by Kathryn Fetter | Sep 19, 2018 | Blogs
Monday 9/17:
- Library – Book Checkout
- Mentor Sentences Bellwork – Locate 2 examples of beginning participial phrases in your SSR book
- SSR
Tuesday 9/18:
- SSR
- Introduce Article of the Week #1: A Quick Note on Getting Better at Difficult Things
- Step 1: Chunking. We discussed the process of breaking a longer text into smaller parts and why we do that. I then modeled for the students what my thought process was as I was chunking the article of the week.
- Step 2: Roadblocks. Using the article of the week, I modeled how to use different roadblock strategies.
- Roadblock Strategies Notetaker – Students use this notetaker to keep track of different roadblock strategies we use to help us decipher unknown words and phrases.
- Students were asked to locate and solve 3 roadblocks apart from the ones we deciphered as a class.
Wednesday 9/19:
- LATE START
- SSR
- Mentor Sentences
- Article of the Week #1
- We shared out 3 roadblocks that students found and solved using different strategies.
- Step 3: Talking to the Text. Ms. Reiff and I modeled a partner activity for talking to the text. Students then paired up and did a think aloud on the second chunk of the article.
Thursday 9/20:
- SSR
- Word Part Mini-Presentations: Un- and Re-
- Article of the Week #1 (continued):
- Step 3: Talking to the Text (continued)
- Students received the Annotation Sentence Starters. Using the categories given (ex. Clarify, Questions, Connect, etc.), students had to label the annotations they completed with their partners on Wednesday.
- After labeling their existing annotations, students were asked to annotate the rest of the article (the back of the sheet) while keeping in mind the categories of annotations they hadn’t used yet. Students should use the sentence starters given to guide their annotations.
- Right before the end of the hour, students were asked to trade with a partner. Their partner then circled their best annotation that indicates deeper thinking, which will be shared right after SSR tomorrow.
Friday 9/21:
- SSR
- Article of the Week #1 (concluded):
- Highlighting – only essential details necessary for understanding should be highlighted. Everything else is extra. This will then help students to determine what the main idea is. If you need this modeled for you because you were absent, please let one of us know.
- SOAPS – This is something that will be completed each time we do an Article of the Week. Today our focus is on main idea (the last two boxes: Purpose and Subject); however, the whole sheet is due on MONDAY 9/24. Please let me know if you have any questions on how to do this.
by Kathryn Fetter | Sep 11, 2018 | Blogs
Monday 9/10:
- Reminder about standards-based grading: we review exactly which standard we are assessing and how we will be assessing it each time we have a major assignment, so it is important that students pay close attention during these discussions. Also remember that, each time we re-assess a standard, the new score will replace the old score.
- My Learning Plan:
- Turn to pages 24-29 in your DHS planner. Find the page for your hour, and fill in “LA 1” in the blank for first semester. After the colon, write in your grade goal for this class.
- Example: “My LA 1 Goal for Semester 1 is: to maintain at least a B average each marking period.”
- Do not fill in any of the card marking reflection prompts. Those will be filled in later on.
- Binder Setup Part 1: Goal Setting
- Students received their Pre-Assessment results (a 14-question pre-test given in the first week of school), which included a break down of how well they performed on each standard that was assessed. See me or Ms. Reiff if you were absent so we can give you your results.
- Standards Tracking Spreadsheet:
- Using this conversion list, students must convert their scores for each standard from “__ questions right out of __” to the 4-point rubric used with standards based grading. The new score should be written next to the correct standard on the spreadsheet. This will help you to accurately keep track of your progress towards mastering each standard.
- KEEP IN MIND: ON YOUR ASSESSMENT RESULTS, THE STANDARDS ARE NOT IN NUMERICAL ORDER.
- Card Marking 1: Goal Setting (See Page 2):
- Using the scores from the Pre-Assessment, students should select one standard that they are struggling with most in order to fill out their Card Marking 1 goal. Students should answer questions 1-4 thoroughly, but they should not fill in the bottom section about their SRI scores, as those will be ascertained on Wednesday. This sheet was checked in on Tuesday 9/11 at the beginning of class.
Tuesday 9/11:
- Card Marking 1: Goal Setting is due at the beginning of the hour today!
- Binder Setup Part 2 (listed in order of how they should be in your binder):
- Table of Contents – This is the first page and should be filled in with the proper order of the documents kept in our class binder. A running list will be kept on the front board of the classroom.
- Syllabus (print off your own copy if you have misplaced your original)
- About the Author – Fill in this sheet with information about you. Use complete sentences for the last four questions.
- Standards Tracking – (Given on 9/10)
- Card Marking 1: Goal Setting (Given on 9/10)
- Glossary of Literary Terms – This is a list of terms that we will be referencing throughout the school year and is a tool for you to use.
- Robert Frost’s “A Road Not Taken” – As a class, we read through the first stanza and marked it up as detailed in the instructions on the handout. I also did a think aloud that demonstrated to the students how I would like them to go about annotating a text: I would like students to include thoughts on analysis, questions regarding confusion or what they want to know more about, and connections they can make to the text. This should be completed in its entirety by Wednesday 9/12!
Wednesday 9/12:
- Check “The Road Not Taken” in for a grade.
- SRI test – Students find out what their lexile scores are so that they can pick books that are at their reading level. Ask us about making this up if you were absent.
- Go to Google Classroom and see the “Book Wish List” assignment. This must be completed on Google Classroom before Monday.
Thursday 9/13:
- Introduce the “Sassy Sentences” Mentor Sentences bellwork routine. See us if you were absent!
- Beginning Participial Phrases Notes:
- Phrases are not complete sentences BUT are attached to complete sentences with a comma.
- Participial phrases take a verb form and use it as an adjective, in this case, we’ll use –ing and –ed phrases.
- Introduce the “Word Part Mini-Presentations.” See us if you were absent!
Friday 9/14:
- HALF DAY
- Continue doing the mentor sentences and share out examples.
by Kathryn Fetter | Sep 4, 2018 | Blogs
Monday 9/3:
Tuesday 9/4:
Wednesday 9/5:
- Work time on either your choice poem or the “I found myself” poem
- Peer feedback activity
- Poems are due tomorrow!
Thursday 9/6:
- Poems are due!
- Presentations
- Reflection Questions (if time allows)
Friday 9/7:
- Picture day! Dress nice and bring your best smile!
- Finish presentations (if applicable)
- Class Reflection
by Kathryn Fetter | Aug 27, 2018 | Blogs
Monday 8/27:
Tuesday 8/28:
- New seats! See me if you were absent.
- Semester 1 Syllabus read through and Syllabus Hunt worksheet completed in pairs
- Summer Reading Quick-Write – See me if you were absent so you can make this up!
- Syllabus signatures from student and parent/guardian are due on Thursday August 30th!
Wednesday 8/29:
- Pre-Assessment – see me if you were absent.
- Google Classroom Codes:
- 1st Hour – v7vd34t
- 2nd Hour – zn5l0s
- 3rd Hour – p5hfyww
- 4th Hour – giowui3
- 5th Hour – e40unw9
Thursday 8/30:
Friday 8/31:
- NO SCHOOL! See you on Tuesday 9/4!
Reminders:
- Syllabus Signatures are due Thursday 8/30!
- Class supplies are due Tuesday 9/4!
by Kathryn Fetter | Jun 4, 2018 | Blogs
Monday 6/4:
- SSR for 15 minutes
- Introduce the May SSR Assessment: this is an oral assignment that students should prepare outside of class. See the assignment sheet for more details and let me know if you have any questions.
- Individual close reading of Act 4 Scene 1. Students should answer the questions individually so that they may be checked first thing tomorrow.
Tuesday 6/5:
Wednesday 6/7:
Thursday 6/8:
Friday 6/9:
