11th Grade HELP!

Join Teachers.Net

Chatboards

Recent Groups

HS English

MEMBERS

12 Members

+ Join Group

Pinned Posts

ALLAll Teachers

Teachers.Net LIVE CHAT Support group - Tues eve!

Featured Jobs

Full-timeMontessori Teacher

Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Canada

TemporaryTeachers, rural schools

Peace River North School District

Full-timeHead Teacher: 2nd/3rd Grades – Mills College Children’s School

Mills College

Teaching Jobs on Teachers.Net

Featured Job special only $39!

https://teachers.net/jobs

Become a Teachers.Net sponsor!

High School English Teachers Chatboard

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 ideas on writing incorporation with American literature.

Thanks in advance for any advice. CJ

Comment

(3)

report post

Lee Out of curiosity, what state are you in? I ask because IL has dropped the writing portion of the ACT. As far as formatting, English classes follow the MLA format: Briefly:Intro, Multiple body paragraphs, and conclusion. Intro must contain the a thesis statement, topic sentences must relate to thesis. Conclusion rewords the thesis and leaves the rea...See More

Jul 27, 2011

report post

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

report post

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

report post