Category: Blogs

According to Kelly Gallagher, “Part of the reason my students have such a hard time reading is because they bring little prior knowledge and background to the written page. They can decode the words, but the words remain meaningless without a foundation of knowledge. To help build my students’ prior knowledge, I assign them an “Article of the Week” every Monday morning. By the end of the school year I want them to have read 35 to 40 articles about what is going on in the world. It is not enough to simply teach my students to recognize theme in a given novel; if my students are to become literate, they must broaden their reading experiences into real-world text.”

For the past three weeks, the tenth grade Language Arts team has been building on the momentum generated by the ninth grade LA team with Sustained Silent Reading.  In his Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) book entitled “Building Student Literacy Through Sustained Silent Reading”  high school English teacher Steve Gardiner offers a powerful solution for teachers who want to improve their students’ reading ability: Let students choose what they read and give them the time to read it.

Research supports frequent intervals of SSR throughout the week over an hour long intensive reading binge.  For this reason, the tenth grade LA team has committed to offering all students dedicated time to engage in SSR at least three times a week.  (It goes without saying students should be reading at home as well.)

Students were asked to list some of the Dos and Don’ts of SSR – here is a summary of what they came up with!

#1.  READ

• Don’t be distracted (by your phones, by your music, by others, etc.)
• Don’t be doing work for another class.
• Do TAKE notes.
• Do read the whole time.
• Do keep track of words you don’t know.

#2. FIND the RIGHT BOOK 

• Go to the library.
• Check out Good Reads.
• Challenge yourself (read @ or above your level).
• Check out What Should I Read Next
• Ask for recommendations

#3. INCREASE READING and MENTAL STAMINA

The fact of the matter is, sustained silent reading just doesn’t come naturally to many people any more.  It takes a concerted effort to concentrate.  Biologically speaking, human beings are not hardwired to focus on one thing.  During SSR, students should build their stamina in order to concentrate on their reading.  It pays off in the end!

#4. USE SOLVING ROADBLOCKS STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE COMPREHENSION 

• Context Clues
• Re-Read
• Ask questions
• Make predictions
• Make connections
• Try Chunking the Text

#5.  RECOGNIZE THE MANY BENEFITS OF READING

• exercises your brain
• provides knowledge and information
• are a good topic of conversation
• improve writing skills
• great and free entertainment
• improves concentration and focus
• develops creativity
• increases your ability to empathize with others
• pose questions to stimulate further reflection
• good for memory
• enriches the language and vocabulary
• reduces stress, puts you in a better move

 

The goal of a rhetorical analysis is to articulate HOW the author writes, rather than WHAT they actually wrote. To do this, you will analyze the strategies the author uses to achieve his or her goal or purpose of writing their piece. For more information, please watch this video.

All students will need to understand how to use rhetorical analysis – if for no other reason than it will help prepare them for the SAT Writing Essay.  Honors students who can effectively use rhetorical analysis will be better prepared for their AP Language Exam next year.

It’s been a great two weeks, getting to know you, establishing norms, and building relationships.  Now it’s time to start digging in, and laying down some solid academic foundation for all the growth we will be making during the 2018-2019 school year!

Next week will be Pre-Assessment Week in Language Arts.

Please prepare to take:

• an SRI assessment (to gauge Lexile range)
• an argumentative writing pre-assessment
• a PSAT style assessment (to gather benchmark data)

Next week we will also be going to the library to check out books for SSR.  Each student is EXPECTED to have their SSR book with them at all times.  “Stop, Drop, & Read” is coming our way soon! Looking for something to read? Check out this site or visit the DHS media center catalog to see what books are available in the library.

Have a great weekend!

Ms. Sabbagh

Looking for a good book to read?  Check this list!

My teaching mantra for the 2017-2018 school year was William Butler’s quote “Education is not the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire.”  I’ve used this mantra to guide me during one of the most challenging and rewarding school years of my career.

I’ve always been a reflective teacher.  As a veteran teacher, I know that reflection is key in helping me improve as a teacher, and as a person.  I strive to impart this lesson on my students so that they too can grow as readers and writers, and as individuals.

I often ask my students for feedback after assignments (THANK YOU GOOGLE FORMS) and I firmly believe that education, with all that it entails, is a living creature.  We should always be adapting and evolving with the purpose of growing and improving.

I came across a Teacher Report Card on my Twitter PLN created & recommended by CA Educator, Matt Vaudrey (@MrVaudrey) – he graciously shared a copy of the TRC for me to use – which I tweaked for my students – and asked them to complete.

I asked my students the typical questions:

• Do I respect each student?
• Do I make each student feel important?
• Do I encourage each student to be responsible?
• Do I explain topics clearly?
• Do I tell students our learning goals?
• Do I try new teaching methods?

You get the idea. It’s funny, as I typed out the questions I asked my students, I struggled with the teacher-centered aspect of the questions asked, but then reminded myself, that the students were asked to “grade” me.  (Even before we get into the results, I take pride in the fact that my classroom is not teacher-centered.  It should never be about me. It should always be about the students and what they are learning.)

With that having been said, here are some of the results that I am proud of:

•   In my first hour Honors Language Arts 4 class, 96.4% of students marked that I seemed to enjoy teaching. I will be the first to admit that I am not a morning person, but I thoroughly LOVE my job, and *gasp* my students! I’m glad that I was able to shake off the dredges of the early morning blahs to create an engaging environment for my students.

Of course, it helps immensely that my students are awesome and such good sports.  Some of our favorite first hour memories center around our Hamlet unit: when Adam sang roles in Act Three, or when Abbass would perform such masterful readings as King Claudius or Hamlet, or Hannah’s chillingly accurate portrayal of the Queen.  Shakespeare would have been proud.  I know I was. 

• In my second hour HLA 4 class, 100% of students marked that I encourage different opinions.  I was never one of those teachers who claimed to know everything.  With that having been said, despite my best efforts, I struggle when being challenged, and boy, did some of my second hour students really push me when it came to asking questions.  For this reason, I am really proud of this particular data.

The question WHY? is one of the most important questions a student can ask.  Many students in my second hour definitely did not accept the status quo; one student, in particular, really pushed me.  And while it was uncomfortable and often inconvenient, I have to give a special shout-out to Jaafer.  I wasn’t always patient, and I am sorry for that, but looking back, I can appreciate how his questions made me reflect on so many aspects of my teaching practice. 

• In my third hour HLA 4 class, 96.8% of students marked that I graded fairly.  Considering that almost 88% of the class ended the semester with an A (or A-),  of course the data for this element would be favorable.  Granted, this class was comprised of extraordinarily bright and self-motivated students (and I do consider myself a “fair” grader), the way the education system is set up, grading is not nearly as objective as it should be.

After attending Rick Wormeli’s Standards Based Grading seminar, I am anxious for an overhaul of our grading practices.  I hate the subjective nature of grades and grading.  I am eager for standards based grading because I believe that it will focus more on student mastery – what did students LEARN and how can or did they DEMONSTRATE that knowledge? I take pride in the fact that students are walking out of my classroom sharing their learning experiences, rather than talking about grades or extra credit (*gasp*Kleenex boxes*gasp*).

• In my ELL 3B class, 78.9% of students shared that I try new teaching methods.  I am proud of this data because comprehensible input is especially important for English Language Learners.  By being open to trying new teaching methods, I am differentiating and scaffolding in such a way as to maximize student learning for my ELLs.

Of course, trying new things did not come without some extraordinary failures.  I remember one time when I tried to incorporate the SIOP strategy Running Dictations while using Google Docs.  Long story short, my instructions and expectations were wildly unclear, and god love my students, they tried to indulge me in understanding what I was asking them to do, but it was a hot mess.  I remember sharing with my students that sometimes ideas fall short or fall flat, and that the most important thing was to learn from mistakes made.  As a result, one my worst instructional days was one of the most important lessons I ever taught my students. 

Comments from students on how this class can be improved: 

• use Nearpod more often
• Air conditioning!!! But really, there isn’t much that could be improved because this class was truly one of the best classes I’ve taken.
• more clarity on due dates for assignments
• getting the class more involved in bell-work
• This class can be improve by giving lessons or teaching students methods to answer PSAT like questions.
• Maybe getting done with bell-work sooner so we can learn more.
• Deeper discussions, on current events and other things.
• I think you should not by too kind to the students because some of them don’t really deserve it.
• Sharing our work with each other.

Definitely a lot to think about.  It sounds like I need to adjust my bell-work practices, and to be more explicit with due dates and expectations during assignments (RUBRICS!).  Also, I have to work on modeling and streamlining the collaborative process. I appreciate the feedback, and will definitely reflect on how to use the information shared on these surveys to improve my practice.

Comments from students about what they liked BEST about this class:

• The relationships you created between each student made this class very comfortable, and it made me look forward to seeing you everyday. (1st hr)
• The group work and all the discussions and gallery walks we had. I enjoyed strolling around the class celebrating other students’ work.(1st hr)
• I like when we have class discussions and debates. (2nd hr)
• I love to write, and this class teaches us how to be a better writer and reader. (2nd hr)
• The whole feel to the class is inspiring, calming, and challenging – helping me as a student to work efficiently. (2nd hr)
• It’s a free open classroom to learn and grow. (3rd hr)
• This class was interesting and allowed me to express my creative side. I was able to take my ideas and transform them into something that I was proud of as a means of completing my assignments. (3rd hr)
• The teacher really works hard on making us understand the lesson and that she treats us like her kids. (4th hr)
• All the teamwork and collaboration! (4th hr)

When I went into teaching, I thought I would be one of those strict, no-nonsense teachers – you know, the ones who don’t smile until after Christmas. Shortly after my first year of teaching, I realized that I was not that kind of teacher (nothing against those kinds of teachers; as a student, I always had so much respect for those teachers.)  A couple of years ago, one of my colleagues said that I was a no-nonsense teacher, but in a compassionate way. As I reflect on my tenth year teaching, I have a greater appreciation for the kind of teacher I am, the kind of classroom environment we create together, and the impact being exactly who I am, has on my students. 

Thank you for making the 2017-2018 school year one of the most significant years of my teaching career.

Growing up, we often heard the expression “Failure is not an option.”

I recently attended a seminar in which the speaker, distinguished standards-based grading advocate Rick Wormeli, said that he wishes schools would move away from this expression – stating that students see failure as something bad, something to be avoided.

Wormeli advised rethinking the idea of failure, stating, rather, that to F.A.I.L. signifies First Attempt In Learning.

Having heard this acronym in the past, and already being a fan, I paused to reflect on the original failure motto.

Famously (yet erroneously) attributed to Gene Kranz, flight director of Gemini, Apollo and Space Shuttle missions, I always interpreted the quote to mean that you can´t, nor should you, stop when you fail. Failure is not only an option, it is the way to success.  If the people involved in trying to bring Apollo 13 home had failed, then the mission would have ended.  Instead, they kept troubleshooting, kept failing, until they succeeded.

Wormeli went on to share our first attempts and how failing actually pushes us forward.

• When you are learning to walk, as a baby or a toddler, you don´t quit because you fall you on your butt, do you?  Nope, you pull yourself up, and with the encouragement of loved ones, try again. If we stopped at failure, we would still be crawling well into our adult years.
• When you are learning to ride a bike, you don´t quit because you fell off and scraped your knee, do you?  Nope, you get back on the bike, and start peddling again, with the help of someone holding the back of your bike as you literally get your wheels under you. If we stopped at failure, we would still be laying on the side of the road, holding our scraped knee.
• When you are learning to swim, you don´t quit because of a little thrashing about in the water.  Nope, you get back in the pool, and just keep swimming, until you are comfortable staying afloat in the water. If we stopped at failure, we would be floating face down in the pool, having let ourselves drowned.

Ultimately, students who take ownership of their learning, also take responsibility for how and what they learn.  Gone are the days where you are expected to ¨fill your bucket with knowledge¨”- it´s as William Butler Yeats said, ¨Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.¨

 

And YOU must be the one who lights the fire. 

If you wait for your parents, your teachers, your friends, etc. to fill the pail or light the fire, then you are being PASSIVE in your role as a learner – and there is no greater travesty.

Students should fail and fail often.  It is only by picking oneself up and trying again until you are successful, that you truly master whatever it is you are trying to learn.

Dr. Tae, physicist and skateboarding champion, shares how applying the same principles of learning how to skateboard, to school, can actually help students find more success from failure.

To read more on the topic, check out Fahkryś article,  This is Why Failure is Not an Option, But a Prerequisite for Success.

If you gave College Board your school email address, you should be able to access your scores here.

Please send me an email (or DM me on Instagram/Twitter @SabbaghELA) with your total and reading scores.  Thanks!

Some important skills a high school language arts students should learn how to do is how to analyze text, make a claim, and provide evidence to support the argument. After a student has mastered these skills, they can effectively persuade readers and make the writing more powerful.

After HLA 4 students read chapters 22 through 26 of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, one student went above and beyond to showcase their claim and evidence ability. The student made a claim that Atticus Finch has a personality type of ISFJ, the defender, along with other fictional characters such as  Melanie Hamilton Wilkes (Gone With the Wind), Ophelia (Hamlet), Dr. Watson (Sherlock Holmes), Arthur Dent (The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy), Narcissa Malfoy (Harry Potter), Steve Rogers (Captain America), Balin (The Hobbit), and Samwise Gamgee (Lord of the Rings).

Please enjoy the following student’s reflection. 

Atticus would fit the personality on an ISFJ, or “The Defender”. He fits many strengths and some of the weakness of this type. To begin, he is patient. In the end of chapter 22, he is spit on by Bob Ewell. Following this in chapter 23, Mrs. Stephanie Crawford explains how Atticus reacted, by “took out his handkerchief and wiped his face”. The event shows Atticus’s patience towards Bob Ewell because Bob Ewell tried to humiliate Atticus and he remained unruffled and did not strike back in revenge.

In addition, he also showed his patience in the courtroom with Mayella. She began to cry and get emotional while Atticus was calling her “Miss Mayella”. In this situation, he exhibited his patience by allowing her to finish before starting the next question and did not get angry after she became upset multiple times.

Another strength of the ISFJ personality type Atticus possesses is supportiveness. The 16 personalities website says that being supportive means that they “share knowledge, time, and energy with anyone who needs it, and all the more so with friends and family”. Atticus fulfills this characteristic by sharing with Scout many pieces of advice which she takes into account later in the book, such as courage and to step in other people’s shoes. Scout implements the second piece of advice in chapter 26 when she thinks of how Boo Radley must see the kids tormenting him while trying to contact him.

These pieces of advice help for Atticus this personality in through a strength of good practical skills. This trait entails using their altruism to help care for others. In the book, he cares for multiple people. First he assists Mrs. Dubose by having his kids go over and read to her even though she did not as him to. As is says on page 128, “ I told you that if you hadn’t lost your head I’d have made you go read to her.” By doing this, she would have been able to take her mind off her morphine addiction for a bit and it would be easier to endure. This example shows how Atticus cared for for Mrs. Dubose. He also provided aid for Tom Robinson by showing courage and taking the case. His definition of courage was “It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyways and you see through it no matter what.” (page 128). Atticus displayed this courage by defending Tom Robinson in the trial even though it was a large possibility he would lose because of the racial divisions of the time. He uses this courage to aid Tom Robinson and try to get the jury to declare him not guilty.

Despite showing the strengths of this personality , Atticus also shows some of the weaknesses. One of these weaknesses is repressing their feelings. In part 1, the kids are often harassed because their father is a “n*gger lover” because he is defending Tom Robinson. Scout and Jem tell Atticus about it and he tells them to ignore them. However, this constant heckling begins to worry him. He is worried about the safety of his kids, and worries about the actual size of the impact this case is having on him.  

All in all, Atticus is a great model of the ISFJ personality for many reasons. He possesses many strengths of the personality such as patience, supportiveness, and strong practical skills. He also possesses a weakness of ISFJ, hiding his feelings. A combination of these traits allows Atticus to be be a great defender for both his kids and Tom Robinson in the book.

Thank you S. Dickhudt (HLA4 – 2nd hour) for sharing your reflection with us. 

Being a teacher, we are charged with helping students develop and strengthen their content knowledge, as well as providing them with new opportunities to learn and grow.  In the midst of “working on skills,”  one hopes that the curriculum is both engaging and rigorous – a combination which sets students up for success, both inside and outside the classroom.  Luckily, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, a staple in high school curricula across the country, provides such opportunities.

Students at DHS examined the novel, keeping in mind the essential question, “How do we navigate through social injustice?” Upon concluding their reading of To Kill a Mockingbird, students spent time reflecting on the novel’s themes, implications, and powerful messages.

Here is one student’s reflection:

Just as Dr. Seuss once said, “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” I cannot believe the book’s over.

It was really a life-changing book in just about every single aspect possible. I learned so much about history, and within the time that I completed the first protocol to now, I witnessed a lot of internal growth. The ending was more than everything I could’ve imagined. Somehow I thought I’d feel unhappy, yet after page 374… I felt content. I would no doubt follow up again, and I’ve already gotten my mother interested. (She’s picking up a copy of her own). Whenever my younger sister saw the book lying in my room, she’d quickly pick it up and say she’d heard so much about the adventures of Atticus Finch; and every time she’d curiously flip through the pages, I’d jump, hoping I could pry the book from her hands before she saw anything alarming. But, I would want her to read, as well as understand the crucial themes from the book at such a young age. Understanding these concepts would help her blossom into a more open-minded person. I just don’t know how to go about regarding the censoring. I think that’s a part of To Kill a Mockingbird though, as ironic as it sounds. The community was so caught up in painting this artificial picture for their children that they forgot how to nurture them with the most important tool of all. Education. That’s it. Atticus, a man who was patient and educated, bred a future for his own kids filled with the same fate as his own by valuing both the truth, and education. He gifted them with the best gift of all. They gained the upper-hand on any child in their area.

All the characters developed realistically, and just the way I’d initially envisioned them to. Through all the surprises, and moments that caught me completely off-guard, I wouldn’t change a single thing. I truly hope that this book will never be banned simply because of a few choice words. Every 10th grader needs to understand the magnitude of Harper Lee’s various messages. I think that they really do hold the ability to shape the world today, as well as the future. There is no better way to convey a message than through a book, and this piece of literature truly proved that to me, time and time again. I cannot wait to open To Kill a Mockingbird back up again in five years and know that, this time around, we were the generation that tackled the themes presented to us.

Thank you L. Alsalman (HLA4 – 3rd hour) for sharing your reflection with us.