Finding Our Groove

     It's the second full of week of classes, and we are slowly but surely getting into our classroom routines and "finding out grooves." We've been reading short stories and discussed nuclear fallout today in English II. One of our short stories, "Searching for Summer," served as a great link to articles about Fukushima's and Chernobyl's nuclear disasters.
     English I students have been analyzing different aspects of literature like plot, setting, and theme.     
     We just finished reading the epic poem, "Beowulf," in senior English, and those students will begin working on a choice board tomorrow. A choice board is table with different activities and projects that relate the text. Students can choose which questions they answer, so it gives them some freedom of choice.
     English III students also finished writing their creation stories today. I can't wait to read them because I'm always impressed with students' creativity.

It's been a great school so far!

A Brand New School Year

I'm so excited about this new school year and getting to know my students better. One new thing that I have implemented this year is required independent reading. Students are required to read three novels on their own per semester. When they finish each book, they will create some kind of product to demonstrate their understanding of and engagement with the text. These products can include but are not limited to book talks, book jacket illustrations, comic strips, character interviews, dioramas, epilogues, letters, skits, slide show presentations, and any other creative project that the student may dream up. I know I'm going to be very impressed with the creative genius of my students.

On another note, I finished On the Blue Comet, and I loved the ending. Students who like time travel or a plot that makes you think will really enjoy this book.

I also read another YAL (young adult fiction) book this week, Thin Wood Walls, by David Patneaude. A young Japanese American boy, Joseph, and his family must deal with prejudice and relocation efforts after the attack on Pearl Harbor during WWII. This book intrigued me because I knew very little about the U.S. government's efforts to relocate these families during the war. I came away from the book with some new knowledge and a desire to know even more about this subject. It's a great work of historical fiction, and I think students will enjoy getting to know Joseph and his family.

What I'm reading right now...

I am currently reading On the Blue Comet by Rosemary Wells. It's a young adult novel about a young man named Oscar who lives during the Great Depression. He and his father build a train layout and amass quite the collection of Lionel trains. When the Depression hits, Oscar and his dad lose the house and the trains to the bank and banker respectively. Oscar's dad heads to California to find work, and Oscar is left with the less-than-entertaining Aunt Carmen. Oscar makes a new acquaintance and through a series of events, he ends up traveling through time in the very same trains that he and his dad put together.

I'm not finished with the book yet because I let my dad borrow it. After a few minutes of reading, he was hooked and just had to take the book home to finish it. So far, it's a great novel. Very engaging and entertaining. The main character, Oscar, is a likeable kid with whom some students may identify. The plot is engaging, and I'm not really sure at all how it's going to turn out, but based upon what I've read so far, I know it's going to be great!

There are also beautiful black and white illustrations done by Bagram Ibatoulline throughout the novel. These beautiful little gems will help students get a great visual sense of the characters and events of the story, as well.

I definitely recommend this book!