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High School English Teachers Chatboard

New Teacher

by mgmartin

Jul 10, 2011

At the end of this coming year I will graduate from Arizona State University with a Bachelor's of Education - English. I plan on taking my Arizona boards this coming September. Upon graduation I hope to find a full-time position with DPS that I could begin the following August (2012). Does anyone have any suggestions on the best way of finding a po...See More

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Please help!

by abateacher

Jul 13, 2011

Hi, I am currently taking a class on co-teaching and collaboration. For this class, I need to conduct a quick survey (9 questions) on co-teaching and would appreciate your help. It's completely anonymous. Thanks!!! [link removed]

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Teaching Shakespeare

by lina

Jul 14, 2011

Hi everyone,

I would like to know your opinion with regards to teaching Shakespeare:

1. how much time do you on average spend teaching Shakespeare in the classroom and how does it fit into the curriculum?

2. what is the overall reaction towards his works: would you like to teach more or less Shakespeare?

3. do y...See More

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Natasha If you are interested in teaching Shakespeare to younger students, I recommend watching the documentary called The Hobart Shakespeareans. It's about a class of 5th graders who put on a Shakespearean play every year. The teacher, Rafe Esquith, also writes books about his teaching practices.

Jul 30, 2011

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Sam J I teach Shakespeare in my classes. I usually spend 3-4 with reading, discussion, activities, writing, etc. I love teaching the plays, and students, for the most part, enjoy the stories.

9th grade- Romeo and Juliet 10th- Julius Caesar or The Tempest 12th- Macbeth

(11th is American Lit)

In our community younger students can...See More

Nov 13, 2011

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Differentiated Instruction

by Jennifer B

Jul 19, 2011

lease, please, if any of you are willing to take a quick 10 question survey, I would be most grateful!

I am an aspiring English teacher working on my M.Ed. and am currently conducting research about differentiated instruction in the English language arts classroom. I am interested in discovering how you feel about using it in your classro...See More

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Bulletin Boards

by Calla

Jul 25, 2011

Hi, everyone!

I am looking for some great bulletin board ideas for my "high school English" classroom this year. I have one very long board at the back of my room that I was contemplating turning into two different themed boards -- The problem is, I have no idea what to do.

I want something that is different, and that the studen...See More

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curiositycat One of my bulletin boards is dedicated to our outside reading. Each quarter my middle school students are required to read one outside book of their own choosing. The only stipulation is that first and third quarters be fiction and second and fourth quarters be nonfiction. At the end of each quarter I pass out index cards, and the kids can do book ...See More

Jul 25, 2011

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froggybee If your kids have the technology, have them do book reviews or other assignments on the computer and then create QR codes to post on your bulletin board. Students can then come to class and use their phones to look at other students' assignments. There are a lot of different QR code generators out there. On 7/25/11, Calla wrote: > Hi, everyone! ...See More

Jul 27, 2011

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Dracula, East of Eden, and Song of Solomon

by Mrs. Z

Jul 25, 2011

Dracula, East of Eden, and Song of Solomon are our summer reading novels in which we are required to test the students during the first week of class. I have come up with some tests of my own, but I'm not overly satisfied with what I have at this point. Does anyone know of where I can go to see other tests over these novels so I can merge some idea...See More

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Mr. Z. On 7/25/11, Mrs. Z wrote: > Dracula, East of Eden, and Song of Solomon are our summer > reading novels in which we are required to test the > students during the first week of class. I have come up > with some tests of my own, but I'm not overly satisfied > with what I have at this point. Does anyone know of where > I can go to se...See More

Jul 25, 2011

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Mark You can find links to dozens of resources for each novel, including some tests and quizzes for each: - Dracula (153 links) - East of Eden (23 links) - Song of Solomon (25 links)

at:

Jul 27, 2011

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11th Grade HELP!

by CJ

Jul 27, 2011

I have changed schools and content areas. Where I was teaching 9th grade, I am now responsible for 11th grade ACT and writing scores and I am scared to death!! I'm not a new teacher (this is my 6th year) but I know I am not a strong writing teacher. I don't want to just teach grammar and writing in isolation, so I guess what I'm looking for are ide...See More

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AJ On 7/27/11, CJ wrote: > I have changed schools and content areas. Where I was > teaching 9th grade, I am now responsible for 11th grade ACT > and writing scores and I am scared to death!! I'm not a new > teacher (this is my 6th year) but I know I am not a strong > writing teacher. I don't want to just teach grammar and > writing i...See MoreOn 7/27/11, CJ wrote: > I have changed schools and content areas. Where I was > teaching 9th grade, I am now responsible for 11th grade ACT > and writing scores and I am scared to death!! I'm not a new > teacher (this is my 6th year) but I know I am not a strong > writing teacher. I don't want to just teach grammar and > writing in isolation, so I guess what I'm looking for are > ideas on writing incorporation with American literature. > > Thanks in advance for any advice. CJ

I personally love 11th grade-- the students are more mature and capable of greater insights, and (should) have a firmer grasp on the mechanics of writing. (Of course, you'll still have strugglers and slackers, but such is high school, eh?) I wouldn't panic over the ACT scores yet; remember, they are ultimately responsible for that score, and it should reflect all of their years of writing and reading experience (it is not a school district requirement, or shouldn't be!). Also, many kids, at least in my neck of the woods, take test prep courses outside of school. Still, parents and kids do expect that we'll cover at least some of the material. Try to relax and focus on the skills you have-- you probably are teaching many of the same concepts we teach the older kids. I personally try to keep it simple - say, start by creating the conclusion and work backwards to find the best supporting evidence. I also spend time getting them to break free from the funnel intro and five-paragraph Jane Schaffer model that is so limiting. I tell them it's okay to have a two-sentence thesis, for instance, or to save the conclusion for the end (beats regurgitating the whole essay again in the last paragraph). It's NOT okay to begin every other line with "this shows that". Basically, I just tell them it's time to take the training wheels off.

I agree with you that writing should not be taught in isolation. I will use practice SAT grammar exercises on Thursdays, but I usually save grammar for correcting common mistakes during peer editing and rough draft work. There are many ways to tie American Lit. into writing. You could try an imitation essay, for instance, when covering persuasive political speeches (MLK, or Patrick Henry, say). Students mimic the style of a famous speech while discussing their own topic. (It gets kids used to using elevated structure, tone and voice.) I also have my kids write a parody of a Poe story around Halloween, which introduces elements of figurative language. In our district, the 11th grade writing focus is the literary analysis so I focus largely on that, and require a lit analysis essay for every novel. I teach figurative language, tone, etc., and have kids answer those questions in handouts before combining elements. STudents may compare two characters, or show how opposing ideas are represented (e.g., Community vs. Individuality, or Godliness vs. Worldliness, in the Crucible). Later, students include the purpose of symbols, narrator's tone, etc. in their essays. Also, my students are required to write a research paper. If you have some leeway here, you could have them research American poets, or inventors, or historical events that tie in with your literature.

I also practice some timed writings, with the emphasis on two pages (one-sided)-- not # of paragraphs-- and focus on either persuasion or comparison/contrast. You can find old SAT/ACT prompts online to practice with, and maybe find some that tie in with a concept or theme that relates to a novel or short story you're teaching?

I hope some of this is useful. I also hope you enjoy this year and some elevated discourse with the "older" kids! (You might just love it :-)

All the best, AJ

Jul 27, 2011

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marjoryt These students can always use refreshers on: library skills MLA format for quotations and works cited summaries paraphrases scheduling their time multiple choice testing skills (eliminating bad choices) organizing critical reading (especially for taking notes) applying literary strategies towards works of literature (such as pop psychology or compa...See More

Sep 11, 2011

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Mock Trial class

by Froggybee

Jul 27, 2011

Hello! I need some help! I am looking for a novel that focuses on a trial but would be appropriate for gifted 8th graders (all reading at a high school level). I am teaching a mock trials class and want to incorporate a novel. My first thought was To Kill a Mockingbird, but it isn't exactly what I want. Any help would be appreciated!

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Mark One book that comes to mind is Monster, by Walter Dean Myers.

Another idea would be Twelve Angry Men -- though it doesn't have an actual trial scene.

But teachers have crafted "mock trial" lesson plans for many novels (and historical situations).

Jul 29, 2011

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Mark My link in the prior email was garbled somehow. My intent was to link to a Google search for the phrase

[ site:lessonindex.com "mock trial" ]

which brings up links for a dozen novels.

Jul 29, 2011

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Edublogs

by curiositycat

Aug 11, 2011

Anyone here having their students blog with Edublogs? I'd like to give it a shot with my seventh graders this year and would appreciate any do's and don't's. Thanks!

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curiositycat Hi bookworm,

I need a vehicle that will allow my seventh graders to do more creative/opinion writing that won't produce a ton more grading for me. My plan is to use Edublogs to have them blog once every couple of weeks (they can do more if they want to). They'll get a rubric score for completion, and then I'll have them select their best ...See More

Aug 17, 2011

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bookworm If you want we can communicate through emails and I can provide you with more details.

On 8/17/11, curiositycat wrote: > Hi bookworm, > > I need a vehicle that will allow my seventh graders to do more > creative/opinion writing that won't produce a ton more grading > for me. My plan is to use Edublogs to have them blog once ...See More

Aug 18, 2011

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