Dearborn Public Schools
Semester One’s Language Art 3 Final Exam is a district-created SAT style test which assesses students on the skills we have been developing throughout the course of the semester. Students should link their 8/9 PSAT scores, through College Board, to Khan Academy, which will in turn provide them with a tailor-made SAT test prep program. In preparation for their final exams in Language Arts, students are encouraged to practice on Khan Academy.
As we went around the table on NYE and shared our resolutions, my mom proudly proclaimed, “I don’t believe in resolutions! I’m just going to keep doing what I’m doing. Life is good.”
We all kind of looked around at each other and were like, “Okay Mom.”
Granted, my resolutions were to travel more, be more honest about things I want and don’t want to do, and, or course, to save money.
and 
and 
But, on the eve of going back to school after the break, and knowing that the next seven days before final exams are going to be…. something else, I got to thinking, maybe my mom is right.
My mother’s philosophy is “Everything in moderation.” While I tend to adopt a more hedonistic lifestyle, my mom is right, life SHOULD be about balance.
Recently a new IG account blasted the stress students experience in schools. They are not wrong. School CAN be stressful. But it’s NOT enough to complain about it – what are you doing to make things more manageable for yourself?
It always makes me sad when we wait until it’s too late to learn valuable, common-sense lessons. I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting about honesty, vulnerability, and accountability. At the end of the day, the reality is what it is. At the end of the day you NEED to ask yourself, what CHOICES are YOU making to be HAPPY and/or SUCCESSFUL?
I’m not sitting here telling you it’s easy. It’s not. There are just only so many things YOU can control – and I hate to see you needlessly frustrated.
I follow a WA English teacher on Twitter @MonteSyrie who shared the following quote, “I won’t make you learn, but I will help you learn. That is my commitment. The rest is up to you.”
As your teacher, I have a job to do. As my student, so do you. So, let’s work together and achieve great things! Not because it is a New Year – but because it is the right thing to do, for YOU!
“In the end, a person is only known by the impact he or she has on others.” – Jim Stovall
I wish I could remember how I came across The Ultimate Gift by Jim Stovall. All I can remember is that it happened in my earlier years as a teacher. I can remember that because I requisitioned the books for my class, and was told that if I wanted a class set, I would have to buy them myself. I was a new teacher, and I certainly was not in any kind of financial position to spend that kind of money on a class set of books. But I did (almost $300 of my own money), and then begged the librarian to work her magic (you know, the one which prolongs the life of hardcover books).
It’s been almost a decade since I first made that decision, and education has changed a lot since then. There is an increased focus on standards – the justification being that by focusing on those, students will be able to transfer the skills across content, and I get it. But, as an 
English teacher who used to dream of sharing her passion for reading and literature with her students, it’s been a challenging shift. It almost feels forbidden to talk about literature for the sake of the messages deep in the pages of a book.
That’s why I LIVE for the weeks between Thanksgiving Break and Winter Break! It provides the golden opportunity for me to share The Ultimate Gift with my students! As Amazon.com sells it, “An inspirational story of what truly matters in life.”
Absolutely, we worked on words in context (standard 10.4), command of evidence (standard 10.1), and summary (10.2). It is, after all, my job to make sure students are getting the appropriate practice with those skills and standards.
Breakdown of Activities by Gift:
But – those skills and standards are not what students took away from The Ultimate Gift unit, and likely will not be what they remember the most from this unit.
In their own words:
things in life. Jason, in both the book and movie, took his blessings for granted, and in the end he progressed into a better person. The Ultimate Gift depicted the importance of gratitude and all sorts of lessons. It also showed how much of the events that occur in our life that we don’t appreciate until they’re gone. This story was good in which it served as a calling to do more good in the world and be thankful more often.
By the numbers:
Sabbagh Shout-Outs:
When we get back from break it’s going to be all final exam prep and the frenzy preparing for the new semester. But tonight, as I reflect on the joy of sharing The Ultimate Gift with my students, I am just so grateful. Thank you and enjoy your break!
The adage, “If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.” is famously attributed to many people, notably Malcolm X, Alexander Hamilton, Peter Marshall, and more.
Having students write argumentative essays goes beyond essential standards and honing writing skills. It also demands that students be critical examiners of an issue, and that’s not easy stuff.
As I begin grading the argumentative essays (which were turned in this past week), I look forward to discovering more about what our students are passionate about. (I kind of got distracted on Friday looking at all the wonderful “outside the box” SSR projects.)
It is my hope to provide timely feedback regarding the essays, and to have the SSR projects graded and returned before break. Thank you for your patience! 
As a community working together, we will ensure every student is successful.
Jill Chochol, Ph.D.
Executive Director of Student Achievement
Dearborn Public Schools
Dear Class of 2021 aka Sophomores,
I am currently a senior who is still attending Dearborn High School. I wanted to give you guys some advice on what you can do to prepare for college, even as 10th graders. The very first thing you can do is stay up to date with all of your work and try your best to raise your grades and GPA (Grade-Point Average) to the best of your ability. The second best thing is to start studying or practicing for the SAT. The SAT is a nationwide exam that colleges look at while reviewing your application; by starting the studying process from now, you will be extremely prepared to take it by the time your junior year comes around. Many students don’t even think about the SAT until it is too late or there is not enough time to study properly. The final thing you can do as a sophomore is start joining extra-curricular activities, such as: sports, clubs, school-sanctioned societies, etc.. These will help show colleges that you are able to balance school with other things outside of the classroom. Some activities often offer scholarships, which provide grant money from the club or sport for the college that will help you pay for tuition and everything else that you may need in college. This is my advice that I offer you. Please take it and you will be helping yourself a lot in the long run.
Karim Hazamy
Class of 2019
For the next three weeks, students will be focusing on the following skills:
Language Arts students will be examining this prompt: Should teenagers be allowed to make medical decisions regardless of what their parents or doctors might say?
Students will be using the following sources:
In preparation for this unit, students will be working on finding strong evidence (Standard 10.1), writing a strong claim (Standard 10.2), and supporting their claim and evidence with solid reasoning.
TIMELINE* FOR Argumentative Writing Unit:
Students’ argumentative essays are due November 29th – uploaded via Google Classroom.
*Of course, due dates are subject to change based on students’ progress with each step of the writing process.
A student told me yesterday that we do a lot of writing in my class, and she’s not wrong. She also made a comment about how she would like more feedback – which, of course, as a teacher, I love (partly because it is a component of my job, and partly because it means that the student wants to improve because SHE actually wants to improve).
And as I was preparing for today, it hit me. That’s the key. Student ownership.
Those of us in the teaching world know only too well about the plethora of educational buzzwords which bombard us daily – student ownership of their own learning is one such phrase.
Often times I find myself baffled that I can give the exact same instructions to 150 different students, and the results run the gamut of “Where were they when we were talking about this text?” to “Damn, this needs to be gilded, it’s so good!”
I know that as teachers we have the awesome responsibility of finding the right words at the right time to maximize student engagement during a lesson in order to motivate our students into producing the best results. But, at the end of the day, it’s not about me. I sat with that truth for a while, and let those words roll around. It’s not about me.
When you walk into my classroom, there is a poster with a Chinese proverb which reads, “Teachers open the door, but you must enter yourself.” This adage basically sums up my educational philosophy. I am a facilitator.
Confession: I had a hard time last week. In the midst of my own personal struggles, I was struggling at work too. At the heart of my struggle was the fact that I seemed to care more about my students’ learning than they do. I did a lot of soul-searching, shed a lot of tears, and then I faced the reality of the situation, “It’s not about me.”
Six years ago, in a middle school gym, motivational speaker Bill Cordes told my students “YOGOWYPI!” and they all looked at him like he was crazy, or making up words. YOGOWYPI stands for “You only get out what you put in.” Your education, your life, is what you make of it. As your teacher, I will do my very best to create learning opportunities that are engaging, meaningful, and content-rich.
But, if you’re waiting until the last minute to examine conflict in Orwell’s “Shooting an Elephant,” copying someone else’s math homework from a Snap, or lamenting “But Miss they’re just notes” about your Honors Chemistry work… you are ROBBING yourself of getting the most out of your education.
I care. I am a compassionate, hard-working, and principled person. I believe that character matters more than content, and I also believe that how I teach content will help build your character.
The time is now for you to TAKE ACTION – for you to care about your learning in real and valuable ways. Again, I will do my very best by you. I wholeheartedly expect the same courtesy from you. NOT for me, but for yourselves.
Addendum: When I first started writing this entry, I wanted to share that writing helps me see how you’re thinking, feeling, working, etc. Writing is the proof, at least for me, that you are learning and growing. I taught exclusively writing for six years – it is a passion of mine. AP Language and Composition is all about the choices a writer makes and how it impacts the reader. Reading, speaking, and listening all play important roles. But writing… writing is an art. Writing is powerful, and that’s all I want for my students – for them to be truly empowered. Empowered to make changes, to confront adversity, to live their very best lives, to be the very best versions of themselves they can be. #noexcuses
This week students are reading George Orwell’s 1936 essay “Shooting an Elephant.” From a curriculum standpoint, Orwell’s essay tackles the essential question “What compromises to one’s integrity are people willing to make in order to be accepted?”
Cue insightful conversations about integrity, compromises, character and reputation.
From a Language Arts perspective, the text also offers students the opportunity to work on essential standard 10.2.
Spoiler Alert – In true Orwellian fashion, the elephant is symbolic of his feelings on imperialism. Furthermore, the essay demonstrates how even agents in charge of enforcing order, are sometimes faced with morally ambiguous scenarios in which, as the essential question hints at, they find themselves torn between obeying their duty to a higher authority versus a responsibility to oneself and one’s beliefs.
One does not have to look very far to witness this conflict in today’s society.
Earlier this week students were asked to reflect on integrity, and its relationship to character and future success. It’s not a far leap to see that a person with a strong character and a solid reputation, is one who demonstrates integrity in spades.
Integrity is not just another buzzword: who you are and what you do MATTERS! It matters in moments both big and small. I cannot emphasize this enough.
Students are faced with choices every day – and maybe it’s not whether or not to shoot an elephant to save face in front of a group of people who hate what you represent. Maybe it’s seeing the bigger picture – realizing that the choices you make, daily, big or small, directly impact your future.
Lining up the perfect shot in a pool game. Texting back someone who is spamming you. Being lured in by the siren call of notifications. And now I am talking about the elephant in the room, perhaps not as insidious as imperialism, but just as dangerous and alarming: CELL-PHONES.
I got my first cell phone was I was a senior in high school. It was one of those case phones that stayed in the car. My parents felt more comfortable with the idea of giving me a phone because I was driving my sisters to school. I needed to be, according to my parents, reachable.
Cell phones have come a long way since 1999. And, despite the fact that they are now called “smart phones” – the truth is, they do everything but make our kids smart.
I’m not here to police the whys and hows of giving cell phones to your kids. However, I think it’s worth mentioning that our students are addicted. (Don’t get me wrong, they are not the only ones.)
I have heard from administrators and tech gurus alike that if the teacher is engaging, then “the cell phone problem” will be a moot point. First of all, that is not a fair burden to place on the teacher. I consider myself an effective teacher – and students still struggle with staying off their phones.
Confession: I don’t police phones in my classroom. It’s not why I became a teacher. From the start I tell my students it is my job to ensure that they are learning. If/when I notice that something or someone is intervening in/with their learning, that’s when I step in.
I don’t want to take your phone. 
But I do want, nay, I need you to tell me… how is taking a selfie with a filter enhancing you as a person? How is watching someone’s Snapchat story preparing you to engage in today’s lesson? How is listening to music during group work helping you learn how to interact with different people in various situations?
If you can answer any of those questions, then I will stop right now.
But you can’t.
Oh how I wish students would pick up a book and read, instead of grab their phones when they are “done” with their work. Done is in quotation marks because education has become a sprint to getting back to students’ fix, their cell phone addiction.
So, why isn’t there a global intervention to do right by our kids?
When it comes to cell phones – we need to be on the same page. And who is “we” you’re asking? We is everyone. We is the parents, the school, administration, teachers, family, friends, cell phone carriers, etc. We all have a responsibility to tell our kids, whom we love, that their addiction is hurting them. It’s hindering their ability to be/stay engaged, to make connections, to interact with their peers, to think deeply.
Teachers have SO much on their plates – and we just want to do our jobs, which is to help students learn and grow and become rich, dynamic citizens of this global society. But there is something that is getting in our way – something that is physically, emotionally, and mentally stopping us from doing our jobs effectively. And it has absolutely nothing to do with our abilities as a teacher. When we call home expressing concerns about your child’s cell phone habits in class, we are met with one of two responses: either “You have my permission to take their phone.” or “Why is this my problem?”
Let me say it again, I did not become a teacher to police students’ cell phone use. I am grateful for the opportunity to impact your child’s life in profound and meaningful ways. However, I am shackled by the lack of support in dealing with their cell phone addiction.
In a perfect world, smart phones could be used to engage students while using technology. But we don’t live in a perfect world – because if we did, my honor’s language arts student would not be playing some computer game after taking his reading assessment, when what he really needs to be doing is making up yesterday’s work.
In a perfect world, I could confiscate a phone – and then as I’m facilitating class discussion, walk by a JV football player who has his hand to his side, looking like he’s on his phone, only to have him smirk at me when I “catch” him … *gasp* just pretending to be on his phone.
In a perfect world, I wouldn’t have to confiscate a kid’s phone because he is a literal danger due to not paying attention, only to have another student pick his phone off my desk in some elaborate scheme to get me in trouble for “losing a student’s phone.”
And I could go on – but the thing is, how do any of those scenarios I just shared enrich a student’s life? Further their education? Make this world a better place? And the truth is… they don’t – and that’s when we know we have a problem.
And I am not saying anything you haven’t heard before.
Just last year, France moved to ban cellphone use in school. Harvard University just completed a study And it’s easy to talk about the problem, and harder to manage it or even solve it. But WE have to… for our kids.
Long story longer – I care. I care about our students and their education. I have high expectations for them – and I feel the weight of that responsibility. All I am asking is that they shoulder some of it too. We are all aiming for the same thing; let’s make the kinds of choices that help us get there together.
Thank you for reading.
