give my students warning that adults they didn't know would be doing this (wanting to take them out of their comfort zone), so it was a real eye-opener for many of them to have to work on professional speaking skills on the fly.  I got positive feedback from the group; the realities of what they need to be prepared for hit home.  I want to thank Mrs. Agrusa, Mr. Redmond, Mrs. Krechnyak, Mrs. VanWasshenova, Mrs. Moore, and a very special Thank You to Mrs. Hill!  I was so excited that Mrs. Hill wanted to come spend time with us, and I have to say that it was fun for both me and her son to watch her in a role different from that of "mom."

I'm sad that so many of these students in these photos have now left me, but I know they'll do great things with their new English 9 teachers.

On to Semester 2...

For those of you I already know, welcome back; for those who are new, welcome to my blog.  This is where I put detail about what we've done, sometimes pictures and/or video from our class time, and give you information about what is coming up.  So here goes:

• In English 9 we've started our new semester.  I sent home a parent letter with a rough schedule and class information; I hope you all saw it and signed the parent signature sheet and sent it back for a grade.  We're spending these first two weeks creating routines and looking at the 6+1 Traits of Good Writing.  Last week we focused on Ideas and Content (and I even brought them in a popcorn experience); this week we'll focus on the other six traits with activities and a couple of creative writings.  There is not a lot of homework coming home yet, so don't be alarmed, and please check the calendar on my webpage to know what they need to be doing.
• In English 11 we've got three focuses:  Lord of the Flies, ACT, and preparation for English 12.  Last week we primarily focused on ACT skills by doing 10% Summary worksheets, paragraphs, and then we did a timed argumentative essay.  The topic of survival, however, links to Lord of the Flies, and so we've done some preview information for the novel.  This coming week we will finish our preview, and then they will begin reading and annotating.  Please expect the novel to be coming home regularly, and hopefully you'll see it in their hands (open).  We will work on Chapters 1-3 this week.  They will also have vocabulary on Monday with a quiz on Friday.  I'm tightening up the ship, so to say, to prepare them for English 12, where the teachers accept very few excuses.  I'm not accepting late work unless there's a very good reason, so a few students were unhappy that I wouldn't just take their late work because life got busy.  I try to make sure they know that I'm not angry with them, but they need to be held accountable for their deadlines.  It's a hard lesson for some.

I hope everyone has a great week, and a great end to January.  Can you believe it's almost month two of 2015?!!?  Ciao, everyone!


A New Semester, A New Start by Laura Stubbs is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Final Week of Semester One!

Here we are, into our final week.  Time really does fly, doesn't it?  We are also into that time of year when snowdays can really mess with the schedule, so planning is somewhat of a problem.  This is definitely a situation where flexibility and rolling with the punches comes in handy!  So here's what we accomplished last week, despite the snow day, and here's what's coming up, depending on how tomorrow goes with its forecast for a couple of inches of snow to make the morning drive messy:

• English 9 - last week they created a resume and cover letter.  They also began collecting together letters of recommendation and samples of work/projects that showcase their talents.  On Monday, they will be filling out job applications and finalizing/printing their materials and we will collect them all into a manila folder.  My plan for Tuesday is that they will participate in "interviews" in order to practice their speaking skills, and will have their manila folders all set to hand over to someone for analysis.  My hope is that this mini-unit will help them to focus on their futures and give them an idea of how to prepare for a real situation that will call for these skills and materials; for some of them, that might happen this summer, and I hope that this gives them a head start. If we end up with a snowday on Monday, I will have to forego the interviews, but will have them submit their written portfolio to me for grading. On Thursday they will have a semester exam, so I will spend Wednesday going over things and giving them time to prepare; then on Friday they will be doing a written portion.  I hope that this will help them with the skills they will need for testing in the higher levels of academia, and it will bring the semester around full circle.
• English 11 - they should have read through chapter eight of Animal Farm by the time they get to school on Monday.  We will be finishing the book by Tuesday, and then we'll start preparing for the exam.  Their objective exam is Thursday; most of it will be about Animal Farm, but we will have a certain number of questions about the material from the rest of the semester.  Their written portion will happen on Friday.  If there is a snowday on Monday, they will finish the book Wednesday and the exam will still be on Thursday and Friday.

I have enjoyed working with this group of students, so I'm sad to see so many of them move to another teacher, but I hope that they've had a positive experience in English so far this year and will continue to do so as we head into the second half of the school year.  For those of you who are moving on, thanks for all of your help and support; for those of you who will still hear from me weekly, thank you, too, for your efforts, and I look forward to continuing on with you through June.

Have a great week, everyone!

Final Week of Semester One! by Laura Stubbs is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Welcome 2015!

Welcome back, and as Lucy Maud Montgomery once said, "Tomorrow is always fresh, with no mistakes in it."  It's always nice to get a fresh start, and so even though it's not the end of the semester (yet), we are starting new units and it's now time to evaluate what needs to be done to either continue to make things great, or to make changes in order to make things better.  So along those lines, here's what's coming up:

• English 9 - we will do a brief unit regarding job skills and readiness.  We will be creating a resume, collecting letters of recommendation, filling out job applications (which are not intended to be submitted, just used for practice), pulling together a small portfolio, and working on interview skills.  So here's what I'm looking for:  on Monday, January 12 I am hoping to conduct interviews.  If there are any parents out there who would be interested in volunteering an hour of their time toward this cause, please contact me ASAP.  I am hoping to find 8-10 adults who can follow a guide which I will give them in order to give my students an idea of what it's like to go through a job interview.  I'd love to have parents involved in this, though the timing is super early in the morning (7:30 until about 8:20 A.M.), and I'll also be asking staff members at the school for help.  I think this will be a valuable experience.  We will be doing vocabulary in class with no quiz on Friday; we'll be applying the terms, instead.
• English 11 - we have one more unit to go:  Animal Farm.  Here's where reality hits for this group since they will be responsible for reading at least half the book at home on their own.  We have about a week and a half to get this done, so this will be fast.  Just as a heads up, I've been working the past few days on getting grades caught up, and many of my juniors have gotten very lazy whenever they are asked to do work independently, and it's showing up in their grades.  This is the opportunity for those students to get things pulled back together.  As a parent, please look for them to have an Animal Farm book in their hand for the next week and a half, and it should be opened and read.  Thanks for the help in advance.  We will be doing vocabulary with worksheets and quotes; the terms will show up on the test instead of being quizzed at the end of the week.
• On Thursday, January 15, all students will be taking a semester exam.  I believe that this needs to happen in order to prepare them for a future beyond high school, since post-secondary training and education tests them over large amounts of material.  I'll give out a study guide in advance, but they have the review packets already in their hands since I've been warning them from moment one not to throw away their materials.

Well, that about covers it.  I hope everyone is feeling well-rested and is ready to take on the future...I know I am!  Ciao!


Welcome 2015! by Laura Stubbs is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License