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Welcome!
My main goals for this school year are 1) to
have the students experience a wide range of genres and 2) to have the students feel that reading and writing are accessible
to them.
I believe strongly in playing with language. Yes, playing. Often students do not realize
how many possibilities are out there. They do not see how "fun" language can be. (I put fun in quotation marks
because one of the things the students will learn quickly is we do not use "wussy" words or overused, bland, almost meaningless
words.) So, to rephrase, students often do not see how unusual, hilarious, amusing, entertaining, playful, and jocund
(marked by high spirits and lively mirthfulness) language can be.
For information about specific assignments and project due dates, see Power School. For assignment expectations,
rubrics, and examples of student work, check out the links on the Language Arts Genres page.
Power School Public Access
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In Language Arts Class,
expect your student to:
1. Write for approximately 10 minutes each day.
Draftbook Expectations
2. Complete final drafts outside of class.
3. Explore multiple genres throughout the year.
4.
Practice the "6+1 Traits of Writing". (Ideas, Organization, Word Choice, Sentence Fluency, Voice, Conventions, and Presentation)
5. Develop their vocabulary.
6. Practice spelling.
7. Use Dictionaries, Thesauruses, and other language
resources regularly.
Example of a "How Smart Word" which incorporates spelling, vocabulary, and use of a dictionary and/or thesaurus.
In Reading Class,
expect your student to:
- Read for approximately 10 minutes each day in class.
- Read outside of class. (80 pages for 6th graders; 100 pages for 7th graders; 120 pages for 8th graders)
- Explore multiple genres throughout the year.
- Learn literary terms.
- Use reading strategies to develop comprehension skills.
- Respond to their reading through a variety of mediums.
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"I write for the same reason I breathe, because if
I didn't, I would die." ~Isaac Asimov
I share my writing with the students for two main reasons.
1) So they see me as a writer and not simply a teacher of writing.
2) So they understand that I experience the same writing struggles they do.
Here are a few examples of my own writing experiences.
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