Month: October 2005

Hello, and welcome back to the Classroom of Love.

Homework: Explain one key concept of your unit to your parent or guardian.

Today you have 3 tasks to complete:

Task 1: Essential Information No. 46
Task 2: Assignment of Units
Task 3: Read your assigned units separately and take notes.

Task 1: Please write the following essential information in Section 4 of your binders:

No. 46 When completing a group project, remember the final product is only as good as the efforts of the weakest group member.

Task 2: Please take out the piece of paper titled, “You Week Ahead.” As Ms. Carrigan reads off the list of unit assignments, please put your group’s unit number at the top of the page on the line marked “My Group Unit.”

If you have lost your copy of the “Your Week Ahead” paper, please raise your hand and Ms. Carrigan will bring you a replacement. This is the only day she will be providing replacements, so make certain you put this paper where you will not lose it.

Task 3: Once you have your assigned unit, all you will need to complete the remainder of the class is the English book, some paper and a writing utensil.

It is EXTREMEMLY IMPORTANT that you take your time and put a great deal of effort into this task, because doing poorly on this task will result in your group doing poorly when it is their turn to teach. In short, PAY ATTENTION!

That said, here is what you will need to do:
Task 3.1: Turn to the first page of your unit.
Task 3.2: Begin reading your unit carefully.
Task 3.3: As you read, write any important or key concepts for your unit on a blank piece of paper with your name at the top. This will likely require several sheets of paper and will most likely be something that will take the rest of this class period and part of tomorrow’s class to complete.

Q. Why is this important?
A. Reading the unit you will be responsible for teaching and identifying the key concepts from that unit are absolutely necessary to making sure you can provide your students with the information they require.

Q. What is I have questions about the information from my unit?
A. If you have a question and do not understand something you read:
1. Re-read the information slowly three times and try to figure it out on your own.
2. Raise your hand and wait for Ms. Carrigan to come and answer your question.
3. If Ms. Carrigan has answered your question and you still need further assistance, please write your question on a separate sheet of paper with your name at the top and give it to Ms. Carrigan. I will read your questions when I get back to school and leave you a reply for tomorrow.
4. If you have further questions, you may post a comment to this blog, e-mail me or IM my account.

Welcome back to the classroom of love!

Homework: Typed, finished essay due at the beginning of class Friday. Remember, this includes your 1)Planning Sheet, 2)Handwritten rough draft with peer comments, and 3) Typed, final copy (formatted correctly).

I will be at school beginning at 8:30 a.m. Friday for any students who have questions or need assistance.

As we have been working on this project since 10-10-05, no excuses for late work will be accepted.

Welcome back to the classroom of love!

Homework: Please complete your rough draft. If your rough draft is completed, edit a peer’s rough draft using the editing checklist you received in class.

Today we have five tasks to complete:

Task 1: Essential Information No. 45
Task 2: Joke Duty
Task 3: Reading
Task 4: Rough Draft Sharing
Task 5: Editing Checklist Explanation

Task 1: Please write the following Essential Information in Section 4 of your binder:

No. 45 Rather than reacting verbally in the heat of the moment, take time to leave the situation, think about what’s going on and cool down. This will reduce the chance of otherwise pointless arguments growing out of control.

Task 2: Will the designated joke teller please entertain us.

Task 3: Please, listen and take notes on what you hear while I read for 10 minutes from S.E. Hinton’s Rumble Fish.

Task 4: Please take out the Rough Draft versions of your essay. Read through and make any comments you may have on what you have written. I will give you three minutes to complete this task. Afterward, please wait silently for directions.

Task 5: Please participate while we read the editing checklist together and then place it as the last page of your Basics Packet in Section 5 of your binder.

Welcome Back to the Classroom of Love!

Homework: If you have not already done so, complete the rough draft of your essay.

Today, we have 5 tasks to complete:

Task 1: Good News/Joke Duty
Task 2: Essential Information No. 44
Task 3: Complete Diagnostic Part II
Task 4: Complete Planning Sheet/Rough Draft
Task 5: Question Game

Task 1: Let’s take 3 minutes to share good news since the last time we met. Also, I will explain and assign the first joke duty.

Task 2: No. 44 When ordering food, especially in the lunch line, make certain you say, “Please,” and “Thank you,” at the appropriate times.

Task 3: For those of you who did not complete the Reading Diagnostic Friday, take a few minutes to complete it now. Those students who have already completed the diagnostic should work on their planning sheet and rough draft or read silently.

Task 4: Please take out your completed planning sheets and whatever you may have completed of your rough draft. Based on what you have completed and with the help of your Basics Packet, today we will be writing out our rough drafts.

For those of you who have your rough drafts completed, find someone else in the class to trade with, and edit a peer’s rough draft using the editing sheet I will provide.

Task 5: If the class works well and shows expected behavior, we will learn the Question Game. If I do not feel the class has earned the right to the question game, I will save it for next week.

Welcome back to the classroom of love!

Homework: Complete the rough draft of your essay. Remember to bring something to read Friday.

Today, we have 5 tasks to complete.

Task 1: Homework check
Task 2: Journal Response
Task 3: Essential Information No. 43
Task 4: Rough Drafting
Task 5: Joke Duty

Task 1: Please take out the planning sheets you completed as homework last night and hand them to the person I ask to collect them.

Task 2: Take 13 minutes to respond to the prompt below:

Prompt: Years ago, there were separate public schools for girls and boys, especially at the high school level. Boys went to one school and girls went to another nearby, an entirely different school. Do you think this is a beneficial idea? Should boys and girls attend separate schools? Write for 13 minutes to persuade school officials whether or not they should separate boys and girls into different schools.

Task 3: Essential Information No. 43: You may not choose what happens in your life, but you are constantly in charge of what you do about it.

Task 4: Now that you have completed your planning, it is time to begin work on your rough draft. To complete the rough draft, you will need to use the framework you began on the planning sheet and transfer that to complete paragraphs. You may use your Basics Packet for ideas on vocab choice and other writing devices. Your completed rough draft is due FRIDAY.

Task 5: Mr. Chase will explain.

Welcome back to a classroom of love!

Please write the hoemwork in your agenda.
Homework: Complete essay planning sheet. (Eighth grade, you may need to take your Comp. Books home to help you with this.)

Today, we have four tasks to complete.

Task 1: Read aloud
Task 2: Read aloud response
Task 3: Essential Information
Task 4: Essay planning and rough drafting

Task 1: For 10 minutes, listen as I read aloud to the class. While you listen, you may want to take notes on what you hear to better prepare for the Read Aloud Response afterward.

Task 2: In your comp. books, write the date at the top of a new page, title the page “Read Aloud Response #1” and respond to the questions below (Use extensions and elaborations to receive full credit on each answer):

1. Analyze what you heard in class today and explain why you think the author wrote this book.
2. Predict what will happen as this book unfolds.
3. Describe the narrator of this book.

Task 3: Essential Information No. 42:

If all else fails, give a compliment.

Task 4: Today, we will work on completing the planning sheets for our publishable essays. If you have any questions while you are completing the planning, raise your hand and I will help you. Once you have completed your planning, show me and I will tell you whether you are ready to begin your rough draft. If you do not finish your planning sheet, you must do so this evening so that we may move forward with this assignment.

Hello, it’s nice to have you back today!

Homework: Complete figurative language worksheet.

Today, we have 5 tasks to complete.

Task 1: Journal response
Task 2: Essential Information No. 41
Task 3: Review Figurative Language Quiz
Task 4: Complete planning sheet.
Task 5: Homework explained

Task 1: Please respond to the prompt below for 13 minutes. Remember, don’t think, just write.

Prompt: Everyone has somethiing or someone that is important to him/her. Pick an object, a person, or a feeling that is important to you and explain why it is so important in your life.

Task 2: Please write the following information in section 4 of your binder:

No. 41 If what you are saying is insulting or demeaning to another person, then it is neither joking nor kidding. Remember the impact your words and actions have on the lifes of others.

Task 3: Once you have received your quiz and looked at your grade, we will have a class discussion of why people scored the way they did.

Task 4: Please take out the planning sheets we started last week and complete them on your own. Remember to use extensions, elaborations and personal stories to make the writing more effective. This planning sheet must be complete by the start of class tomorrow.

Task 5: Those students who scored a 6 or lower on the figurative language quiz must complete the figurative language worksheet as homework tonight. Students whose scores were greater than 6 are welcome to complete the worksheet, but it is not required.

Welcome Back!

Homework: Have a safe and pleasant 3-day weekend.

Today we have 5 tasks to complete.

Task 1: Essential Information No. 40
Task 2: Turn in homework.
Task 3: Whoosh
Task 4: Figurative language quiz.
Task 5: Writing planning.

Task 1: Please write Essential Information No. 40 in section 4 of your binders.

No. 40 Don’t whine.

Task 2: Please pass your homework to the middle of the room.

Task 3: I will explain this activity when we are ready.

Task 4: Please have a piece of notebook paper and a writing utensil prepared for this quiz.

Task 5: Please have your planning sheet out and prepared as we move forward with our publishable work.

Have a great weekend!

I’m ready for a productive Wednesday!

Homework: Write two similes, two metaphors and two examples of personification.

Today we have 4 tasks to complete:

Task 1: Essential Information No. 39
Task 2: Whirligig
Task 3: Figurative Language Notes For link to notes, click here.
Task 4: Essay Planning

Task 1: Please write No. 39 in section 4 of your binder.

No. 39 Encourage those around you to do their best.

Task 2: What has happened so far in Whirligig? What do you think will happen?
Listen as we find out more.

Task 3: Please take out a piece of paper and copy down the notes I write on the board concerning figurative language. Pay close attention because these are key to successfully completing your homework tonight.

Task 4: Please take out your planning sheet so that we can work through the process together.

Welcome Back!
I missed you while I was away.

Homework: Write the definition of “idiom” on a piece of notebook paper.

Today, we have four tasks to complete.

Task 1: Essential Information No. 38.
Task 2: Journal Entry (12 Minutes)
Task 3: Continue/complete reverse planning.
Task 4: Debrief

Task 1: Please write No. 38 in section 4 of your binder:

No. 38 Maintain your integrity no matter what happens.
* Look up “integrity” in the dictionary.

Task 2: Please respond to the prompt below in your comp books for 12 minutes.

Prompt: The way a class behaves while in the care of a substitute teacher is a reflection of the level of respect they have for themselves, their daily classroom teacher, their school and their upbringing. When a substitute is present, students should ask themselves, “Am I doing what my teacher would expect of me?”, “Am I showing respect for everyone involved?”, “Am I doing the best I can?” With all of this in mind, take 12 minutes to write on your behavior and the behavior of your classmates while I was away Friday and Monday. Include the concepts of integrity and respect in your writings. Be honest and fair with your writing.

Task 3: Planning and drafting of essays. (Mr. Chase will lead instruction and begin drafting process.)

Task 4: Discussion of process, thoughts on class.