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Literature Teachers Chatboard

Sachar Link

by Elizabeth Chapin-Pinotti

Sep 26, 2009

The link...opps [link removed]

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Poetry Help

by Tffy

Sep 29, 2009

I need help finding litery devices in the poem Deliverance From Another Sore Fit by Anne Bradstreet.

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L. Swilley On 9/29/09, Tffy wrote: > I need help finding litery devices in the poem Deliverance > From Another Sore Fit by Anne Bradstreet.

I do not see any particular literary device here - other than the design of the argument of the poem:

The argument of the poem should first be considered in two parts: the first three stanzas desc...See More

Oct 1, 2009

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Has anyone read The Best Christmas Pageant Ever?

by CityTeacher

Oct 3, 2009

Hi! I've read a few reviews and they all say to be careful with the book, as it may have some inappropriate content. I'm thinking about ordering enough copies for my entire class (11 year olds)...It's an Accelerated Reader book on a 5.1 level. Has anyone done any lessons using this book? The reviews said the characters smoke and behave badly, but I...See More

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Aimee On 11/10/09, Candice Taylor wrote: > On 10/10/09, L.L wrote: >> On 10/03/09, CityTeacher wrote: >>> Hi! >>> I've read a few reviews and they all say to be careful with >>> the book, as it may have some inappropriate content. I'm >>> thinking about ordering enough copies for my entire class >>> (...See More

Dec 7, 2009

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Jen is this appropriate to be reading in a PUBLIC school. What happened to separation of church and state

Dec 15, 2009

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Stories about "How Conflict Leads to Change"

by Peter

Oct 8, 2009

Our 8th grade teachers want to develop a unit around the theme of how conflict leads to change. Are there any engaging short stories or pieces of literature that would address this theme and be suitable for 8th graders? Any advice would be greatly appreciated

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L. Swilley On 10/08/09, Peter wrote: > Our 8th grade teachers want to develop a unit around the > theme of how conflict leads to change. Are there any > engaging short stories or pieces of literature that would > address this theme and be suitable for 8th graders? Any > advice would be greatly appreciated =======================================...See More

Oct 9, 2009

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GReece That's exactly what I was going to say. Profundity and all that . . . > > Doesn't *every* story have either that theme or the theme > that no change takes place but should have? > > L.Swilley

Oct 21, 2009

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Goal Setting Books

by Martha

Oct 10, 2009

I'm doing goal setting lessons in grades Kinder-6th and looking for some mentor texts to read aloud. Other than "The Little Engine That Could" any other ideas for quick reads about motivation, perseverance, believing in oneself etc??

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Classroom Library Books - ebay auctions

by Mark Welch

Oct 15, 2009

FYI, I've posted several book lots on eBay this week, each containing between 10 and 27 young-adult books ideal for a classroom library.

[link removed]

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A question about novel studies....

by Helen

Oct 18, 2009

I am wondering how you approach novel studies.

My grade 10 students have started a novel and I have a whole range of reading abilities - some students I had to get them to promise me they wouldnt read the entire book the first weekend!

My question to you is do you:

A - have them read the novel then do all of your activit...See More

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Robert F On 10/19/09, L. Swilley wrote: > Dealing with a novel, I question the class(who may have > read only the first or second chapters) about events in the > first few pages that *I* know are building-blocks for the > larger issues of the work. (This may have to begin with a > close reading of the material in class - something perhaps >...See More

Oct 28, 2009

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L. Swilley On 10/28/09, Robert F wrote:

Today I found during discussion that some > students had read the story, but had not understood it well.

[Were they quizzed on the assigned reading? I use matching tests with 10 items on one side and 13 on the other. This avoids a process of elimination. The quiz takes 5 minutes and determines very...See MoreOn 10/28/09, Robert F wrote:

Today I found during discussion that some > students had read the story, but had not understood it well.

[Were they quizzed on the assigned reading? I use matching tests with 10 items on one side and 13 on the other. This avoids a process of elimination. The quiz takes 5 minutes and determines very well whether the students have read the assigned material.]

We > are reading "The Devil and Tom Walker" and Irving is a bit coy > here and there. After Walker's wife is killed by the devil, we > learn that "Tom consoled himself for the loss of his property > with the loss of his wife, for he was a man of fortitude." To > understand, you need to know what "consoled" means, and have a > sense of irony.

[You mean, I take it, that some or many students did not know the meaning of "consoled". In-class reading of the first few paragraphs of a story is always a good idea, and will resolve such problems. Ask a student to rephrase a sentence, then another to rephrase another. Perhaps you have assigned the whole story when only part of it should be addressed with your group.]

It seems that a close reading was called for.

[Yes, definitely. Never be pressured into that awful "covering of the material"; start slowly and precisely. With that foundation, larger parts of the work can then be addressed.]]

> How do you proceed? In the past you've mentioned reading > Shakespeare line by line. I don't think that is called for here, > but even going a paragraph at a time leaves many students > staring into space. How do I slow it down for some without > making it excruciating for many?

[You won't know how many or how few are involved until you give the quiz described above, then start with the first paragraph, asking what a story beginning so might be about. At this initial point, of course, the possible "paths" are many - but the exercise is to have the student *defend* his "path" by pointing out words or phrases in the first paragraph that give him his idea.]

[Look at the first paragraph of Conrad's "Secret Sharer": it describes the confusion of shore-line and sea. When we see that this is a story about the ambuiguity of law, its inability to judge every case fairly because of the confusing complexity of some cases (like this one of the secret sharer), we can see the possible art and purpose of such an opening. I am sure there are other readings of that first paragraph that anticipate parts of the argument in the story that follows, but there is at least *that*. If the teacher knows the story well - and he must know it as well as possible - he will recognize in the student's projections something he can give direction to, direction by continued questiolning of individual students that "bends" the thought of the class to what he wants them to see. There is NOTHING that can replace the teacher's prior knowledge of the "shape" of the work he is teaching; without that, he has nothing to direct the minds of his students to - and *that*, of course, is the whole purpose of his teaching: to re-create his own mind thinking out the problem into the minds of his students, and this by questioning them to have them "discover" what he knows and - above all - *how* he knows it. This is teaching *par excellence*; there is literally nothing else.]

[By the way, "Secret Sharer" is a wonderful story to teach.]

[L. Swilley]

Oct 30, 2009

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A reading of Wordsworth's "The World is Too Much With Us"

by L. Swilley

Oct 21, 2009

This poem expresses regret that our excessive worldly interests have blinded us to the nobler images of ourselves to be found in Nature. The argument of the poem is in three parts: part one, lines 1-5, is a description of our frantic worldy life and its opposition to a simpler and nobler existence to be achieved by comtemplating our image in Nature...See MoreThis poem expresses regret that our excessive worldly interests have blinded us to the nobler images of ourselves to be found in Nature. The argument of the poem is in three parts: part one, lines 1-5, is a description of our frantic worldy life and its opposition to a simpler and nobler existence to be achieved by comtemplating our image in Nature; part two, lines 5-9, gives examples of human images in nature to which we are blind. In part three, lines 9-14, the narrator says he would rather be an ancient pagan, for they, at least, had a proper appreciation of Nature which we so sadly lack. The depth of our worldliness is emphasized by "Late and soon, getting and spending," that is late getting but soon spending - we spend *before* we get (very like our current credit-card practices.) To establish the contrast between our excessive worldly interests and a healthier interest in Nature, the sonnet uses two references that focus on the human breast: in our worldly way, we "give our hearts away,' and this is a "sordid boon," a poor gift; but the world of Nature which we are asked to consider is pictured as a healthier, nobler kind of giving, a mother breast-feeding her child ("The sea that bares her bosom...the winds that would be howling at all hours...up-gathered now like sleeping flowers..."). By implication another contrast is made in the third part of the poem (lines 9-14). Here, the narrator says that he would "rather be a Pagan," for pagans not only saw themselves in nature, but saw their noble, god-like images there (Proteus, Triton); whereas we worldly generation have lost that, even though, as the poem implies ("I'd rather be a Pagan...), we are Christians. (And perhaps the image of the mother and child earlier anticipates this inference by suggesting Mary and her Infant Son). Ironically, and much to our discredit, our Christianity sould call us to the images of love in Nature to which the poem draws our attention; but although we profess to be Christians, and therefore unworldly, we are in fact un-Christian and very worldly indeed. The pagans were apparently more "Christian" than we are.

L. Swilley

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Help finding online course (American Lit. for TESOL cert.)

by Daniel Hanson

Oct 26, 2009

Hello, all!

I am going to finish up my TESOL certification that I started 5-6 years ago. All I need to do is take an American Literature class as well as complete the senior TESOL seminar. Since I teach during the day, I cannot take an American Literature course at the college where I started my TESOL certification. So, I'm looking for an ...See More

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Kindles in a classroom

by Carrie

Oct 27, 2009

Does anyone use Kindles in Middle School? If so, would you share how you use them with your classes?

What books have you downloaded?

Do you use any magazines? If so, what?

I would love to hear from you!

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