Organizing a Gr7 LA class? Lit. circles? Sentence Diagram..? – Teachers.Net (Literature)

Join Teachers.Net

chatboardsgroups

Chatboards

Recent Groups

Literature

MEMBERS

6 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

Teaching Jobs on Teachers.Net

Featured Job special only $39!

https://teachers.net/jobs

Become a Teachers.Net sponsor!

Literature Teachers Chatboard

Organizing a Gr7 LA class? Lit. circles? Sentence Diagram..?

by Krys

Sep 1, 2009

This is my first year teaching Gr 7 Language Arts and I am excited, but I do feel out of my element, as my comfort is Math (which I also get to teach this year). I have only 21 students as of right now and we start next week. I have gone back and forth about how to set up my actual teaching time for LA. I'll do reading here...for this long.. teach this Write Trait...do this vocabulary activity...I have a lot of ideas (many from these chatboards - thank you) but I do have a mathematical brain and so I'm trying to figure out a method to teach LA that makes sense to me and therefore the students. We do have 3 themes to cover - so one per term makes sense to me...I have a tentative plan to "cover" the 6 Traits of writing so that we can use the language and the skills to improve our writing...But how much time do you set aside for grammar? Spelling? I was thinking about incorporating both into our novel studies and theme work, especially since there is no "Speller" persay for Grade 7. I'd a...See MoreThis is my first year teaching Gr 7 Language Arts and I am excited, but I do feel out of my element, as my comfort is Math (which I also get to teach this year). I have only 21 students as of right now and we start next week. I have gone back and forth about how to set up my actual teaching time for LA. I'll do reading here...for this long.. teach this Write Trait...do this vocabulary activity...I have a lot of ideas (many from these chatboards - thank you) but I do have a mathematical brain and so I'm trying to figure out a method to teach LA that makes sense to me and therefore the students. We do have 3 themes to cover - so one per term makes sense to me...I have a tentative plan to "cover" the 6 Traits of writing so that we can use the language and the skills to improve our writing...But how much time do you set aside for grammar? Spelling? I was thinking about incorporating both into our novel studies and theme work, especially since there is no "Speller" persay for Grade 7. I'd also like them to have time to read independently, something of their choice...I want to do a read aloud...We'll be reading novels, short stories, newspaper articles as appropriate, poetry...we have certain forms of writing to cover: friendly letter, opinion piece, review, autobiography...etc. etc. How do you plan your year to make you get everything covered? (I'm also in PEI, Canada and we have to "high stakes, standardized tests, persay - so that's a comfort as far as covering everything goes...not the same type of pressure...)

Another related question...literature circles? Do you do them? Do you like them? How do you manage and organize them effectively, so that the curriculum is met, and chaos does not ensue?

Lastly, I was told that there are no stupid questions...so here goes: What's sentence diagramming? I was not taught grammar directly EVER and my degrees are not in English. These boards say that it is very worthwhile and I know that I could google it - but you are the experts...so...I assume the sentences are deconstructed...nouns, verbs, articles etc. identified perhaps? How do you suggest doing this effectively, while keeping Grade 7s engaged and also, having them believe that they really do "have to know this"?

Thanks in advance!

Krys

Jo Ann Hi Krys,

Congratulations on your new job. It can indeed seem overwhelming to try to fit in everything when teaching language arts.

To brush up on your grammar skills, please visit my website, grammargator.com. There is a big red button on the homepage that lets you instantly download a free 30 page Teachers' Guide to Grammar. ...See MoreHi Krys,

Congratulations on your new job. It can indeed seem overwhelming to try to fit in everything when teaching language arts.

To brush up on your grammar skills, please visit my website, grammargator.com. There is a big red button on the homepage that lets you instantly download a free 30 page Teachers' Guide to Grammar.

Next, you are definitely on the right track with your idea to incorporate grammar instruction in your novel units. To do this, also on my website are Grammar Guides to many popular young adult novels. They use sentences from the novels themselves to teach 12 key grammar skills for middle schoolers, while reinforcing reading comprehension at the same time. If you plan to do literature circles, students can be reading different books yet still learning the same grammar skills in context.

Good luck in the new school year!

Jo Ann

On 9/01/09, Krys wrote: > This is my first year teaching Gr 7 Language Arts and I am > excited, but I do feel out of my element, as my comfort is > Math (which I also get to teach this year). I have only 21 > students as of right now and we start next week. I have > gone back and forth about how to set up my actual teaching > time for LA. I'll do reading here...for this long.. teach > this Write Trait...do this vocabulary activity...I have a > lot of ideas (many from these chatboards - thank you) but > I do have a mathematical brain and so I'm trying to figure > out a method to teach LA that makes sense to me and > therefore the students. We do have 3 themes to cover - so > one per term makes sense to me...I have a tentative plan > to "cover" the 6 Traits of writing so that we can use the > language and the skills to improve our writing...But how > much time do you set aside for grammar? Spelling? I was > thinking about incorporating both into our novel studies > and theme work, especially since there is no "Speller" > persay for Grade 7. I'd also like them to have time to read > independently, something of their choice...I want to do a > read aloud...We'll be reading novels, short stories, > newspaper articles as appropriate, poetry...we have certain > forms of writing to cover: friendly letter, opinion piece, > review, autobiography...etc. etc. How do you plan your year > to make you get everything covered? (I'm also in PEI, > Canada and we have to "high stakes, standardized tests, > persay - so that's a comfort as far as covering everything > goes...not the same type of pressure...) > > Another related question...literature circles? Do you do > them? Do you like them? How do you manage and organize them > effectively, so that the curriculum is met, and chaos does > not ensue? > > Lastly, I was told that there are no stupid questions...so > here goes: What's sentence diagramming? I was not taught > grammar directly EVER and my degrees are not in English. > These boards say that it is very worthwhile and I know that > I could google it - but you are the experts...so...I assume > the sentences are deconstructed...nouns, verbs, articles > etc. identified perhaps? How do you suggest doing this > effectively, while keeping Grade 7s engaged and also, > having them believe that they really do "have to know this"? > > Thanks in advance! > > Krys

Sep 2, 2009

Krys Jo Ann,

The is a great site with wonderful resources and links! The teacher guide is going to be very helpful to me. Thanks!

Krys

On 9/02/09, Jo Ann wrote: > Hi Krys, > > Congratulations on your new job. It can indeed seem > overwhelming to try to fit in everything when teaching > language arts. > > T...See MoreJo Ann,

The is a great site with wonderful resources and links! The teacher guide is going to be very helpful to me. Thanks!

Krys

On 9/02/09, Jo Ann wrote: > Hi Krys, > > Congratulations on your new job. It can indeed seem > overwhelming to try to fit in everything when teaching > language arts. > > To brush up on your grammar skills, please visit my website, > grammargator.com. There is a big red button on the homepage > that lets you instantly download a free 30 page Teachers' > Guide to Grammar. > > Next, you are definitely on the right track with your idea to > incorporate grammar instruction in your novel units. To do > this, also on my website are Grammar Guides to many popular > young adult novels. They use sentences from the novels > themselves to teach 12 key grammar skills for middle > schoolers, while reinforcing reading comprehension at the > same time. If you plan to do literature circles, students can > be reading different books yet still learning the same > grammar skills in context. > > Good luck in the new school year! > > Jo Ann > > > > On 9/01/09, Krys wrote: >> This is my first year teaching Gr 7 Language Arts and I am >> excited, but I do feel out of my element, as my comfort is >> Math (which I also get to teach this year). I have only 21 >> students as of right now and we start next week. I have >> gone back and forth about how to set up my actual teaching >> time for LA. I'll do reading here...for this long.. teach >> this Write Trait...do this vocabulary activity...I have a >> lot of ideas (many from these chatboards - thank you) but >> I do have a mathematical brain and so I'm trying to figure >> out a method to teach LA that makes sense to me and >> therefore the students. We do have 3 themes to cover - so >> one per term makes sense to me...I have a tentative plan >> to "cover" the 6 Traits of writing so that we can use the >> language and the skills to improve our writing...But how >> much time do you set aside for grammar? Spelling? I was >> thinking about incorporating both into our novel studies >> and theme work, especially since there is no "Speller" >> persay for Grade 7. I'd also like them to have time to read >> independently, something of their choice...I want to do a >> read aloud...We'll be reading novels, short stories, >> newspaper articles as appropriate, poetry...we have certain >> forms of writing to cover: friendly letter, opinion piece, >> review, autobiography...etc. etc. How do you plan your year >> to make you get everything covered? (I'm also in PEI, >> Canada and we have to "high stakes, standardized tests, >> persay - so that's a comfort as far as covering everything >> goes...not the same type of pressure...) >> >> Another related question...literature circles? Do you do >> them? Do you like them? How do you manage and organize them >> effectively, so that the curriculum is met, and chaos does >> not ensue? >> >> Lastly, I was told that there are no stupid questions...so >> here goes: What's sentence diagramming? I was not taught >> grammar directly EVER and my degrees are not in English. >> These boards say that it is very worthwhile and I know that >> I could google it - but you are the experts...so...I assume >> the sentences are deconstructed...nouns, verbs, articles >> etc. identified perhaps? How do you suggest doing this >> effectively, while keeping Grade 7s engaged and also, >> having them believe that they really do "have to know this"? >> >> Thanks in advance! >> >> Krys

Sep 2, 2009

More discussions on the Literature Teachers Chatboard...

Lack of Teaching Resources

by Teachilyeverafter

Lit Circle Question - Vocabulary

by FuneralWife99

Thys Boke is Myne - Sarah Powley

by Teachers.Net Gazette

English Literature at High School Level

How to do lit circles?

Back to Literature Teachers Chatboard

Teacher Chatboards

General

Teacher Chatboard

Method & Theory

Grade Levels

- -

Multiage Classroom

Adult Education

Classroom Projects

Arts and Crafts

Read Across America

Travelling Buddies

Learning Centers

States

Teachers Abroad

Australian Teachers

Canadian Teachers

Subject Areas

Foreign Languages

Language Arts Center

Science Teachers

Language Arts

4 Blocks Literacy

6 Traits Writing

Accelerated Reader

Building Blocks (K)

Books & Literature

Creative Writing

Librarian/Media Arts

Reading/Writing

Remedial Reading

Foreign Language

ESL/EFL Teachers

French Teachers

German Teachers

Spanish Teachers

Travel/Study Abroad

Peer Groups

AP/GATE Teachers

Beginning Teachers

Distance Teachers

Department Heads

Library/Media Science

Master Teachers

Mentor Teachers

Retired Teachers

Special Education

Student Teachers

Substitute Teachers

Method & Theory

Beginning Learners

Character Education

Classroom Discipline

Collaborative Learning

Disruptive Students

General Education

Learning Disorders

Learning Research

Lesson Planning

Montessori Method

Motivating Students

Professional Devel

Professional Readings

Staff Development

Standardized Testing

Testing & Grading

Career Center

Continuing Education

National Boards/NBPTS

Hot Topics

Classroom Humor

Healthy Teachers

NCLB/Race to the Top

Teacher Gatherings

Teacher Inspirations

Teacher Recipes

Teacher Social Board

Tech Center

Apple Classroom

Computer Teachers

Educational Software

Internet Security

Library/Media Science

Teaching with PowerPoint

Teacher Video Share

Teaching with the Web

Tech Coordinators

Teachers.Net

Home About Forum Policies Privacy

Resources

Chatboards Lesson Plans Classroom Projects Classified Ads

Follow us...

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Mailring

Contacts

Advertising Job Listings Submissions Reprints