Whew! I can't believe the first trimester is finished! Most students did amazingly well and will be happy with the grade they have earned. However, there are some who I know can do better. The biggest problem overall is that students are forgetting to check with me or check in the missing work box to make up work they miss when they are out of school. It will be very rare that students miss a day and don't have work to do to catch up. Also, citizenship grades were down for students who are not filling out their reading minutes or bringing their planners to me. Please encourage your student to do so from now on. The good news is that this Monday begins a new day, a fresh page, and I'm looking forward to a second trimester FULL of student success!
This week will begin our Personal Narrative Unit where students will work through the writing process and create a piece of writing about their personal life. Personal Narratives are a blast to write and I am so excited to see what the students will create. While learning how to write themselves, we will also be able to study some personal narratives from our Literature book and read a few stories from local author, Lyman Hafen's, book "In the Shade of the Cottonwoods".
As you know, Utah is aligned with the Common Core Standards, these are the objectives we will specifically cover in this unit (listed below). I really believe that the ability students will gain to reflect on their own lives and express themselves through writing will equip them with the skills for success in every area of their lives. I'll be linking each assignment on PowerSchool to the Core Standard it fills. I want students and parents/guardians to understand the purpose of each assignment.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.
- W.7.3a Engage and orient the reader by establishing a context and point of view and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically.
- W.7.3b Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, and description, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.
- W.7.3c Use a variety of transition words, phrases, and clauses to convey sequence and signal shifts from one time frame or setting to another.
- W.7.3d Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to capture the action and convey experiences and events.
- W.7.3e Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on the narrated experiences or events.
Monday, November 12th: Calendar, Planner/Reading Check, Clean out Folders, Introduce the Personal Narrative Unit and work on the Neighborhood Map
Tuesday, November 13th: Stories from Lyman Hafen's book, Pre-Writing Activity
Wednesday, November 14th: Read Gary Paulsen's "Girls", Library Day
Thursday, November 15th: Smiley Face Tricks Group Activity, Begin Draft
Friday, November 16th: Utah-in-the-News, Random-Student-of-the-Week, GECKO TIME!! (students who are caught up receive an enriched activity, students who are behind in their work can catch up in Homework Hall and students who have not understood a concept receive remediation).
I spent the last couple days at the Utah Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development where I learned a great deal about increasing rigor, critical thinking skills and REAL life learning in the classroom. I feel totally motivated and inspired and I am excited to share what I have learned with my students.
I was also fortunate enough to receive the "Teacher of Tomorrow" award which Dixie State College nominated me for. It was really humbling and motivating to receive an award for new teachers. I LOVE teaching at Lava Ridge Intermediate School with a fantastic administration, staff and faculty, and I really LOVE all of my 141 students and I will never keep working as hard as I can to help them learn and succeed.
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