My proverb explanation

"Pride comes before a fall."

Pride is listed as one of the Seven Deadly Sins. When we think about the Seven Deadly Sins, though, we usually think about the extremes. However, there are some philosophies/theologies that see the inclination to do bad things as the beginning of doing something good. For example, gluttony is destructive when one eats to excess constantly. Obesity and health problems result. Yet, we do have a very strong desire to eat. Likewise, sloth is when someone has no motivation to do anything. The result is nothing gets done. Yet if we work hard, we have a strong desire to rest. It is the same way with pride. Pride motivates us to do a good job. A job well done feels good. However, the extremes of pride are arrogance and an insatiable quest for praise. Pride taken to its extreme is destructive. In other words, the Seven Deadly Sins contain both the good and the bad. The good happens when the inclination is controlled.

It’s like a car. The engine drives us, and the front wheels steer us. If the steering is weak, the car goes out of control. Remembering the proverb “Pride comes before a fall” is one way to keep those wheels pointed in the right direction. Left to my own devices, I will focus on increasing the power of the engine and forget that it is more important that my car goes in the right direction! When pride gets out of control, the results for me are a swelled head and sullen resentments. My arrogance will push people away, and I will not get the praise I feel I deserve. I recently became too prideful about my skills as a photographer.

Before spring break, I led the students through a unit on portraits. The final product of the lesson was a color portrait taken with professional lights and background. The results were wonderful. They were the best pictures I have ever taken of someone indoors! For the students, the experience was daunting, but the results were rewarding. After I showed them the results of our hard work and some students learned their pictures were among those I chose as the best, I felt satisfied. I had achieved my goals and produced some quality portraits for my students. My skill as a photographer produced nice results. I was proud of what I had accomplished.

But I wanted praise, not just the feeling of a job well done. But not enough came to satisfy my swelled ego. Only two parents thanked me by replying to my e-mail suggesting they view our results. I got one complaint which subsequently resulted in the removal of all the pictures from my website. And one student even demanded that I print out her pictures for free and complained that there were not enough pictures of her in the slideshow. Yet what happened to the satisfaction I felt when we had finished? It was swallowed up in the desire for more praise! Once again, pride comes before a fall, and I fell hard… again.

April 11, 2008

Homework:
Good draft of the proverb piece due Tuesday
Notebook Quiz on Monday- See spelling words on my website

Today:
Took Quiz 12
I took pictures of all the proverb t-shirts, and the students stood up and said their proverb. I will make a gallery of the shirts after I have finished cropping out the faces.
In most classes I read my example and discussed a possible outline. Most classes had time to read someone else's. Section 3 did not.

The basic outline is an introduction that states the proverb, an explanation of the proverb, and the anecdote that gives an example of the proverb in the student's life. I will post my piece when I finish proofreading it. I have a few changes to make.

I will be handing out grade slips on Monday. Have a nice weekend!

April 10, 2008

Homework:
Quiz 12 Friday
T-shirt with proverb due tomorrow. I will photograph them all and post the best on the assignment page. (I will ensure privacy but chopping heads off or blacking out the eyes.)
Rough draft of proverb explanation due

Today:
Last spelling list!
Discussed vocab
Sections 3,6,7 made flashcards
Gave the classes some time to write.

I should have my piece written by class time tomorrow as an example. I told the students I expect them to be able to teach us something tomorrow. We will sit on the floor as they tell us a proverb and explain its meaning to us. We should be so much wiser by the end of class!

The students were complaining about 500 words being too many. Honestly, I find 500 words limiting. I will grade their pieces based on how well they explain their proverb. The more detailed the answer the better. I do expect the pieces to have some flow to them. They should not be the answers to the questions placed one after another.

DuPont Challenge Winner from H.B.

Eighth grade student Claire Yang won the Junior Division of the DuPont Challenge, a nationwide contest that received thousands of entries. As you remember, I had all my students write essays for that writing contest in January. Even though none of my students won, I am still hoping for some honorable mentions. What really matters, though, is that a student from H.B. won! We have many outstanding students at our school! I am very blessed to be teaching at such a great school.

April 9, 2008

Homework:
Finish Unit 12
T-shirt due Friday
Written piece due Friday

Today:
Spelling
Reviewed vocabulary
Discussed the proverb card they submitted yesterday for approval.
Explained the written piece.

Here is the rough introduction I am using so far for my piece:

A student was wearing a t-shirt today that boldly asked, "Got Pride?" When I looked on the back I learned that the pride the shirt was asking about was for A.I. High School. If you went there, I guess the correct answer would be yes. But that's not how I read the shirt. I took the phrase as an excruciating condemnation. Yes! I have pride! And too many times in my life pride has been my biggest source of frustration and pain!

April 8, 2008

Homework:
Chosing the Right Word Unit 12
T-shirt due Friday
500 word piece

Today:
Spelling
Put the pictionaries on the Board
Did the Synonyms together
Handed out the requirements for the t-shirt and written piece
Students wrote their proverbs on index cards for comments by other students. I will review them before class tomorrow so we can have some discussion about the truth of their proverbs. Tomorrow I will give the students time to start writing their pieces. I will begin my own as well.

April 7, 2008

Homework:
Pictionaries 1-20 unit 12
Must have proverb for class discussion tomorrow.
T-shirt and written piece are due Friday

Today:
Spelling (notebook quiz on this next Monday)
Reviewed schedule for the week
Discussed words 1-20 unit 12
Continued our discussion of proverbs.
Here is the sheet I will give them Tuesday.

The proverb they chose must be...
1. Important to them
2. Meaningful enough that they think others should study it
3. Universally true, not just to one group of people
4. Appropriate

April 4, 2008

Homework:
Students should be finding a proverb that fits them.

Today:
Spelling
Vocab Quiz on Unit 11
Discussed proverbs.

Each section is at a different stage of the discussion. Basically we are discussing what a proverb is and what I expect them to chose. Today in section 1, we stumbled upon some proverbs that are really not worth discussing. (Reading the list would have helped, and I changed the list for the rest of the classes, but we did have to question the "wisdom" of some proverbs! -Live and learn. Hey, that's a proverb!) As a result, the lesson I began to teach in each class had to do with the audience of the proverb and the appropriateness of statements.

We will look at how some proverbs on the list were clearly aimed at teaching their own cultural group ideas they would find important. We discussed how the students' own proverbs can not be specific to one group of people. Their proverbs must have a universal truth. The wisdom must be something we can all agree is true and worth knowing.

April 3, 2008

Homework:
Study for the Unit 11 Quiz
Begin thinking about a proverb for the next writing piece

Today:
Spelling
Reviewed vocabulary
Sections 3,6,7 made flashcards in class
Sections 1 and 2 began our discussion of proverbs. You can see the handout here.

After too much struggle, the next writing assignment is finalized. The students will pick a proverb that is important to them and important enough to share with others. They will write the proverb on a t-shirt to be worn in class next Friday. They will write a 500 word piece explaining the relationships and/or life events that have helped them to understand the truth behind their proverb. The written piece will be shared with someone, whether it is for the whole class or in a small group.

Students should have their proverbs chosen by Monday. We will discuss each one to see if it is really worthy of proverb status. The proverb does not have to be famous, but the idea has to be universally true.

April 2, 2008

Homework:
Finish unit 11 in vocab

Today:
Spelling
Reviewed vocabulary
Continued to discuss the lessons from HSM2

After struggling to get a topic from the last song of the movie, I have decided on a shorter piece instead of a full blown essay. Just when I think I know how students will react to something I create, the first class I give it to always gives me a reality check. What I thought would be easy to write apparently was not. The proverbs from the song were not as easy for the students to explain as I thought they were. Many students did not know the characters and the story of the movie as well as I thought, even though we have studied all the songs throughout the year! So, with the feedback of one of my classes, I have decided upon the following project.

The students must find a quote that is important to them, one that represents how they understand or feel about how to live life right now. An example from the song is, "There's more to life when we listen to our hearts." The quote should also be one that they would be willing to wear on a t-shirt. I say this because t-shirt slogans are usually an outward expression of some inner idea that we want to proclaim to others. Therefore, the quote should be something they feel is relevant to how they feel about life yet important enough that others should read it and think about it.

The writing part of this will be a 500 word piece that explains why the quote is important to them. The enduring understanding for this month is, "Relationships and life lessons continually mold an individual's character." The piece should explain how relationships and/or life experiences have influences them to believe that this quote is an expression of how they feel about how to live life.

I am mulling over ways to publish the pieces. I would love to make actual t-shirts, even if they use markers and an old shirt. Maybe we could tape paper onto shirts for the period. Ideally, I would like to see them wearing the shirts around school. (Yeah. Like that will happen!)

The writers of the movie had some messages they wanted the viewers to go away with. As writers, we, too, want people to leave our pieces with a message. This assignment is pretty much just what message do you want to tell other people? There's no poem, song, or narrative. Just tell me what you understand in a short message. After that, explain to me why that short statement expresses how you see life and how you came to that understanding.

April 1, 2008

(Sorry. I did not get to enter this at the end of the day.)

Homework:
Choosing the Right Word unit 11

Today:
Spelling
Reviewed vocabulary
Watched the last song of High School Musical 2

The next writing prompt is almost done. I will post it on the website within the next day. It has been a little while since we have written an essay, so I want this last piece to be meaningful. The last song of the movie, however, contains very little meaning besides having a good rest of the summer for the characters in the movie. Because the last song is so shallow, I showed the end of the movie to get it over with. Now we can begin our last topic.

The song "Every Day" has many nuggets of wisdom in it. The characters have grown as a result of their experiences, and the song sums up what they have learned. The last piece we will write will be a discussion of one of those nuggets. We will explain one of the lyrics from the song and discuss what it means for the characters and what it means to us. We will give examples from the movie, our lives, and other sources that support why we agree with the lyric. Basically, the essay will be explaining a statement we can use to explain how we live our lives. Here is an example: "No matter where we're going, it starts from where we are."

March 31, 2008

Homework:
Pictionaries 1-20 unit 11
Quiz Friday
(We will be doing a unit a week for the next four weeks.)

Today:
Spelling (I will have a notebook quiz April 14.)
Reviewed the schedule for the week.
Listened to the words for unit 11
Discussed what a proverb is and looked at the lyrics for "Every Day" from High School Musical 2. The song has many pearls of wisdom that might make good writing topics. Over the next few days we will be deciding what the last writing piece from the movie will be. I will post the assignment when it is ready.

Special note:
The galleries of the portraits have been removed. Dr. Carmack advised that it would be better to not have the pictures available for download. If you would like to see your child's portraits, e-mail me. I would be happy to show them to you. They turned out great, and the kids had a lot of fun.

March 20, 2008

Dear parents,
I am sure you have been hearing that we have been taking portraits in English class. Well, they are done, and I have posted the results of our efforts in galleries located at the link below. On that page you will see many galleries. Ours are located a few rows down. If you are not sure which class you child is in, you can roll over the pictures to see what the gallery contains. (There is also a video if you want to view a slide show of the best pictures. I don’t know how to delete the other videos on that page.)

I will warn you, the page has lots of graphics. Be patient. Also, you may get a page that says you need an updated browser. You can just use what you have. If you have an older computer, you might have trouble viewing these.

When you are in the galleries, you can download the pictures two ways. If you so desire, you can download the whole gallery. Click the download button on the first page of the gallery. The site will zip the pictures for download. Be warned. The pictures are about 300KB. The whole gallery will be huge.

You can also just download the pictures of your child by downloading from his/her picture. You will get one picture at a time.

These pictures are great quality. I used my Canon Rebel XTI and Dr. Carmack’s professional lights and background. The downloaded files should make good 8 X 10 pictures if you want. I have used this site for prints. I pick them up at the store by Christiana Hospital: http://www.ritzpix.com/ .

The pictures in the galleries are organized by shot. The first shot of the student is the pose he/she picked. Today I had the students write down what they are trying to say in their poses. The rest of that child’s shots are what I was able to get them to do. When they stood there, I would get a feel for who they are. Some would say I took the picture I wanted, or I posed them the way I see them. Some kids were hard to work with. Others were great!

I loved working with the kids. Like most of my projects, I tried to get the students to examine themselves and others through different lenses. In this case, that lens was mine. The pictures I produced are a result of the interaction I had with them as they posed, and for some, with the whole class as they offered suggestions! It was challenging but rewarding.

-MrBoZ

Link : http://gallery.mac.com/bozmd

P.S. During each class I explained and had written on the board that if they want their pictures removed they had to put it in writing. I had two students do that so far. If you have an objection to your child's pictures being posted, I will respect your wishes and remove them. These pictures will be up for a few weeks. Then I will remove them.

March 19, 2008

Homework: None

Today: We finished our portraits today. Tonight I will get them all organized and put the galleries up so you can download the pictures! I have a lot of work ahead of me, so I need to get to it!

March 18, 2008

Homework:
I want the students to be done the two sheets I have assigned. You can find them on the assignment page at MrBoZ.com.

Today:
We did the daily spelling. Then we took pictures! We will need another full day to finish the shots. I took 500 shots today, and I have only photographed half the students! Tonight I will narrow the shots down to the pose they had in mind and another shot (or two). Eventually the pictures will be posted so you can download them and get them printed. Ritz does a nice job. You can send the file over the internet and even get the pictures sent to your house.

March 17, 2008

Homework:
I gave out a sheet of questions that can be used to guide your thinking. The students need to be ready for a portrait shot tomorrow. In talking with a few students, they are not sure what they want to say with their shot. I guess they need to sit down and start thinking about this! You can read the requirements for the assignment here.

Today:
We did the daily spelling. I hope the students are keeping these organized in a notebook. I will have a test on these later. They can use the notebook.

We looked at some portraits I took three years ago of my students. It was interesting to just see the pictures. I was trying to tell my students that three years from now or more someone will view your portraits like this. What do you want them to think? What message do you want to convey about who you are?

Then we discussed Troy and who he decided he was. He said that people can bet on him. I want the students to have a clear message when they explain their portraits.

March 14, 2008

Homework:
The students should be thinking about their portraits.

Today:
I have been very busy grading their letters. I plan to update grades by Tuesday. Then I will make the page that explains the project. The students should know what is expected. I have the notes all over my boards and we have been discussing poses all for the last two days. Here are the pictures we have been discussing.

Here is a page I made with some sample shots of my family. They show the background and lighting I will be using. They also show the quality of the shots I am looking for. I want the students to create a shot that defines who they are. If you look at my sample page, you will see a black and white that I want to use as my portrait. The interesting discussion we will have is whether the portrait we create is who we are or how we want to be seen. Hum.... Hopefully the writing part of this project will explain what they were going for.

March 11, 2008

Homework:
None

Today:
I saw sections 1 and 3. Section 1 started the quick unit on "Bet on It." Section 3 could only handle doing grammar book work at the end of the day.

March 10, 2008

Homework:
If you can, could you bring in some lyrics about the singer searching for a source of strength and where he eventually finds it? I would like a song that says we can now count on him because of how he has grown. I will give this some thought as well, but I was hoping to find some new music you kids would know.

Today:
I saw sections 6 and 7. I reminded the students who have not turned in their letters that they owe one to me. We did the daily spelling. Then we started to discuss the song "Bet on It" from HSM2. We only scratched the surface. We are looking at the first stanza where Troy says that everyone is talking at him and trying to get in his head. I had the students make a brief chart of those people who are trying to get in their heads. Later we will be looking at how they make decisions about who they will listen to. Where do they get their guidance? In the song, Troy figures this out for himself and then has the confidence to say that people can now count on him.

I explained to the students that we will be making a prose piece similar to the what Troy was talking about: You can bet on me. We will also be taking portraits that exude the same idea. As the week goes on, we will discuss the project more.

March 7, 2008

Homework: None
Some students did not finish their letters. They can finish them at home.

Today:
Boring work period to finish up the letters. Next week we will start a fun project. The assignment page will be up on Monday. I am still organizing it.

March 5, 2008

Homework: None

Today:
Work time on the letter that is due by the end of class on Friday. I only saw sections 6, 7, and 1 today. I will see sections 2 and 3 tomorrow.

March 4, 2008

Homework: None

Today:
Daily Spelling Practice
We discussed audience and how you must clearly picture and define your audience of the letter.
We read a letter to the Commissioner of Major League Baseball written by a student 3 years ago. We analyzed how he was aware of the responsibilities and interests of his audience. We looked at how he politely expressed his opinion that the schedule for the playoff games should be changed. We also looked at the reply letter. We saw that the young man was wrong about his assertions, but the MLB Commissioner was very polite in his response to him. I encouraged the students to use the three column chart we have been talking about. I thought it would be due today, but most students are not ready to make it.

I have written my letter. Because of its content, I had Dr. Carmack read it. I took out a few references to my personal beliefs so it will be appropriate for a public school setting. Here is the final version.

March 3, 2008

Homework:
There will not be homework until March 17 because of the DSTP. That's fine. We will be doing all of our work in class. This does not mean that nothing is due. The students have a chart due at the end of class tomorrow and a letter due at the end of class Friday.

Today:
The day was pretty straight forward. I took care of some little things, discussed the requirements for the letter, and gave them time to work. Some students are not using the time provided. I will be grading the letter, so I hope they take this more seriously as the week goes on. I have spent a lot of time preparing students to write. I finished mine today. Now I am getting feedback from people so I can revise it. I will post it if Dr. Carmack thinks the content is neutral enough for everyone.

February 29, 2008 (Leap Day)

Homework:
None for the weekend.

Today:
Half day. We did not do much. I am having the students submit their brainstorming for their letters so I can see what we need to discuss. The way I teach writing is I like to teach all the ideas up front. Then, when I read the essays, I expect to see the lessons demonstrated. I guess it's the difference between "Practice makes perfect" and "Perfect practice makes perfect." I don't want them to just write, although there is some merit to do that. However, with outcome-based education as it is now, I must demonstrate mastery by the students.

(Sorry for not blogging Thursday. We took quiz 10. The results are on the grades. I handed out grades to sections 3, 6, and 7 this week.)

February 27, 2008

Homework:
Study for vocab quiz 10
I changed the due date of the sensitive letter. (I am not sure when, though.)

Today:
The main goal of today was to read an example of a sensitive letter. Three years ago, during a similar assignment, a student of mine wrote a letter to the head of DIAA. The letter she wrote was understanding and polite. She did not just list demands, as if the recipient were required to do something about it. Instead, she wrote a letter that showed she understood how hard it might be for this man to make the changes she was requesting. We then read his response which showed he heard what she was saying. The letter stated that his organization already had similar requests in the past. Then he took the time to answer each of her concerns.

I am asking the students to know who they will write to by tomorrow. I had planned on being a little further by now, but that's how it always is. I want to teach the lessons I need to teach. Then I want to see my lessons demonstrated in their writing.

As far as writing goes, I graded the 300 word pieces. I had a tough time figuring out how I would grade them. At first, if you read the page, I thought I would have a detailed rubric, and the piece would be worth 60 points. That proved to be too time consuming and unnecessary. I decided to use the rubric as a general guide and base the grade mostly on one thing: was the piece an example of exploding the moment? I made the piece worth 100 points. An "A" piece was a good example of the exploding the moment technique. The piece was not supposed to be a complete story. It was to be a 30 second part of a story, slowed down and exploded. It was to focus on description and thoughts happening in the moment. A "B" piece did some of it. A "C" piece really didn't do what was needed, but the piece was more descriptive than the usual narrative.

February 26, 2008

Homework:
Sections 6 and 7 flashcards.
Finish unit 10 in the book.
Section 3 is still doing almost all work in class.

Today:
Finished the discussion of how Gabriella is sensitive in the way she delivers her message to Troy. Charts were handed in for credit. I do not have a worksheet for this. The three columns are from the three colors you can see on the file on the web page for the latest assignment. These were discussed before.

(I forgot to blog this Tuesday after school. Sorry.)

February 25, 2008

Homework:
Sections 1 and 2: Completing the Sentence
Sections 6 and 7: Completing the Sentence and finish the 3 column chart discussed in class
Section 3: I handed out grade slips. Make-up work should be done.

Today:
Daily Spelling- See the list on MrBoZ.com

With the missed day last week, I started class by reviewing the vocabulary words. We put the pictionaries on the board and tried to guess them. We also started the completing the sentence.

Then we discussed how the next piece they write will be a persuasive letter. The theme is, "I gotta say what's on my mind." The focus of my lessons for this persuasive piece, as I always do with persuasion, is to be very aware of the audience we are writing to. The purpose of the three column chart is to see how Gabriella said what she needed to, yet she was sensitive to the feelings of Troy. I want the students to see this pattern because I will be expecting them to spend time preparing their points in light of the person they are writing to.

The letter is very open ended. Tomorrow I will give them time to start exploring what they will write about. The due date is going to change!

February 21, 2008

Homework:
Choosing the right word unit 10

Today:
Daily Spelling (see list on MrBoZ.com)
Reviewed synonyms and started Choosing the right word
Began to analyze the lyrics to "Gotta Go My Own Way."

The current writing topic is explained on my web page. I wanted the students to see how a message can be delivered with sensitivity to the audience, in this case, Troy. I had them divide the lyrics into three categories: What she had to say, what Troy said, and the things she said that showed she was sensitive to his pain. Later, when we brainstorm our own letters, we will be thinking about how the person receiving our letters will react. We will plan for that reaction and try to soften the impact of our message.

With all that said, many students will end up writing a persuasive letter. A few suggested writing to the school board about the dress code. I have to think about this. I know the topic is on their mind, but I had a more personal letter in mind. I don't want letters to senators to stop global warming. There has to be someone in our lives that we aren't being totally honest with about our feelings and we just need to get them out. The letter can be pretend as well. Hey, if this were the DSTP, and they can't think of what to write, they might have to make something up to be able to write the essay.

February 20, 2008

Homework: 

Pictionaries 11-20 and synonyms unit 10

Today:

Daily Spelling

Discussed words 11-20 unit 10

All recordings are finished (I will post them over the weekend.)

We began our next assignment based on the song "Gotta Go My Own Way."

February 19, 2008

Homework: Pictionaries 1-10 unit 10

Today:
New Daily Drill- Each day I will be giving students 10 spelling words. These are from a list of 250 tricky words in our grammar books. Most of them have a letter or two that is frequently wrong. (As one who has trouble spelling, these words annoy me. )

The students will spell the words as best they can. Then I will put up the correct spellings. They should keep them organized in their English notebook. I will have an open note test when we are finished with all the words. If a student is absent, he can check this page.

I handed out grade slips to sections 1,2,6,7. They do not have to be signed.
We listened to words 1-10 unit 10 in vocab.
Most of my classes are finishing up reading the 300 word pieces.

A note about last week
I have been absent 4 days in the last week or so. My daughter was sick. Then my son got strep throat. It has been frustrating, not only because my children were miserable, but my classes got behind. However, the assignments the students completed with the subs were well planned and relevant. They did count for grades, as well as students' class participation! Whenever I am absent, I try very hard to give the subs something to teach. I never expect my students to just play when there is a sub. Some did, and that is reflected in their grades.

I am back in my room!

Here is the transformation so far. Obviously there is a lot of work to be done, but I am not putting the old stuff back up until we finish our 300 word pieces. I want this year's students to have their stuff put up first. When we are done reading and recording, there will be 127 little boxes hanging above the seats the students occupied... until the next time the ceiling has to be removed, or worse, I have to change rooms! Perish the thought!
-MrBoZ

(Yes, it was stressful. The temporary room was awful!)

February 8, 2008

Homework:
Sections 1,2,6,7 should have their 300 word piece and cube done for Monday.
They will be reading their piece to the class. They will be recorded.
You can find the requirements here.

Today:
Sections 1,2,3,6 were given grade slips that need to be signed.
We reviewed the choosing the right word for vocabulary.
Sections 1 and 2 discussed how a narrative is a series of exploded moments. We discussed how narratives play with time.
Sections 3,6,7 discussed the requirements for the 300 word piece. They were given time to work on the piece. The piece should be hand written on an index card.

(Those were boring sentences! It must be Friday!)

February 7, 2008

Homework:
Choosing the right word unit 8
Bring in the picture for the 300 word assignment

Today:
Reviewed vocab answers
(sections 1 and 2 got their DuPont Challenge essays back)
I had the students practice writing descriptive pieces as practice.
Here is the assignment page for the 300 word piece.

February 5, 2008

Homework:
Pictionaries 1-10 unit 9
Bring in a picture for the project

Today:
We reviewed the schedule for the week.
We discussed unit 9 vocab words 1-10.
We began practicing for the next writing piece.

I will take some time soon to make a page to fully explain the next writing piece. In short, we will be practicing a skill called "exploding the moment." The next piece will not be a narrative, but it will focus on a writing technique that should be used in narratives.

Students this age are starting to write in a more mature writing style. When they were younger, narratives tended to have a bed to bed quality; they tell you everything that happened in order. More mature writers are reflective and play with time. They slow down certain moments to give sensory details and thoughts, making the moments linger. The narrative become less about the moment and more about the writer and how he has grown. By limiting the piece to 300 words and a 30 second moment, I am trying to get the students to be as descriptive as possible in a short space.

January 31, 2008

Homework:
Sections 1,2,6,7 Good Draft of Narrative due Friday

Today:
Quiz
Looked at good narrative example
Peer review of rough draft

January 30, 2008

Homework:
Flashcards section 6 and 7
Study for quiz 8
Bring rough draft to class tomorrow

Today:
Reviewed the rest of the vocabulary unit
Reviewed parts of speech
Read a sample essay that needed some improvement

In sections 1 and 2 we reflected on how we wrote our pieces. Another person read the essay. Tomorrow we will spend more time reading each other's essays. We discussed what the goal of the essay was. What was the reader trying to communicate through the event in the essay? I had one student who told me he meant to say one thing, but the reader was thinking he said another. I told him to think about that feedback. Maybe he needs to clarify something. Maybe he doesn't. I also discussed the feedback I received on my essay and what I planned to do with it.

January 29, 2008

Homework:
Finish Unit 8 Vocab
Rough Draft of essay due Wednesday
(Section 3 has no vocab nor is the rough draft due.)

Today:
Reviewed completing the sentence
Discussed qualities of a narrative
S.S.W. time in 6 and 7
Long lecture in 1 and 2
Some brainstorming time in 3

January 28, 2008

Homework:
Completing the sentence unit 8
Rough draft due Wednesday

Today:
We reviewed the schedule for the week.
Then we watched an episode of "The Wonder Years" where Winnie Cooper gets in an accident. We are currently writing narratives, and the narrator for the show is a great example of the voice their papers should have. The older narrator is commenting throughout on the actions he was doing in the story.
The story is also great because of how it is told. There is a nugget of knowledge the writer shares at the end. The events in the story progress us towards that realization. In fact, the episode was about the accident, yet the reason the writer used that event was to share something he has learned about life with us. He states, "There are things in a life that matter, things in a past which can't be denied."
If he were to just give us this wisdom on a fortune cookie slip, we could read the same words and nod our head to its wisdom. Instead, a good writer is not interested in just telling us the point. He crafts the story to deliver the story with as much impact as possible. That is the result of this episode. It is so touching that I cried 4 out of the 5 times I showed it today. A writer wants his audience to me moved.

January 25, 2007

Homework:
None

Today:
Vocab
I discussed how my essay was progressing.
S.S.W. time to work on their essays

Message:
Dear Parents,
I assume by now you have received the gradebook login instructions from the school district. If you did not get these instructions by mail, please contact the office.
I wanted to let you know that I plan to update grades as often as I can, but I will say that I cannot spend all of my time entering grades. Although there are suggested timelines for entering grades, realistically I do my grades when I have a few to enter. When I do major updates, I will alert you with an e-mail. I am going to try a system of entering certain grades by the end of the week, but I do need time to grade things as well.
I also wanted to remind you that I have due dates posted on MrBoZ.com. There is a calendar and a daily blog to keep you informed of upcoming assignments.
The students are in the middle of a narrative essay right now. If you look on my website, you will see the prompt. The rough draft will be due around Wednesday with the good draft due Friday. The essay will be one of a few essays the students will chose from to submit their best essay. More details on that will follow.
Have a nice weekend.
-MrBoZ

January 24, 2008

Homework:
Choosing the right word unit 8 (Sections 1,2,6,7)
Work on "I don't dance" essay due next Friday

Today
Reviewed answers to vocab
Watched 3 home videos to demonstrate how the essay could be written
Explained my ideas for my essay
(Sections 1 and 2 read a sample essay to discuss narrative style.)
S.S.W. time to work on the essay

I think I will give kids a good amount or work time tomorrow. I also need to work on my essay. I have a great idea that I have to write on. The topic needs to be worked on- for my own understanding and because the topic will be relevant to the students one day.

January 23, 2008

Homework:
Sections 1,2,6,7: Pictionaries 11-20 and synonyms
Keep thinking about the new writing topic: "I don't dance!"

Today:
Introduction Daily Drill
Listened to words 11-20 Unit 8
Continued to discuss the new writing topic

I will hand out a printed topic sheet tomorrow.

January 22, 2008

Homework:
Pictionaries 1-10 unit 8
(Section 3 will be doing all homework in class for unit 8.)

Today:
Discussed calendar
Listened to words 1-10 unit 8
Watched video from High School Musical 2

We are just beginning the next essay. It should be done by February 1.

January 17, 2008

Homework:
DuPont Challenge essay is due Friday! (Tomorrow)

Today:
Sections 1 and 2 poured over their essays and the requirements making sure they had everything they needed.

Sections 3, 6, and 7 pair-shared looking for spelling and grammar errors, a well as discussed ways to improve their essays... for those who brought in the revised essay as I had asked.

Over the course of this research project, the saying, "You can lead a horse to water, but you can not make him drink" went through my head. For many students, I worked harder than they did. But for many who did work really hard, the results are going to be outstanding! I am hoping for a winner of The DuPont Challenge to come from H.B. duPont.

January 16, 2008

Homework:
Sections 3, 6, and 7 should have another draft of their essay. (I said this yesterday, but no one had one. I don't think they caught what I was saying. That is OK. They know from today's lesson what we will be doing to their essays tomorrow.)

Sections 1 and 2 should bring in a perfect draft of their essays tomorrow. They should have perfect grammar and spelling. They should also have their citations and bibliography. I also asked them to have a submission form filled in so it can be checked for accuracy.

Today:
Sections 1 and 2 read over other students' essays making suggestions about submission. I had the students think about how the essay they were reading compared to the winning essay. I had them suggest to the writer whether the essay was up to the standard required to win (or just worthy of subitting for consideration). Regardless of the suggestion, students can submit. However, I would like only the best essays submitted. Some students' essays are not up to the standard. I don't want to waste the time of the DuPont Challenge people. All essays will be graded by me anyway.

Sections 3, 6, and 7 practiced proofreading techniques. Tomorrow I will let them read multiple papers offering suggestions for revision.

January 15, 2008

Homework:
Quiz Unit 7 tomorrow- Sections 3, 6, and 7 should make flashcards
Sections 3, 6, and 7 should be revising their essays

Today:
Sections 1 and 2 discussed citations for their essays. We read an essay and discussed how some of the information required citations that tell where the writer got the information from. I discussed the basic MLA citations and gave them a paper with examples. There is a web page that lists common examples. The paper was also a good example of style and voice. Looking at the way the essays will be scored, I see that 30% is judged on style, creativity, and voice. When we read the winning essay, I thought it did not have good voice or any style. This paper, in my opinion, did.

Sections 3, 6, and 7 read a sample essay and made flashcards. For students who were prepared with a rough draft, I had a quick, individual conference to offer them suggestions for revision. I asked the students to make those revisions for Wednesday. Another rough draft is due tomorrow.

January 14, 2008

Homework:
Finish up the vocab unit.
Quiz on unit 7 on Wednesday
I would use tonight to study for Wednesday's quiz.

Today:
In all classes, we read an introduction that was too long and made it concise. We discussed how it was an example of the nostalgia handshake technique. (You can see all the introductions we have discussed on the daily drill archive.)

In sections 1 and 2, we read the winning essay for the DuPont Challenge again. Now that the students have written their essays, I had them think about their own papers. That's all the farther we got today. We had a small discussion about voice. (Tomorrow we will discuss citations and support.)

In sections 3 and 6, we read over a sample essay looking at organization and details. We then looked at our own essays to see what needs to be changed. Some essays are a little light on details. Tomorrow we will continue to discuss organization and development of their essays. We will be asking what the reader wants to know.

Section 7 had MAP testing, so we missed about half of class while students straggled in.

January 11, 2008

Homework:
I gave a grade slip to sections 1,2,6, and 7. (Section 3 was in the library.)
A draft of the DuPont Challenge essay is due Monday.

Dear Parents,
We spent this week listening to presentations on the students' topics for the DuPont Challenge. The purpose of the presentations was to get the students to talk about what they would later write about. The goal was to have the students see if they know enough to begin writing. A few too many were not able to discuss their topics with authority. That is unfortunate. Research time was supposed to be over.

I am writing to you for your assistance. Please help your child find a few hours this weekend to write the rough draft of the essay. The requirements are listed on MrBoZ.com. On Monday, I want to begin a week-long process of revision. If the students do not have anything to revise, they will not be able to participate. Revision takes time. It also takes something to revise! :)

I am asking the students to write a persuasive essay where science is the hero. It should be 700-1000 words. In sections 1 and 2, I will be teaching students how to include citations. A bibliography is required. I suggest using easybib.com.

Thank you for your help.
-MrBoZ

January 10, 2008

Homework:
Completing the sentence unit 7
Draft of the DuPont Challenge is due Monday.

Today:
We reviewed a sample DuPont Challenge essay. We looked at how it is organized and discussed techniques for improving the essay. I wanted to show the students a model so they have something to shoot for (or above).

I have also been told by Dr. T. Hounsell that the people at the DuPont Challenge only want the best of the best. Therefore, towards the end of next week, I will be teaching the students in sections 1 and 2 how to score essays. Those two classes will determine the top essays that need to be sent in. I do not have time to read all of them and decide. I will, however, be scoring the essays for a grade.

P.S. If you are interested, I have created a gallery of pictures for the renovation of my room. You can view the pictures on this page.

January 9, 2008

Homework:
Choosing the right word unit 7
Continue working on the DuPont Challenge essay

Today:
I gave classes the suggested outline for the DuPont Challenge essay.
We tried to finish the presentations. Many classes are done.
We will be reading a sample essay for discussion tomorrow in most classes.

If you want to see the handouts, you can go here. Scroll down to the handouts.

January 8, 2008

Homework:
Pictionaries 11-20 and synonyms unit 7
The rough draft of the DuPont Challenge is due Monday

Today:
I am teaching the students a new daily drill. We are focusing on introductions for the month of January. There is a page explaining the new daily drills on www.mrboz.com.
It is located under the daily drill archives.

Some classes reviewed the next 10 words in unit 7.
Students continued to present their topics. After each presentation I question the student to see how much he knows and try to get him thinking about places in his topic where he could do more research. Every presentation is a lesson.

As soon as the presentations are done, we will look at a sample essay and discuss a suggested outline. My goal is to have the rough draft written by Friday. I will put a link to the suggested outline sheet on my web page tomorrow.

I hope to have a grade slip by the end of the week. I only have a few grades to enter.

January 7, 2007

Homework:
1 -10 Pictionaries unit 7
Be prepared for your presentation

Today:
It was my first day in room 108. I have been officially kicked out of 232! I had to take down 10 years worth of stuff from my ceiling. Needless to say, today's transition to a new room was a little stressful.

The goal for this week is to help the students organize their details for the DuPont essay contest. For the first few days of this week, the students are giving presentations explaining what they will write about. The theory behind this is that if they can't explain what they are writing on, they are not ready to write their papers. I can also tell if they have enough information for a paper. They have had more than enough guidance to accomplish this task.

I also want to say that I have gotten behind on some of my daily web page postings, especially this blog. I am sorry. I am updating the classroom schedule right after this.

December 20, 2007

(I will not be in school Friday.)

I sent this in an e-mail to all parents today. If you did not get it, I do not have your e-mail address.

Dear Parents,
I am sending this message to let you know that I am expecting students to do some research over the break. If you check out the classroom calendar on www.mrboz.com, you will see my plans for getting the essay for The DuPont Challenge completed. Although we spent four days in the writing lab this week, many students did not get as much done as I would have hoped. I suggest students spend a few hours continuing to research and take notes over the break.

If the topic of The DuPont Challenge is confusing, I told the students to think about science as a hero. Write a report on a discovery or invention where science is the hero for one of humanity's problems. There is a sample on the DuPont site if you need one.

I, too, will be doing some work over the break. As I have explained in my blog, I got bogged down with work and did not get to finish grading all the love essays. As much as I love reading them, they take time, and I want to do things right. I will have all of the essays graded when we come back. I handed out grade slips yesterday and today. Half the students have "exc" listed as the grade for the essay. That means "excused." I will update the grades when I am done.

Finally, at this time of the year, I would like to express my love and caring for all of you by saying "Merry Christmas."
-MrBoZ

December 19, 2007

Homework:
Continue to research for the DuPont Challenge

Today:
We were in the writing lab again. In sections 3, 6, and 7, I am trying my best to get the kids to focus on a topic. I am getting frustrated because the children are not using the class time effectively. This is a persuasive research paper, yet many students don't even know what they will be writing on. Therefore, I added two more links on MrBoZ.com. They link to Time Magazine's lists of inventions and discoveries. I figure students can pick one of these and research it more. The goal is to explain how the invention will better humanity. Regardless, I have updated the due dates. See the classroom calendar on MrBoZ.com.

I am handing out updated grade slips today and tomorrow. They do not have to be signed. I want to explain, though, that not all of the love essays have been graded. On the slip they are excused for now. All of the essays will be scored over the break. This time of year is so busy, and I got overwhelmed. However, if you want to read a good example of a love essay, you can read this!

I will not be in school on Friday. I expect the students to research over the break.

December 18, 2007

Homework:
Continue researching
Sections 1 and 2 should have a preliminary topic for tomorrow and be ready for the quiz.
Sections 3, 6, and 7 will have an open book quiz on Unit 6. They will research one more day.

Today:
I tried to get the students focused on a topic for the DuPont Challenge.
1. Pick a topic you like that is science related.
2. As you research it, look for the way that it is solving a problem.
3. Explore the solutions your topic is offering people.
4. How does your topic influence other areas of science?
5. Is there any opposition to your topic?

I was discussing an example of data storage. As someone who relies on computers daily, at home and at school, I understand the need for reliable data storage. I was explaining that there are multiple topics relating to storage. There are the topics of size and reliability for which science is providing solutions. But I was also playing with the topic of archiving. Will our data be available in the future? Grandma's leather bound photo album is viewable. So are scrolls from 2000 years ago. Will the electronic documents and pictures we create today be available to people in the future? How many of us have records we can't play? I have floppies with no drive to read them. (I don't need them anyway, but you get the point.)

December 17, 2007

***Here is a great example of the love essay ***

Homework:
Finish unit 6 vocabulary
Students can be researching their topic.
The preliminary topic is due this Wednesday.

Today:
We began researching for The DuPont Challenge. Here is the assignment page.
We were in the writing lab today. Sections 3,6,and 7 answered some questions to get them thinking about what problems the world has and how science can offer solutions.

Unfortunately, some students think computer time is fun time. Also, with this being the week before a big break, they think what they do this week does not count. It will! In fact, all of their research is due the second week after the break. That is not an endless amount of time! Here is the calendar of due dates.

December 12, 2007

Homework:
Completing the sentence unit 6
(Must underline/highlight context clues.)

Today:
Sections 3,6, and 7 finished the agreement unit today. They took the end of the unit assessment.
Sections 1 and 2 got an introduction to the next writing assignment: The DuPont Challenge 2008 It is a contest!

More details about the essay will follow; however, the website is great! One reason I want to do the essay is because it is sponsored by DuPont, a local company. The essay also ties in with science and technology, a hot topic in education today. Furthermore, the guidelines and suggestions on the site spell out exactly what students need to create. After seeing how well students researched for the love essays, I know they will do well on this essay. I also plan to come up with a plan for submitting the essays for the contest.

For this essay I will focus on research skills, organization, comparing and scoring essays, and voice. We will look at some of the love essays to discuss how to organize our research. The sample for the contest is good, but it is so dry. I want to help students create a persuasive essay filled with scientific details that is interesting to read.

Research will be done next week, during break if they are dedicated, and during the first week back to school. After that, the students will be organizing and writing. The contest requires the papers to be submitted by January 28. We will be done before that.

Different classes will have different requirements. I will make those decisions as the unit progresses. Not all students are able to write a 700-1000 word essay. However, some students will be challenged to stay below 1000 words! This should be fun.

December 11, 2007

Homework:
Pictionaries 11-20 and synonyms unit 6

Today:
All the classes are at different spots. Some are completely done agreement. Others are almost done. I think we will be done with grammar by Thursday. Sections 1 and 2 will do something tomorrow while the other classes catch up.

December 10, 2007

Homework:
Unit 6 pictionaries 1-10

Today:
We are in the process of finishing up the unit on subject/verb agreement. Sections 1 and 2 are done. When they took an assessment, they had trouble, so I spent today reteaching the material. I then gave them an alternative assessment. I will take the higher of the two scores. These two classes will be scoring essays for the next two days.

Sections 3,6 and 7 are still finishing the grammar. After seeing how sections 1 and 2 did on the assessment, I am using an alternative strategy for finishing up the unit. These classes should be finished in the next two days.

December 6, 2007

Homework:
Grade slips! Many have not been returned.

Today:
Buzzword
Sections 1 and 2 finished the agreement unit. They took an assessment. Some did well. Others... well, maybe the test should be in another format. Regardless, my goal was to expose them to the rules and give them some practice. As their writing develops over the years, they will begin to apply some of these rules to their own writing. That is when what we covered will become relevant. These two classes will begin scoring essays until the other classes finish. I need them to help me with the love essays. They can read them for the specific content I assigned. I will score the essays using the state rubric for writing. I have graded 27 of 127 essays. (They take a long time to grade!)

Sections 3,6, and 7 are just about finished with the agreement unit. They are about a 1 1/2 days behind. We will start a new unit around Wednesday of next week. I am not sure what it will be yet.

December 5, 2007

Homework:
Many students did not get their grade slips signed.

Today:
Buzzword
Quiz unit 5
Continued to discuss subject/verb agreement

Section 1 is done the grammar unit. I will give them an assessment tomorrow. Section 2 will be done the unit tomorrow. Their assessment might be tomorrow.

The rest of the classes are plugging away! Sections 1 and 2 will be scoring essays for two days while the other classes finish the grammar.

December 4, 2007

Homework:
Flashcards sections 3,6,7
Study for quiz unit 5
Get the grade slip signed

Today:
Buzzword
Reviewed vocab homework
Practiced a study technique for parts of speech for vocab words
Continued to discuss subject/verb agreement

Parents, I sent home a grade slip today. Please sign and return. Thank you.

December 3, 2007

Homework:
Finish unit 5 work
Sections 3,6,7: I suggest you make flashcards tonight

Today:
Buzzword
Reviewed the schedule for the week
Continued with the lessons on subject/verb agreement

My plan is to finish sub/verb agreement this week and have a quiz on it Thursday. We will see how that goes.

November 30, 2007

Homework:
None

Today:
No Daily Drill
Reviewed Completing the Sentence
Photography Friday
Continued subject/verb agreement exercise

I plan to begin grading the love essays next week. I am reading some right now to get a feel for them. I am very impressed with the essays from section 1! I hope to have students reading some samples next week.

We should be finishing the subject verb agreement this coming week. Have a nice weekend.

November 29, 2007

Homework:
Completing the Sentence Unit 5
(Must highlight the context clues.)

Today:
Buzzword
Reviewed vocabulary
Continued lessons on subject/verb agreement.

Sample sentences we are looking at:
1. All of my friends has/have had the chicken pox.
2. Everyone at the party likes/like the cottage cheese and vegetable dip.
3. Both of Fred’s brothers celebrates/celebrate their birthdays in July.

We are getting there. Some classes are progressing faster than others. But I am satisfied. The hardest part for some of the students is keeping track of the sheet they must bring to class every day! :)

November 28, 2007

Homework:
Choosing the right word
(I am requiring them to highlight the context clues.)

Today:
Buzzword
Put pictionaries on the board
Reviewed synonyms
Continued with our discussion of sub/verb agreement

Today's lesson in grammar is hard for students. Look at the following sentence:

The silence in the halls is unusual.

The verb is "is." Students can find that. The problem happens when they try to find the subject. There subject is NOT in the prepositional phrase, in the halls. The subject is silence. Here is another:

The chimes in the tower play every hour.

The verb is play, but the subject is chimes, not tower. Students will say the verb is "plays" because they think the subject is tower.

November 27, 2007

Homework:
11-20 pictionaries and synonyms unit 5

Today:
Buzzword
Listened to words 11-20 unit 5
Began subject/verb agreement lessons
Made time to check off make-up work from yesterday's grade slips

We took a little diagnostic test on subject/verb agreement. Most students got 7/10. They have room for improvement. I plan to do the exercises fast. This will not be an in-depth study. I want to expose them to the rules and move on. I will test them, though.

November 26, 2007

Homework:
Pictionaries 1-10 unit 5

Today:
Buzzword
Discussed the schedule for the week
I handed out grade slips (They did not have to be signed.)
We listened to words 1-10 unit 5
We began watching a video on grammar pitfalls.

Since the love essays are going to take so much time to grade, I have decided not to assign a new writing topic until I have graded them. I think most of December will be spent studying grammar, vocab, and applying what we are learning in short writing assignments. I plan to teach the most commons errors I notice in their writing. We will be taking notes and doing exercises from a grammar book. All the work will be done in class. I will keep a quick pace, trying to cover many subjects, but not getting into too much depth.

November 20, 2007

Homework:
Be sure the essay is ready for Monday

Today:
We took quiz 4.
No daily drill.
In most classes we played a game using the dictionary.

Have a nice Thanksgiving.

November 19, 2007

Homework:
Flashcards sections 3,6,7
Quiz unit 4
The love essay can be turned in after the break.

Today:
Daily drill
Read samples essays
Discussed how to make a bibliography

I used today to show students what they can think about when they revise their essays. We looked at two essays today. One would score a D because he did not have all the required information. The other essay would score a B-. She had all the required topics, but there was room for improvement. We discussed how each essay could be improved. I told them to bring their essays tomorrow so we could look at theirs closer.

I also showed them how to make a bibliography. I gave them a sheet that had a sample bibliography and marks explaining the required information. I also took them through www.easybib.com . This site make creating a bibliography simple. You just fill in the boxes, and the site creates the page for you. It even alphabetizes it!

I want to begin organizing grades tomorrow. I am backlogged. I probably won't have a grade update before the break.

November 16, 2007

Homework:
The good draft of the love essay is due Monday
Quiz on unit 4 Tuesday

Today:
Daily Drill
Reviewed the vocab homework
We looked at the Week in Pictures on MSNBC.com quickly
I had one last discussion about the organization of the love essay. I told the students that it would be impossible to put all the information into an essay. They need to choose what would sound best.
I gave some work time.

I must say that I am a little worried about the students getting their good drafts done for Monday. I tried very hard to keep them on track this week. I made suggestions so they would have the best chance at a good essay. Many students, it seems, are just waiting until Sunday night to write their essays. We will see on Monday how this all works out! Having the draft done on-time is a grade.

I have finally finished grading all the adversity essays. I will write my love essay after I have compiled the first grade update for the second marking period. The update will probably be given out after the break. I will try to get it done as soon as possible. Grading essays backs me up.

November 15, 2007

Homework:
Finish unit 4 vocab unit
I suggested that students be done writing half of their love essay for tomorrow.

Today:
We discussed using commas in compound sentences.
We reviewed the answers to the choosing the right word.

I will try to quickly summarize what I told the students the love essay should sound like. It should start off with one of the six introductions we have discussed so far. The intro should state something about the fact that we were studying the song from HSM2, and the teacher told them they have to write an essay on love. For 3/4 of the paper, then, I think they should be taking the reader through the many definitions and ideas about love that they have learned. I suggested they organize all the details from the chart into paragraphs, either by row or by column. I had them take the info straight off of the chart and make an outline. From the outline, they have to figure out the smoothest way to present all the info.

The most important paragraph of the paper will be the second to last. After they have listed the numerous ideas about love, it is now time for them to say what they think love is. The paragraph will bring the important ideas from above together into THEIR own view of love. Maybe their view will be none of what was written above! Then they will write a conclusion.

The good draft is due Monday. I told the kids this essay will be a lot of work. I hope they step up and get it done on-time! I have led them step by step through this. There are no excuses for not knowing what to do.

November 14, 2007

Homework:
Choosing the right word
Make an outline for the love essay

Today:
I only saw sections 1,2, and 3 because of testing. Section 3 started their outlines. I will have them work on the outline more in class tomorrow. I asked sections 1 and 2 to have an outline ready for tomorrow's class. There are many things I need to teach for this essay; however, the students are still responsible for the essay on Monday. I hope they are writing at home!

November 13, 2007

Homework:
1-20 Pictionaries and Synonyms unit 4
Make an outline for love essay

Today:
Listened to unit 4 words
daily drill on compound sentences
Discussed how to organize the essay (group by columns or by rows)
Discussed the upcoming schedule (I will post it on-line soon)

Essay Due Monday.
Final Draft due Tuesday.
Quiz 4 Next Tuesday.

(Sorry. I have no time for today's entry.)

November 9, 2007

Homework:
All research is due Tuesday, Nov. 13.
The chart must be completed.

Today:
We were in the computer lab. These are the activities I wanted them to work on.

Have a nice weekend. I am hoping to get a lot of grading done. One set of essays takes about 20 hours to grade. That is a lot of time to find in the normal workday when you still have to plan.

November 8, 2007

Homework:
Continue to research love!

Today:
We took quiz 3.
We discussed different types of love by looking at the way love is presented in song lyrics. A thought came to mind as we saw so many variations on love: is there a universal love, a single love? Just because everyone has their own definition of love, can everyone be right? Is love only what we think it is? I don't know. I am going to explore that some more and ask around.

Tomorrow we will be on the computers. We will get quotes and research the topic some more. All the research should be done by Tuesday. I would like to spend next week organizing all the data they have accumulated. I am still shooting for Nov. 20th as the due date. That should be tight!

November 7, 2007

Homework:
Sections 3,6,7 Flashcards
Study for Unit 3 Quiz
Bring in song lyrics about love

Today:
We are almost finished discussing the song "You Are the Music in Me." Today we discussed the song by putting the lyrics into the appropriate column in a chart. This chart should be use for all the research for the next paper. I told the students that they should bring a lot of data on Tuesday, when the chart is due. This way they will have something to write about.

In our discussions, we really focused on how you know you are in love. We made a checklist of sorts from the chart. If you recognize these things happening, you might be in love! We also discussed the different stages they will go through. We agreed that the first love they know is that of family love. Eventually children leave their parents for a mate. Between family love and marriage love are lots of stages. There is "liking" someone. Then there is "puppy love." Next is a more real love. And I am not sure if Troy and Gabriella are in the real love stage or the next stage above that. There is romance in the song. No class really nailed down exactly what stage comes after real love. Being 38, married for 15 years, and having two children, I know love has more stages that what I knew in high school!

November 6, 2007

IMPORTANT:
www.mrboz.com is now located at http://web.mac.com/bozmd/MrBoZ/Main.html. Refresh your browser window if you are not automatically redirected from the original location.

Homework:
Finish Unit 3
Research the questions from the love prompt
Bring song lyrics on Thursday

Today:
We began discussing these questions as they relate to the performances of "You Are the Music in Me" in HSM2 (about love): What is it? What does it look like? What does it feel like? How do we recognize it? Are there different types of love? We began by examining the color coding of the lyrics. They saw that Sharpay's version is sung mostly by here while the other version has many people singing. Then we began with the idea that if love is a grape, the Troy and Gabrielle version is big a juicy, while the Sharpay and Troy version is like a raisin. The love that fills the first song is sort of dried up or sucked out in the Sharpay version. We watched the videos muted and observed what love looks like. In some classes we started looking at the imagery in the song: "And like a common thread/hmm, you're pulling me." We also started discussing how there are different types of love.

This is a research project. I am requiring students to gather as many viewpoints of love as possible. If I just wanted an essay on what they know, I would sit them down and have them pump out an essay from their heads. I want them to explore the topic itself! I want the students to grow as a result of writing the essay. I am excited to write mine!

November 5, 2007

Homework:
Completing the Sentence unit 3
Finish color-coding the lyrics for "You Are The Music in Me"
begin researching the next writing topic

Today:
Today was fun! We began the next unit by listening to the lyrics of the song "You Are The Music in Me." The Troy and Gabrielle version is a mixture of voices, while the Sharpay and Troy version is mostly just her. We will discuss why the two songs are so different tomorrow. The discussion will be one of many on the next topic, love.

If you are interested, you can check out the next writing topic here. When I discussed the topic with another teacher, she wondered how much kids this age will know about love. She even wondered if what they know is correct. I said that it didn't matter what they know; I want the essay to be about just that! Over the course of this week, we will be exploring the topic. Also, as the students do their research on the topic, they will discover different views of love. In the end, the students will be defining what love means to them. I think it is a very worthwhile assignment. The boys did not seem to keen about writing on it; however, love is not just a feminine emotion. We all feel love. It is what makes us human.

November 2, 2007

Homework:
None

Today:
**MrBoZ.com is being revised and moved. The new site will be located here for a while. You can listen to the vocab recordings from there.**

We reviewed the Choosing the Right Word from the vocab book.

Today's Photography Friday focused on making a choice. After looking at each picture, the students divided into groups based on the picture they chose. This way they could answer the questions together and see why each person chose that picture. Since there were 12 pictures to choose from, being together with someone else who chose your same picture should have been interesting. Not many chose the picture I liked. I found that curious. The objective behind this activity is to teach students to be aware of their thoughts as they view photography as art. We discuss the intentions of the photographer as well. The whole exercise involves reflective, critical thinking.

I believe students' writing suffers, not from a weakness in organizing their thoughts, but from a lack of deep thought about a topic. If you get a child talking about a topic that interests them, he can go on and on. I find students don't know how to explore a topic deep enough to really have something intelligent to say. That is why my writing topics are so different from the typical writing prompt. Those prompts are so boring! I would like to think I am teaching students how to explore those plain topics and make them interesting. I am teaching the students how to think, not just how to write. We don't always appreciate an artist for his ability. Many times we admire how he has thought about life and how he presents it to us. I am teaching appreciation: for writing, photography, and for life. "The unexamined life is not worth living."-Socrates Furthermore, I would say the unexamined life is not worth writing about!

November 1, 2007

Homework:
Choosing the right word unit 2
(Context clues must be highlighted)

Today:
I had the students copy a few comma rules into their notebooks. We will discuss them in the next few daily drills.

We listened to the recordings from the other day. I will post them soon. I discussed how we can improve them for next time. In general, I don't think the students knew what to expect when they recorded. Now they do. I think the next recording will be better.

We played pictionary with the unit 2 words.

My first marking period grades are done. In the past, I would e-mail them out to parents, but I can't do that right now. I am also beginning to grade the adversity essays. We will start our new writing topic on Monday. It will be on love. The students will research what love means to them and others. The paper will gather the findings together into a thoughtful paper. It should be interesting!

October 31, 2007

Boy, do I love the day of Halloween! The students are so focused on their school work! HAHAHAHA! Anyway, I know they are kids, but it sure makes for a long day!

So I decided we would make a recording today. We recorded the 20 vocab words, imitating the version that can be downloaded from the vocab book site listed in the vocab books. Overall, the recordings went well. I will try to get them posted as soon as possible on my website. We will listen to them tomorrow. I will make two versions. One will work well with iTunes and iPods. That version will have artwork and album information for sorting in iTunes. The other will be a basic .mp3 that should work on any player.

There is no homework tonight for obvious reasons. Happy Halloween!

October 30, 2007

Homework:
Pictionaries and Synonyms unit 3
Be ready to read the word for the recording tomorrow

Today:
I gave the groups time to finish up preparing for tomorrow's reading. All of the scripts were to be completed and handed in. This way, no matter who is absent, the recording will go smoothly.

While the students were working, I called each student up to discuss his/her grade. I showed them the few remaining grades I entered and asked for any outstanding work. Most students left the class knowing what their first marking period grade will be. Soon enough, you will be able to log on and see these grades. I am closing the grade book for the first marking period because it is a good time to do it. There is a logical break between what we have been doing and the next unit we will study. I am planning the next unit, finishing up the grades, and then I will begin grading the essays. They take too long to even think of getting them into the first marking period.

If I don't say it later, the first marking period grade is based more on doing the work than achievement. What I mean by that is, if a student did all the assignments on time, his grade will (can) be good regardless of how well he did on the assignment. There were some graded assignments, don't get me wrong, but next marking period will reflect a student's abilities better. There will be more quizzes, two graded essays or more, and more classwork grades. I don't know why I feel I should tell you this, though. It's probably because I have taught long enough to know that the first marking period is the easiest. The second and third are the hardest.

October 29, 2007

Homework:
Pictionaries 1-10 Unit 3
Have your word script ready for tomorrow.

Thursday and Friday:
First, if your child did not tell you, I was out Thursday and Friday last week. That is why I did not blog either of those two days. During those two days, the students did two Word Powers from Reader's Digest. Basically, the words are challenging, and there are four answers. I challenged the students to try them on their own first. Then they were to look up the answers. They also read a letter by a man who could not seem to find a job. After reading his letter, why he could not find a job became obvious!

Today:
It was hard getting back into the swing of things. My plans were thrown off. So I did the best I could. We are going to try something new with the vocab. I want the students to make the audio recording that we listen to from the vocab website. Today we looked at sample scripts from some words in the last recording. I showed them what was needed. They then had time to work on their word. Tomorrow or Wednesday, we will make the recording. It's something different. This method makes the students more responsible for learning the words. I imagine this will get faster as the year goes on.

With the extra time, I began recording some essay readings. I was going to do that last week.

October 24, 2007

Homework:
Get grade slip signed.
Section 3 has their essays due Thursday


Today:
Buzzword
I checked the flashcards.
I handed out the grade slips.
We took the Unit 2 quiz.
I read my essay on adversity to the class.
In some classes, students started reading their essays. Most did not.
We will listen to students read tomorrow.

October 23, 2007

Wednesday is picture day for the school!

Homework:
Flashcards for unit 2 (sections 3,6,7) Word on front/definition and part of speech on the back
Good draft of the essay is due Wednesday (100 points!)
The students who were chosen to read should be ready.

Today:
Buzzword
Reviewed for the vocab quiz by discussing what part of speech each word is and how it is used.
We looked at examples of introductions and conclusions observing how they match each other. I told the classes that they should be able to read just the introduction and the conclusion together and it should sound like they belong together. They are bookends. However, the intro has a function, and the conclusion has one, too. But they still go together well.

*Section 3's essay is due on Thursday. Our review for the quiz ran over, and we did not get to discuss all the topics I had wanted to get to.

**You can expect to see a grade slip sent home tomorrow. It will need to be signed.

October 22, 2007

Homework:
Finish unit 2
I suggested making flashcards tonight
Essay due Wednesday

Today:
I have a few things I will be looking for on the essay due Wednesday.

We spent many days during the daily drills looking at commas with non-essential information. I told the students I would like to see two sentences highlighted in the essay that contain commas with non-essential information. That information makes the sentences more descriptive. We looked at two examples today. You can see them in the daily drill archive on the main page.

We also discussed six different hooks the students can use in their introductions. I call them handshakes. We reviewed six of the twelve we will eventually study. I would like the students to use one of these six for the essay. On the back page, I would like them to explain why they chose that technique. What was the intended effect on the reader? The techniques are Question, Quote, Amazing Fact or Statistic, Anecdote, Humor, and Bold and Challenging Statement.

I would also like the students to make sure their introductions match their conclusions. I will discuss that idea more Tuesday. Ideally, the essay has similar bookends. They resemble each other, but they do their specific job.

On Wednesday, five volunteers (or victims) will read their essays to the class.

October 19, 2007

I have to rush out. Have a nice weekend. :)

There is nothing due on Monday. The essay will probably be due on Thursday depending on what we discuss in class. There is a quiz on Wednesday next week.

October 18, 2007

Homework:
Completing the Sentence unit 2 (The context clues must be highlighted.)

Today:
We did not do a daily drill. We reviewed the Choosing the Right Word. Then I gave the students time to show me some make-up work . Unfortunately, many students did not take advantage of the fact that they could get late credit for their missing work. Oh well.

We finished one of the four lessons I want to cover before the essays are finally due. We examined a bad essay, a good essay, and an excellent essay. We looked at the introduction and conclusion and how they matched. You can read the essays for yourself if you would like. I made links from the assignment page on MrBoZ.com.

October 17, 2007

Homework:
Choosing the right word unit 2

Today:
Buzzword
Checked that students had their rough drafts.
Handed back vocab quiz, notebook quiz, and a grade slip.
I will accept make-up work in class tomorrow.
The slip does not need to be signed.

The good draft of the essay will not be due until we do the following:

1. Discuss three more types of introductions
2. Discuss how introductions match the conclusions
3. Read sample essays and discuss flow
4. Discuss how they can improve their sentences using extra information, like we have been doing in the daily drills.
5. Have someone else read the paper and offer suggestions.

If all of these are done quickly, the essay will be due then.

October 16, 2007

Homework:
Pictionaries 11-20 and synonyms unit 2
Rough draft of the essay is due tomorrow (for a grade)

Today:
No daily drill
We listened to words 11-20 and discussed
Took the Notebook quiz
I gave them time to work on their rough drafts

Honestly, I have this fear that students won't write the essays. I go through this all the time. Maybe it is because I am a writer, and I don't wait until the last minute. But today, I was not getting the feeling that students had started the essay. This is why the rough is due tomorrow. Over the next couple of days, I will discuss techniques they can use to improve their essays. We will read some samples. We will also discuss the introductions and conclusions. The final draft will probably be due Monday, unless I feel we need to cover a few things.

Expect a grade update tomorrow. I will not ask it to be signed, but I will be giving it to the kids.

October 15, 2007

Homework:
Pictionaries 1-10 Unit 2
Rough Draft of essay due Wednesday

Today:
We did NOT do a daily drill today or the quiz.
(We will have the notebook quiz tomorrow.)
Reviewed the week's schedule
Listened to words 1-10 and discussed
I explained the topic again and what I was working on personally
S.S.W. time so they could get some writing done

I explained that the rough draft should be good enough to read. It should have and intro, body, and a conclusion. I plan to discuss how I will be scoring the essay this week. We will cover a few more ideas introductions, and I will explain how the conclusion is supposed to work.

I am shooting for Friday for a good draft, but I think Monday will be more realistic. I would like to look at a few more example essays sometime this week.

October 11, 2007

Homework:
None, but they can work on their essay.
There is a notebook quiz on Monday.

Today:
Since it was a half-day, I just gave the S.S.W. time to work on their essays. The spirit was moving me, so I needed to write. I have a conclusion and an idea of how I want my paper to sound, but I need to write the essay that matches the conclusion. There are so many ways to write a paper. I spent the first few minutes of each class explaining what I was thinking about and how I was trying to craft my paper.

October 10, 2007

Homework:
None really.
They could start thinking about their next essay.

Today:
Buzzword
Quiz on Unit 1
Finished the discussion of a sample essay for the next topic
Discussed the prompt for the next topic

I spent time diagramming the song and the sample essay because I want the students to see how an essay is organized overall. I tried to not use the typical five-paragraph outline. I moved the body paragraphs above the conclusion and had the thesis near the conclusion. I want to show the students that the intro should match the conclusion. I also want them to see that the conclusion should contain a little bit of each of the body paragraphs. I am trying something different this year.

October 9, 2007

Homework:
Sections 3,6,7 should make flashcards
Quiz Unit 1 Wednesday

Today:
DOL
Reviewed vocab
Discussed the diagrams for "Work It Out"
Began to diagram an essay.

Right now, we are beginning to think about how to organize ideas for the next essay. Here are some things I want the students to start thinking about:

What do we do when we are faced with adversity? What do I do? What do people do in general?

Think of a time in your life when you were faced with adversity (a tough challenge). What thoughts went through your head when you realized you had to overcome the problem? Who did you turn to? What plan did you come up with to be successful?

We then discussed what the characters did in the song. The essay we are reading discusses what people do in general.

I hope to teach students how to reflect on the topic a little more than just when they have faced a challenge.

October 8, 2007

(I forgot to blog Monday. Sorry.)

Homework:
Finish unit 1

Today:
Buzzword
Discussed the week's schedule
Began our next writing prompt
We watched the video "Work This Out" from High School Musical 2 and studied the lyrics
My goal is to have students diagram their next essay so that it has a clear progression of ideas.

October 5, 2007

Homework:
None

Today:
DOL- Reviewed apostrophes from yesterday's drill
Reviewed the Completing the Sentence
Began Photography Friday

Here is a little explanation of Photography Friday.
If you haven't noticed on my web pages, I do photography as a hobby. I do more than just take pictures. I believe photography is an art. Today, we discussed how pictures can do three things: they can document, they can be artistic in their expression, and they can do both. We looked at the pictures from MSNBC's "This Week in Pictures" found in the multimedia section of their page. Accept for the one graphic picture (which gives ample warning not to look), we went through each one discussing what type of picture it was. Some pictures merely captured a moment in time for posterity. Others did the same thing but with a creative touch. Some pictures were just beautiful.

I use these discussion to develop high-order thinking skills. In the future, the students will get better at explaining why they chose one picture over another as their favorite. It's like art appreciation. When you know what to look for, you are better at making critical judgments.

I also plan to teach the students essay appreciation, how to be critical of their writing and the writing of others.

October 4, 2007

Homework:
Finish Completing the Sentence Unit 1

Today:
Buzzword
Reviewed the Choosing the Right Word
Discussed using context clues to determine the answer for Completing the Sentence
Took an online apostrophe quiz (Try it yourself!)

I have updated the daily drill archive file. I now have the answers included. This way, if a student is absent, he can try to make the corrections himself and then check his answers. Or, realistically, a student who is absent just copies the correct answer into his notebook. Either way, he will be ready for the notebook quiz! :)

I am going to have a notebook quiz on October 15.

October 3, 2007

Homework:
Finish choosing the right word

Today:
DOL
Reviewed the synonyms and pictionaries
Discussed how to use context clues in choosing the right word in vocab

I am spending extra time this week getting the students acquainted with my expectations for the vocabulary book. In the future, the students will be responsible for doing the work at home, and we will check the answers in class.

October 2, 2007

Homework:
Pictionaries 11-20 and synonyms unit 1
Get grade slip signed if not done already.

Today:
Buzzword
We reviewed the next 10 vocab words in unit 1.
We guessed at some pictionaries on the board.
In most classes, we spent time exploring phonetic spelling. We looked at the pronunciation key on page 6 of the vocab book. In some classes, we tried to spell our own names using the key. I wanted to show students how to use the pronunciation listed below the vocab word in the book.

October 1, 2007

Homework:
Get grade slip signed if not done already.
Pictionaries 1-10 unit 1

Today:
DOL
Collected signed grade slips
Vocab books were handed out
Listened to words 1-10 Unit 1
I showed the students what pictionaries should be
Gave students time to work in class