The Professor and the Madman

Okay, I'm guilty. I am guilty of committing a crime no English teacher should ever commit. I JUDGED A BOOK BY ITS COVER. I know, it's terrible. But, I could not even fathom reading another book for school looking like this:

I do admit, now after reading, I could not put this book down. It was so exciting, interesting, and unlike other things I have read for Dr. Kist's class. It was suspenseful and I cannot wait until I finish it!

I like how the stories are told. For example, in the chapter titled "The Dead of Night in Lambeth Marsh" there was a murder mystery. The reader got to learn about what happened, the background information of the victim and the murderer, and what happened in the court trail.

This is definitely not what I was expecting when I picked up this book to read it. It goes to show

Image Grammar Chapter 5

One thing that I really enjoy about reading the works of Harry Noden is that he gives examples. This is something I have yet to find in other books talking about teaching strategies. For example on page 101 he states, "Hyperbole seems to be a favorite device of many sports writers. So, sports columns make great sources for classroom analysis. Bob Chieger and Pat Sullivan (1990), who have cataloged hundreds of snappy comments in their Football's Greatest Quotes, provide a rich source for hyperboles." Then he goes on to show some of the quotes these sports writers have used with hyperboles. From this information, teachers can do their own research, find a local sports writer students might be familiar with, and use this to their advantage when teaching hyperboles. Many times, Noden also includes work done by students. These are great examples as well.

I also love the strategies at the end of this chapter. The "Play with Fragments and Run-ons" strategy is something I can see a lot of students being able to easily grasp and get creative with. I also greatly appreciate how Noden always uses a model for students. Especially if students are doing an activity like this for the first time, they need to be shown though a model what the expectations are.

10-Day Unit

I just wanted to briefly talk about some of the things going on in my 10-day unit. I decided not to post my journals because I talk about specific instances during class and I would rather not post them online.

My class had a debate about Abigail Williams from The Crucible. I was so proud on the day that so many students were able to come up with a bunch of supporting evidence. On the day of the debate, I told the students they would receive a point for each valid point they could make towards their argument, and receive an additional point if they could find supporting evidence for their claim in the text. This was a good call by Ms. Covelli because the students were flipping through the pages of their text books throughout the debate in order to find evidence.

I was very proud when a few select students came up with points I hadn't even thought of! This day was extremely rewarding for me.

Modern Writer's Workshop Chapter 5

This chapter discusses the difference between talking (verbally) and writing prose. When we talk to someone there is always a physical listener. The way we speak is usually boring and repetitive. When we write it is different. While writing, you need to come up with an imagined reader. The text states, "[p]rose, on the other hand, must focus on an absent and, in fact, 'invented'-'invented' in our sense-figure known as 'the Reader.' Prose-all prose-addresses this absent but imagined figure and shapes itself and that figure and its needs in an unseen relationship between them" (117).

I thought this quote was interesting because it is so true. While writing, I always think about what specifically I would like the reader to know. In fact, I happened to change the title of my piece if writing for the writing workshop because I felt it gave the read too much information in the beginning. It is also crucial to consider the reader while writing for clarity. Sometimes, something might make perfect sense to the author because they wrote the text, but it may be unclear to those reading.

While teaching writing I think will make up a worksheet for my students to fill out before their writing process begins. The students will need to answer the questions "what do you want the readers to know?" and "how will you tell them this in your writing?"

Modern Library Writer's Workshop chapter 1

What I love about this chapter is that it is all about letting the reader know that anyone can write. Everyone has their own story and this text clearly states it should be written. The text stresses that you do not need to know what is going to happen in a story before you begin writing. Some authors interviewed said that they allowed the characters to lead the way for their story writing.

I could definitely relate to the "Rules for the First Draft" section. The text states, "Do it. Hemingway said that the only thing that really matters about the first draft is getting it done. You are looking for the sound and shape of a story, and this is the only place you can hope to find them. So get to it" (Koch 22).

I liked this section because my first drafts are always terrible. But, for some reason, after I begin typing the second draft everything become a lot more clear and better.

I would like to encourage my future students to do A LOT of writing. I feel it is so important for students to confident in the writing process and know what works best for themselves. I thought this cartoon was cute and ties in nicely with this blog.

Knowledge

All educators should be aware of what has been going on in our nation with discrimination.

Speed Writing Activity

Today in class, Dr. Kist went over some strategies for his students to think about using while making their 10-day unit plans. One that I have never done before was the Speed Writing Activity. This is how it works:

1. Students are given a certain amount of time to read. Students can be given 2-5 minutes.

2. Then, students are given a certain amount of time to summarize what they have read. Students can be given 1-3 minutes for this.

(Keep in mind, all activities can be modified to fit a specific lesson.)

The reason why I liked this activity was because it forced me to pay attention to what I was reading. For some reason, putting a short time constraint on my reading time made me focus more than I normally would. I also knew I would need to write something about my reading, so I wanted to read carefully.

This exercise forces students to paraphrase what they have just read. By doing this exercise, teachers will be able to know if their student were able to understand the reading assignment.