Don't forget: Back to School Night Tuesday

Today:
I handed out grade slips in sections 3, 4, 5, and HB.  I put up an anonymous sample grade to discuss what the students need to focus on to improve their grades.  School can be confusing for seventh graders.  There are a lot of assignments to keep track of.  I hope the grade slips help students make up whatever they have missed.

I entered a few more grades in the HAC.

We are sharing some work now.

Have a nice weekend!

Just a reminder! The creative pieces are due Friday!

Parents, please remind your child that the creative piece will be shared and collected tomorrow. 

Also, we will review the Choosing the Right Word for unit 2 in class.

If you have not checked HAC lately, I graded the 200 word piece for sections 3, 4, 5, and HB.  I am getting to 6 soon.

Please have your child sumbit his/her essay to the writing contest.

Parents,
I forgot to tell the kids to submit the 200 word pieces to the writing contest!  That was the whole reason we were writing these 200 word pieces in the first place!  Here is the address: http://www.arthurjturnerjrscholarship.org/writingcontest/

I told the kids weeks ago that I wanted a winner from H.B.  After grading sections 4 and 5's  essays, I think we have some really good pieces.  Please check the HAC.  If the grade is above 90, please encourage your child to submit.

Homework:
I will be out Wednesday.  I expect the students to work in class.  They will have some things due.  They should have the Choosing the Right Word for Unit 2 completed.  Most importantly, they should have a good draft of their creative piece.  They should be ready to read to the class.

Goal for this week: Creative piece due Friday

Homework:

• All classes have pictionaries for unit 2 vocabulary due Tuesday.
• All classes have a creative piece due Friday. (So do I for that matter!)

Today:

• We started the next unit in vocabulary. That took some time.
• I reviewed the grammar lessons we have been studying.  I will wrap these lessons up tomorrow with a brief assessment. (I plan to teach grammar a little tighter next unit.)
• I checked off sections 4 and 5 for their 700 words from last week. (I will get to the other three Tuesday.)

Requirements for Friday: A Celebration of Our Work!

• Have a neatly typed or written piece to hand in on Friday.
• Be ready to read it to the class, or part of it if it is too long.
• Students MUST read the piece to the class.
• If the piece is a poem, I think it should be about 100 words.
• Narratives and essays should be 500 -700 words or so.  (More is fine. It is their piece!)
• (Most students should get an A for this assignment!)

Creative piece due next Friday!

I entered a temporary grade on the HAC to show if the 200 word piece was handed in on-time.  Since that category is 40% of the grade, if the piece is missing, the effect on the grade is big.  

Today:
I showed the students the spotlights that I have in my room.  Next Friday, they will get their two minutes in the spotlight as they present their piece to the class.  It should be a good time... for those who like that kind of thing.  For others, it will be painful.  But I intend to make the process a class-building activity where we come together for each other in support!  Well, that's what I hope.  Heck, I have to write something myself. 

I hope to grade the 200 word pieces within a week. 

Grades are starting to accumulate

Have you checked HAC lately?

I added the quiz scores from today. 
The 200 word good draft is due Thursday.  I should have them graded in a week.  At that point, the grades should be accurate.  (Right now there is a whole category not represented: Classwork.)

40% of the grade is Classwork (Essays and projects)
20 % of the grade is the 700 words/week (for this marking period at least)
10 % of the grade is homework
20% of the grade is vocab quizzes
10% of the grade is participation (being prepared, behaving, but mostly volunteering)

Since a computer figures all this out, it can be messy.  I like to be able to give parents a good view of where their child might be struggling.  There is a good part of my grade that is just doing work.  However, performance matters, too.  Quizzes, projects, and essays will show performance. 

I did not blog yesterday because my son broke his arm.  Ugh.

September 19, 2011

Grades have been updated on the HAC.

Homework:
Section 6- second page of vocabulary

Sections 3, 4, 5, HB- Finish the vocab unit 1
Sections 3, 4, 5, HB have a quiz on Wednesday

All have the good draft of the 200 word piece due Thursday.

Sections 3, HB, 6 have 500 words due Friday.
Sections 4 and 5 have 700 words due Friday.

Here are the notes we discussed in class today:

September 19, 2011
Writer’s purpose: I believe the purpose of all writing is to transfer some idea from the writer to the reader.  Whether it is through entertainment, persuasion, or informing, the writer wants us to gain some insight he/she has found.

“The way of a fool seems wise to him,
 but a wise man listens to advice.”  
                                                      Proverb

Narrative- a story about a moment in your life where you learned a lesson.
Poem- Observation about Nature or life, like a photograph.  You show the reader something that contained a lesson for you. (Stopping by Woods...)
Creative Story- You create characters who, through events in the story, learn a lesson you want to share.

Have a nice weekend!

Homework:
None

Today:
I collected the 200 word piece.  We will spend two days looking at them next week.  Wednesday we might get some lab time. The good draft will be due Thursday.

I checked the 400 weekly words.  I showed the students how they are doing so far. 

Grades will be updated on the HAC by Tuesday. 

I changed the due date for the creative piece to September 30.  I want to spend a little more time getting the students ready.

Work due Friday!

All classes have the good/rough draft of the 200 word piece on family outings due Friday. (We went to the lab today to type it up.  There is no excuse for not having this Friday.)

All classes have 400 words due.
     I have been using the class writing time to focus on the 200 word piece.  We will get back to the creative writing next.  However, I have explained that students need to be writing.  These weekly words should be a little challenging.  It's like I am asking them to do push-ups.  Writing these words will strengthen them!

Sections 3, 6, and HB may use the 200 word piece towards their 400 words.
Sections 4 and 5 must have the 200 word piece AND the 400 words.

September 14, 2011

** Note **
I updated two grades on the HAC

Homework:
Choosing the Right Word Unit 1 (Sections 3, 4, 5, HB)
Vocab Quiz (Section 6)
Good/Rough Draft of 200 Word Piece due Friday
400 words due Friday

Today:
Reviewed Class Participation grade expectations
Reviewed the synonyms in vocab
Started the Choosing the Right Word (finish for homework)
Discussed the grading of the 200 word piece
I also introduced the students to the responders that we will be use from time to time.


I discussed how the 200 word piece needs to focus on three main ideas: we, enjoy, and specifically.  The topic sentence give the direction for the piece.  Those three ideas need to be developed in the paper.  I actually rewrote my version.  It needs some work, but it is better than the first one, which was all over the place:



We enjoy the family outings, especially the memories we create.  My family is growing up.  When my wife and I had our first child, we thought those endless nights would last forever.  Yet, as the years went on, and we had another, we began to realize that each year brings, not only new challenges, but relief from the old as we grow as parents and our children mature.  When my children were young, older parents would tell us to enjoy our children when they are young because they are only your for a while.  My daughter is now 14, and my son is 10.  Facebook and friends are taking my daughter from me.  Xbox and soccer occupy my son.  Family outings now have greater importance.  While they used be used to entertain the children, we now see that we must schedule time to spend together.  We must remove ourselves from the routines of our lives.  We must not just go on vacation as if we need a rest. Just the opposite.  We must go on vacation to create the memories that we will look back on as we all get older.  We enjoy our family outings now because we understand why they are so important. 205

* The red words need some work.

September 13, 2011

Homework: (I am trying to teach kids to work on multiple things at once.)

• Section 6: Finish the vocab packet.  
• Sections 3, 4, 5, HB: Synonyms in vocab and finish the synonyms, antonyms, and homonyms sheet.
• All: The 200 word piece is due Friday.  Students owe 400 words on Friday.

Today:

• We did some grammar.
• I reviewed the vocab words and introduced the students to the synonyms in the book.
• I discussed how to brainstorm for the 200 word piece. Many students "barf draft" and think they have written something.  No.  That is brainstorming.  Students think that everything they write is precious.  Here are two  outlines I came up for my piece:

We enjoy the family outings, especially the … trip to Hilton Head Island
- It is far from home.
    It is very different from how we live here!

The island is very beautiful!

- We are forced to spend time together!
- We get to eat out at restaurants a lot!
- We take pictures and create lifetime memories.
    We always forget the bad times and focus on the good.
    Her parents created a legacy which we will pass on to our kids.


We enjoy the family outings, especially the … what you specifically enjoy.
    Trip 1 Disney
    Trip 2 Hilton Head
    Trip 3 Day trips to where ever

September 12, 2011

Homework:

• Section 6 has to complete pages 82 and 83 of the vocab sheet I gave them.
• The other sections must make pictionaries for unit 1 in the vocab book.
• Sections 3 and HB MUST buy the vocab book or return a SIGNED slip saying they will borrow the book.

Today:

• I introduced students to the vocab unit 1. We reviewed the words and how to do the pictionaries.
• I gave them time to work on the pictionaries. Some classes had time to start the 200 word writing prompt for this week:

“We enjoy the family outings, especially the... ”Entries must be complete stories with a beginning, middle and end. Stories without a clear resolution will not be eligible.

*** This prompt is hard because they you have to say something meaningful in only 200 words! ***


Remember: www.mrboz.com is the classroom website!

September 9, 2011

Homework:
Sections 3 and HB must bring in vocab book money on Monday.  The cost is $10.  Students may borrow a book, but the book must return in perfect condition.  I recommend buying the book.

All other classes have no homework for the weekend.

Today:
I checked to see if students wrote the required 700 words.  Next week, we will try to work some of those words into a creative piece.  I will assign a smaller number of words next week.  I am developing the 700 words requirement, so I will be modifying the assignment as needed.

Sections 4 and 5 reviewed the grammar pretest.  Some classes took a vocab unit 1 pretest. 

Have a nice weekend!

September 8, 2011

Homework:

• All students are to have 700 words written tomorrow.  We will check them in class.  700 words will earn a 100%.  Less will earn less.
•  Parents should enter their data on my website.

Today:
I had students enter some dates in their agenda:

• September 16- Rough draft of 200 word piece
• September 21- Good draft of the 200 word piece
• September 23- Good draft of a creative piece from workshop

The 200 word piece is from this writing contest that I would like my students to enter.  Click here for details.

I gave students at least 25 minutes to write in class today.  The 700 words will provide topics for writing about.  I want students to get better at pulling words from their heads.  Too many students only want to write the bare minimum.  I believe many of the great things I have written are not found until I am immersed in the process of writing.  After a while, what you want to say comes out. 

September 7, 2011

Homework:

• All students are to give the internet preferences sheet to their parents.  The parents are to go to my web page, find the link for the form, and submit their information.  I want to be in contact with parents as much as possible.  To do that, I need some information. 
• 700 words are due on Friday.  

Today:

• We read the poem "Ode to La Tortillas" by Gary Soto.  We discussed metaphor and simile a little.  I am having students read poems for inspiration for narrative topics.  I would also like them to see how images are created in the reader's head using imagery.  
• I gave the students time to finish the grammar diagnostic.  Some classes had a little extra time to write.

September 6, 2011

Homework:
Sections 4 and 5 should have turned in vocab money by now.  Not all have.
All sections have to have written 700 words by Friday.  This should not be a stress-inducing assignment.  The goal is to get students to put words onto paper.  Too many times, students think that the words they write are somehow special and they do not want to change and edit them.  Writing 700 words allows students the chance to just get some ideas down on paper.  If they start something and don't finish it, that is OK.  It counts.

Today:
We studied the Gary Soto poem on snow cones a little more.
Students began taking the diagnostic grammar test.
I gave some time for writing in most classes.

(These blog entries are written to give you and idea of what we did in class.  They are not my lesson plans.  Many times I generalize.  For example, one class had writing time because their class was longer, but another class did not.  We ran out of time.) 

September 1, 2011

Homework:
Sections 4 and 5 need to bring their vocab money in next week.
The other sections have no homework. Enjoy the weekend.

Today:
We wrote down our goals for ourselves for this year on a 3x5 card.  I plan to review them and check in on the progress throughout the year.  We took notes on how to approach a poem or a piece of writing.  (Please see the daily notes link on MrBoZ.com.  We read the poem "Ode to Los Raspados" by Gary Soto.  I planned on having some writing time, but we did not get to it.

On Tuesday, I will be giving a grammar diagnostic test. 

If you are interested, here are my goals for my classroom:
1. Write at least 700 words a week.
2. Teach the students that they have a story worth telling.
3. I want to improve their vocabulary and grammar.
4. I want to help the students to become more positive and supportive.  I will not tolerate negative energy in the room.  We are here on earth to build each other up, not tear each other down.