"Something Wicked This Way Comes"

     "When at first you don't succeed, try and try again".  This seems to be the motto for my unit on Macbeth.  I have labored over this text for days and figuring out how in the world I was going to teach such a challenging text.  When I first found out I was teaching Macbeth I was overjoyed.  I love Shakespeare and this is one of my favorite plays.  Little did I know that liking a play and teaching a play would be completely different!  I'm still not entirely sure what went wrong with the comprehension on this play.  Could it have been the names of all of the characters?  Perhaps, it could be the language?  I even considered that it may have been that they simply did not like it.  Little by little each day I tried new ways to approach this text.  These ways included: reading No Fear Shakespeare, watching a modern version of it, watching an older version of it, the graphic novel,  performing it outside, and the literature book version.  It seemed as though every way I taught it caused more confusion and perhaps even made the understanding go backwards.  Regardless, I settled on teaching acts IV and V through the older movie version and discussion.
     This leads to the day that Dr. Mortimore came and observed this Academic IV class at the end of the day.  Fist of all, one might note that this situation and circumstance of time is not the most ideal.  These students have senioritis PLUS it is the last period of the day.  Anyhow, the students came walking in and picked up a graphic organizer on the desk.  I decided to start the lesson with an activating strategy that picked up where we left off yesterday, the three apparitions in Act IV.  I wanted them to answer questions about the apparitions and predict what the significance was of them.  This turned out to be quite the catastrophe that I didn't expect.  They seemed to be very confused on how the graphic organizer worked and asked an abundance (excuse the alliteration) of questions that took up way too much time.  Even once we got on the same page, I still didn't get the discussion that I hoped for.  It was mainly me telling them what I THINK and them not understanding how I came to my conclusions.  So as a reflection, what could I have done differently?  The answer is quite obvious and simple.  I needed clear and concise directions with perhaps a model for them to see.  I wanted them to create something on their own, but I left it too vague.  I think it is hard for me to do graphic organizers because I was never one that really appreciated them.  I liked taking my own notes and writing down my thoughts on lined paper.  Naturally, everyone is different and I need to constantly remind myself that graphic organizers can only help and that they never take away from learning.
     Once that activity was over and I was still in an panicky mood from the results, I explained the post-it note activity to these students once again.  Each student got five post-it notes and there were five posters on the wall.  They had to answer or do the tasks that were explained on each poster on theit posrt-it note.  In the middle of the movie, if they had a post-it filled, they would stick it on the wall.  After awhile I would stop the movie and go over the questions.  This activity actually worked out prety well for doing it for the first time.  The reason behind doing this was that I needed more participation.  This ensured that every students was participating and keepting them engaged while watching the movie.  The only issue that I had was that I wanted them to ask deeper questions and their answers were not always that deep.  Perhaps I should have used the higher-level thinking words on the poster for them to answer.  Either way, it kept their attention and it went as good as any other lesson had gone so far in Macbeth.
     One thing that was a struggle during this unit was the technological resources for it.  I had to resort to using a youtube version of the movie to show these students.  Not only was the quality terrible, the acting was also not the best.  I think that there should be more tangible copies of movies rather than trying to rummage around the internet for one.  Furthermore, there needs to be a more engaging movie.  Someone should make this movies geared towards students.  Perhaps there should be questions on the movie after each scene and sort of go through elements that were just shown in the film.  I am sure that there are versions like that out there; however, I would have liked to get my hands on it for the unit.   Lastly, I was VERY impressed by the behavior of the students.  They were not on their phones and they did not talk during the movie.  The all perticipated and followed directions.  This was quite an improvement and I was very very proud of them for their behavior.
      I suppose now is a better time than ever to wrap up my thoughts and reflect on student teaching as a whole.  I have learned so many things that this blog cannot possibly contain them all.  One of the most important things that I have learned is that preparation is the key to a successul lesson.  If everything and every detail is planned out then it leaves little room for error.  I learned that you should never give up after a lousy lesson.  It is a chance to try different things and will prepare you for that unit if you ever teach it in your own classroom.  Finally, I learned that teaching is not a job or just a career but a lifestyle.  After most jobs people go home and go about their business.  As a teacher, your job goes everywhere with you.  I don't think I ever stop thinking about teaching during the day.  My gears are constantly going about what I am going to do about this or that and it never stops.  It truly is a career in which you keep learning new things.

Blog 3..The Beginning of the end

"When life hands you lemons, make lemonade" is what they say.  However, what happens if you don't have sugar, ice, a cup, etc.?  That is exactly how I was feeling the day that Dr. Mortimore decided to stroll into my classroom.  The class she decided to observe was the one that I thought I could make a differnce in.  As my placement started, I thought I could make this class relevant to the students and they would enjoy coming to class everday.  Needless to say, I feel as though that would all be fine and dandy had I been given the resources to make this a success.  I should mention that is an elective intro. to film course that any student from 9th to 12th grade can take.  Therefore, you can see that there are many different types of students with different bakckgrounds and have been given different amounts of tools to be successful in an english class.  Shannon decided to come in towards the end of the first class and just in time for the intro. to film students to file in.  As they walked in I had a polleverywhere poll on the board for them to vote what type of movie they would like to watch.
I thought long and hard about doing this because cell phones are a HUGE issue in this class.  So far, they have been permitted to have their phones out at any given time in class, except during a test.  Coming in as a student teacher I knew I had my work cut out because they were too far along for me to implement no cell phones in class.  Therefore, I decided to use it to my advantage...or so I thought.  Over half of the students did NOT even partake in the poll as they walked in.  Some stated they didn't have phones while others just didn't do it.  Did they know that I couldn't tell who took the poll and who didn't?  Did they simply misunderstand my directions?  Were the testing me? 
     This was the first thing that did not go to plan that day.  How is it that I tried to turn something negative into something positive in the classroom and it didn't work out?  This is where I stand with this class and what to do.  How can I turn something that I cannot change into something that will benefit the class?  Another situation that is not in my favor is the seating arrangement.  They can sit wherever they please.  Therefore, the ninth graders gravitate towards each other and so forth.  They sit with their friends and can be on their phones all at one time.  This has been ongoing struggle and I can't seem to figure out how to fix it.  I could simply assign a seating chart; however, I don't think that that's going to stop the problems in the class.  I have been spending a lot of time trying to figure out who to fix this situation so that the next three weeks run smoothly.... (suggestions are welcome!).
     As for the actual instruction. I decided to show them a parody of Les Miserables that was a song that used the tune from a popoular song.  This went over quite well and I was pleasantly surprised.  Everyone seemed attentive at that point and it was a good way for me to address problems that I have been seeing with them identifying character traits.  All was well with this and I got some feedback but not as much as I would have liked.  The rest of the class they were asked to create a facebook page for any fictional character in a tv series, a movie, or a book.  This was an assessment to see if they could identify characteristics of characterizations.  I wanted them to use the character's dialogue, relationships, emotions, actions, motivations, and traits to depict this character in their facebook page.  The students, once again, seemed responsive to this and worked quite diligently.  The only issue that arose was staying on task and listening to directions which is a struggle every day.  Most of them didn't finish and I collected them to work on the following day.
      Although my content and instruction seems to be evident, I am simply having a struggle with behavioral management.  I need to get them to stay on task, follow directions, and to listen to one another.  Dr. Shannon luckily had suggestions that I am working with.  Perhaps I could set up expectations at the beginning of class.  I could move seats and follow through with the things that I say.  It seems as though this is an exact science that needs careful planning and proper implementation.  What can I do for an elective class with all grades to be successful and work in a way that makes the class structured?  Right now that is where I am and I am constantly thinking about the best way to approach this.

Post Observation #2

On Tueday, March 5, Dr. Mortimore decided to come visit my first period class.  The day's lesson was pretty simple and was almost student led.  However, I still had to be clear on the instructions and what I expected out of them.  The essential question posed for that day was "How can we read poetry effectively".  Essentially, this lesson was focused around a poetry slam where every student had to recite a poem that he/she wrote.  They were to turn in their poetry portfolios that day as their final assessment and their poetry reading was to be included in that grade.  Before we could jump in to any actual poetry we the students had to take a vocabulary quiz as well as do their daily warm up.  As they took their vocabulary quiz I paced and monitored the class to make sure no one had any questions and to make sure that there was no cheating going on.  Thinking about that makes me realize that I pace and monitor the class all of the time.  Is this always a good thing?  We have always been taught to move around the class and check on students; however, when do we know enough is enough?  I feel as though some students are more tense when I am monitoring the classroom and tend to look up at me as though they feel they are doing something wrong.  I think that is one thing that I need to figure out as I keep teaching.  When is it okay to stop monitoring by walking around and when should I continue to walk around?
     As the actual lesson started, I had the students get in a full circle with an opening.  I wanted to create an environment that was laid back and formed a sense of community.  Also, I figured, in most discussions, that the audience should all be facing the speaking.  After they got in to the circle I went over what I expected out of the audience and out of the speaker.  For example, I wanted them to refresh themselves with the proper public speaking techniques.  Students raised their hands and brought up volume, gestures, staying on topic, and not covering your mouth with your paper.  Getting the students to do this proved a significant purpose.  I want them to remember these tools for public speaking because it will help them forever.  I also wanted them to be successful.  Reminding students of these tools again and again will only make them better and keep it their memory longer.  I then went over what I expect out of audience members.   They are expected to be respectful, be a good listener, snap instead of clap when appropriate, and to take the assignment seriously with maturity.  Telling them what I expect of them at the beginning tends to make the classroom environment better and I feel as though I don't have to keep reminding them throughout the class.  Therefore, it saves time and saves me energy which I need to desperately hold on to throughout the day.  As I was coming up with this lesson I was figuring out in my head how I could make students be respectful and accountable for their actions.  I thought I could take them out in the hallway or maybe make them read two poems instead of one.  Then I realized that taking them out of the class might actually be a positive punishment for some.  I also don't want them to view a poetry reading as a punishment by making them read two.  As a result, I decided to take points of the person's grade who is being disrespectful even if they were not the ones speaking.  I think this worked out pretty well for the most part.  I don't think that I had to take points off of anyone during the day let alone the class Dr. Mortimore observed.
      Moreover, I had to think of away to create more participation in class than just reading a poem.  How could I expect twenty-five eighth graders to to be actively engaged if they were reading a poem for two minutes out of the whole class?  That is when I decided to have them write comments to the people sitting to their left and right when they were presenting.  It allowed students to practice writing, forced them to pay attention, and it allowed the student speaking to get another person's perspective then my own.  To aid in this activity, I had sentence starters on the board for them to use because I only wanted them to write positive comments.  I truly believe constructive criticism is necessary; however, for their first time public speaking for me I only wanted them to see the positives of the whole experience.  Once again, I can't help but question if that was the right idea or not.  Should students receive both the good and the bad or just the good at this stage in their education career?  This is another question I will be tackling when I get to my next placement in the high school.  The last thing I went over before they started was what I was looking for when they presented.  I made a list on the board so that they could refer to it as they were speaking or beforehand.  I want them to state their name, the title of their poem, the form it was, read the poem, and then explain why they wrote it and what poetic elements it contained.  This was my way of assuring that they were up there for at least two minutes and that they had something to say instead of giving me blank stares (even though some did that anyway).  I felt as though I made things perfectly clear with this lesson and that I left no room for uncertainty.  Even though I thought this, there were still those who proved me wrong.
     As the presentations occurred I realized that they were actually doing pretty well.  All of the students went up without a hassle and most knew what I expected out of them.  The first class, the one Dr. Mortimore saw, were gems.  They did not misbehave at all and they all did a stellar job on their readings.  As a teacher, I feel as though I was the one who messed up.  I had my "pick a student" app do the job of picking who went up next to present.  The issue that this caused is that it took me forever to find a specific student's rubric.  If I knew in advance who was to go next, then I could have organized the rubrics in that order to save time and to keep students on track.  I should have also had more encouraging things to say.  I think I felt the pressure of time and wanted to make sure everyone went.  I cannot simply put the blame on time because it was my fault for not telling them how good they did.  I also found it very difficult to grade and watch them recite at the same time.  Multitasking is getting better but it is still hard to do.    I'm stuck between trying to be a good audience member and a teacher.  Do I shuffle papers around to grade them or do I wait until they are done? I don't want to be rude but I want to make sure everything runs smoothly.  This is sort of a never ending battle.  Lastly, the students had to vote on the top two they think did the best job.  I The winner got a candy bar the next day.  I thought this added a little more fun and a competitive edge to the lesson.  Everyone likes a good competition and incentives are always a nice touch!
     Overall, I think the lesson went fairly well.  I didn't do much in terms of content wise but I did demonstrate what my students knew through their presentations.  I think I prepared well in advance and made everything clear.  On the down side, however, I wish I would have thought about the actual engagement of the poetry reading.  I should have considered things such as my role during their readings and how I was to be organized.  Running a classroom is not just about preparing your students for the lesson but also yourself.  I think that is the biggest lesson I learned that day and for that observation.  I'm truly glad that Shannon came that day because it was a great way for her to see what my students have been doing.  She sees what I am doing through my portfolio but not what my students are actually taking from my lessons that shes on paper.  I hope she enjoyed their poetry readings because I felt that it was a good way to end the unit.  I am proud of all of my students and I can say that I am finally proud of myself!

Post-Observation #1

     On wednesday, February 6, Dr. Mortimore blessed me with her presence for the first time since student teaching started.  Although I was nervous, I feel as though I maintained composure for the most part.  She arrived during my lunch period which was right before the class she was to observe.  We talked for a bit about what she should expect, we went through my binder, and we got to talk to Bethany!  Once the class started rolling in I started to get even more nervous.  Luckily, my kids were AWESOME!! They came right in, ready to work, and started promptly with DOL.  Naturally, Dr. Mortimore started typing away furiously on her laptop.  I decided to block that out and focus on the task at hand, aka teaching.  They worked on their DOL as their bell-ringer and I paced the room making sure that everyone was doing what they were supposed to be doing.  Although there was some side chatter, they still worked very diligently on their DOL.  Once I thought they were all done and I saw all of their pencils down I had students come up and make corrections on the smart board.  I think this is a great way to do DOL and I feel as though it is very effective.  For some reason, students LOVE any chance to use the smart board.  I don't know if it is the thrill of the vibrant colors magically appearing on the screen or if it's the chance to get out of theit seats; however, they are always eager to make the corrections.  After each correction I would ask why they made that correction and we would briefly discuss rules of grammar.  Quickly, we progressed to going over the structure of poetry through "Viva La Vida" lyrics by Coldplay.  For homework they were asked to find internal rhymes, end rhymes, slant rhymes, a rhyme scheme, count lines, and count stanzas.  Each group was assigned one of the elements listed above and I would have one student from each group come up and label the structure of the lyrics.  The students seemed to really enjoy doing this because they love the incorporation of music.  Finally, we moved on to them writing their own "Where I'm From" poem.  We would go over each part of the poem and I had a template for them to follow.  I allowed them to work the rest of the period and I answered questions about what I wanted out of the poem.  I even modeled my own poem that I made so that they would have an example to follow.
     Overall, I think the observation went very well.  My students were so well-behaved and for that they received donuts the next day.  My lesson plan worked out very well and my students seemed to really like writing their own poems.  My students even told me how much they enjoyed the lesson.  I think my directioned were clear and they knew exactly what I expected from them.  I was able to answer all of their questions clearly as well.  I think the best thing about the observation was that I was able to demonstrate how much I improved with my public speaking as well as my classroom management.  I didn't hesitate to tell my students to get quiet and to try and get them to focus.  I didn't have to often but when I did they listened right away.  As for my classroom instruction and public speaking, it has greatly improved.  It is completely different teaching eight grade then it is teaching my peers.  I feel way more comfortable up there teaching in front of students.  I feel as though they listen, that they are understanding, and that they respect my authority when I am up there.
     As for improvements, I feel as though my lessons could have been more structured and consisted of more substance.  In all fairness, my goal for that lesson was for them to understand the skeleton of a poem, or in this case music, so that analyzing a poem would be easier for them.  For example, how does the rhyme scheme and repetition work together to convey a certain feeling about a poem.  I suppose I should have allowed them to discuss the meaning of the song and not just the structure.  I also think I need to work on my own focus.  I tend to be one of those teachers where I get sidetracked and start on a tangent.  I think the students appreciate the conversations but sometimes it lasts longer then it should.  Luckily, I have learned from these mistakes already.  The following day we started "The Raven" and talked about its meaning and how a narrative poem works.  My kids loved this lesson and started "nevermore" all day.  I also have been staying on track because I needed to get the whole poem covered rather quickly.
      There are still a lot of things I could improve on.  I plan on simply working day by day to improve different things.  Each day I have been learning something new and the observation really boosted by confidence.  I feel confident that I can make it as a teacher and that I have improved a whole lot since methods.  Since the beginning of my placement I have learned that I connect well with students, that there can be a nice balance between being an authoritative figure and being someone who is fun, and that lesson plans never look like they do on paper (good or bad).   
      This past observation has allowed me think very critically about teaching and how I should change certain aspects as well as what I should keep the same.  First of all, how can I make my lessons transition smoothly?  I have been thinking the past two days of schools and I think I am coming up with effective ways.  It should be a layering process.  How can you use skills and concepts from one lesson and build them up in to the next lesson.  Transitioning is very important during the day.  Doing it wrong allows the class to get a little chaotic and become a little disconnected from the essential questions.  I find that using questions on the smart board is an easy way for students to transition from lesson to lesson.  You can use a piece from a previous lesson and a piece from the next lesson to get them thinking.  I also plan on using journaling as a way to transitions.  If they can gather their thoughts and store them somewhere then they can use that knowledge with the next lesson.
     Also, what can I do to make sure that students are actually understanding?  I tend to simply ask them and of course they nod in agreement.  However, I need to find questioning techniques to see if they understand.  One of the most cliche and simplest of ideas is to use post-it notes, exit slips, and random question asking.  I think it would be effective for them to ask each other questions about the lesson.  This way I can tell if students not only understand material but if they know what kind of questions I want them to be able to answer.  For example, what questions fall under the umbrella of the essential question.
     Moreover, I think I know what I can do to keep their intrest in poetry.  I found that it was hard to get them motivated for poetry because they already had a mindset about it.  It is boring, complicated, and unneccessary.  However, I believe in using pop culture as well as certain twists to keep them in tune.  For example, I showed them The Simpson's spoof of "The Raven".  Not only did it tie in perfectly but they understood the poem without traditional learning.  I also find that choosing poems such as "The Raven" give them insight to poems that aren't so typical.  They liked the thrill of the poem and found Poe fascinating.  They even wanted me to pull up a picture of him.  If I keep showing them something different about poetry I think they appreciate it more.  Also, I think they should write poetry as much as they write.  The more they practice the more they know what to look for.  Students like to be heard and this is the perfect way for them to do so.  They can be heard as well as learn what it is like to use poetic elements and following certain poetic forms.
     I feel as though this experience has been very postitive so far.  I have somewhat of a plan of what I am going to change and keep.  I am thoroughly happy with the observation, with my class, and I am honestly happy with myself....for once.  I am typically hard of myself with things but I am gaining confidence instead of losing it!
    

Take the Good and the Bad

      The research brief assignment is one of the assignments that I really didn't think would take a while but actually took a lot of thought.  It wasn't so much the research question but the data analysis and how to put forward my research.  Not to mention the encoding portion was confusing and I battled the textbook many times trying to make sense of it.  However, as an end result, I really like my research question and I think it is going to go over well in my classroom.  I think it is also manageable as I am student teaching and I could definitely benefit from its results.  My research question is essentially to have the students help create a behavioral management plan in hopes that they will be better behaved and follow the rules since they helped make them.  I think the students will enjoy this procedure because it will allow them to take a large role in what goes on in the classroom as well as be accountable for their actions.  I am really looking forward to the rules that they want to implement.  I wonder if they will create a long list or a short list or if they will try and create real bizarre rules.  Naturally, I have to have some control in this situation and that it what worries me the most.  What if this doesn't go according to plan?  What if they don't want to create rules?  I think I really need to find a way to ensure that this goes as smooth as possible, even if it is a list of rules for them to sort of rank so that they are forced to choose some.  As a whole, I am pretty confident in my research question and I think it is going to end up working out pretty well in the classroom.
       As for my reflection, I have to admit that I have learned a lot of valuable lessons during my time in methods.  For starters I learned that I cannot afford to be lazy! Teaching is a job that requires effort all of the time and that there is no room for slacking.  Getting my first "R" was a big slap in the face, well in a good way maybe? My first conceptual unit was sloppy and one of the worst assignments I ever turned in.  I am glad that I got the "R" because it proved to me that I needed to improve because this class was going to be rigorous and expect a lot.  If I had not received that "R" then who knows how long I would have continued slacking?  I have also learned that there are a lot of resources a teacher can use, and I have learned a lot of them from my peers! All of the mini teachers really provided me with good ideas and I can clearly see myself using a lot of them in my classroom. My favorite assignment was reading the Image Grammar by Noden.  I think the brushstrokes are an awesome idea and I really want to use them in my classroom.  It definitely helps create better writers, particuarly with creative writing.  Methods also allowed me to be satisfied with the grades and the work that I eventually turned in.  Being able to correct the assignments as many times as I wanted allowed me to work on things over and over until I feel I got it right.  Although it was frustrating during the time being, I realize now that it was only to make me better and to show what I am capable of creating.  For example, I look at my LFS map and I take great pride in it.  I think it is something I would really consider using in my class and I think it shows that I can be a good teacher.  I am eager to put it in my portfolio and that is a great feeling to have.  That is the one thing about methods, during the course you may feel weak and awful about your assignments.  You may even question whether or not you want to teach; however, at the end, you feel really good about yourself and admire the work that you put forth in the class.
      It terms of bad things, I learned that I really need to get more comfortable with my peers.  I am so much better at teaching to students then I am to my peers.  It makes me feel like I am talking down to them or that I am making things too simple.  Although it seems to be too late to fix this, I am glad that I realize it now so that I can work on it if I ever need to again. I also learned that I hate mornings...which is a terrible thing when going in to the teaching field.  I know I am going to need to get up every day early so I need to start getting in to that habit.  I know this sounds cliche, but I don't feel that I learned too many bad things about myself.  I only feel as though the bad things worked out in the end to make me end up feeling really good about things.
     Therefore, there were some good and some bad things I learned about myself through methods.  However, one of the most things I will cherish are the friendships that I have made.  There are a few people in this class that I feel I have a great bond with that I hope stays strong for a while.  We were able to cope with the stress of classes together, encourage each other when others put us down, and have good times together that helped get our minds off of the stress!  Although that is not teaching related, it really helped me get through methods because they were my rock.  I also really learned to value my education that I have been given.  I know a lot of times I complain about things that shouldn't matter or I get on my soap box, but I truly appreciate what I have gotten out of my educatio
      In the long run, methods was a very worthwhile class in my opinion.  I learned my weaknesses, my strengths, how I have improved, and what I still need to improve on.  This class allows me to feel comfortable going in to student teaching and has reassured me that teaching is the career that I want to be in.  I really hope that everyone has a good student teaching experience and wish you all good luck after graduation.

Image Grammar

As future teachers, it is interesting to see how traditional values are being changed, kept, or taken out of the classroom.  When I think of grammar, I think of mechanics and commas or perhaps types of sentences and dangling modifiers.  To my pleasant surprise, Image Grammar helped me to see grammar through a different and a better lens.  Of course, I think traditional grammar is important and is a keystone when it comes to English.  Grammar rules are implemented so that writing is effective and scholarly.  For example, in my placements I have read several papers where the grammar was correct and papers where the grammar was incorrect.  I may be a bit biased but I definitely found it very difficult to read through a paper when a student ended all of their sentences with prepositions or over used commas.  However, when I did see a paper that was grammatically correct I was very pleased.  When I think of my own grammar instruction during my schooling I remember very little about it.  To be honest, I don’t remember ever really engaging in grammar but approaching it as it came up in my writing or in a text.  Personally, my favorite memory of grammar was doing D.O.L or what people commonly refer to as daily oral language.  The teacher would put up a sentence or two that was filled with grammatical and spelling errors.  As a class we would go through the sentence and fix it so that it was correct.  Although it was not very engaging and got rather monotonous, I still liked the challenge or the puzzle of fixing a sentence to make it correct.  I do, however, think it sad how much of grammar is left on the back burner and not really approached in the classroom.  Once again, I may be making a bold statement but I honestly believe that grammar is overlooked because teachers do not fully understand grammar themselves.  After all, we are human and I know that there are plenty of times when my grammar isn’t the greatest.  As a matter of fact, it is safe to say that the grammar in the blog is incorrect.  As a result, I think teachers find it easy to get rid of grammar because they literally cannot practice what they preach. 

                On the other hand, I do find that Image Grammar offers a lot of new insight and approaches that make grammar fun and make more sense.  When I first heard about the five different brushstrokes I thought they were clever but very narrow.  I mean, adding description in an analytical paper is often frowned upon and considered filler.  Then I realized that writing papers with descriptions effectively can eventually lead to being a better writer analytically.  My absolute favorite thing that Harry Noden brings up is when he explains, “Specific details, like brush strokes, show instead of tell” (Noden 29).  I think this is a great metaphor when he explains that the brush strokes are like colors for a painter.  They are interchangeable and speak to the reader more than what dialogue does.  I like this idea a lot more than I like traditional grammar lessons; yet, they are still important. 

                Moreover, I also like when Harry Noden writes, In a reader’s imagination, nouns flash slide shows of still images, but verbs project motion pictures” (32). Through the different brushstroke teaches I learned a lot about what this quote actually means.  Each teach was very effective and I could tell a difference with the before lesson and the activity we had to do for each of them.  Verbs make sentences so vivid and really leave a lasting impression.  For example, Jon and I thought about this quote when we created our lesson and decided to implement it.  I immediately thought of the first time I read Harry Potter and the Socerer’s Stone.  When Harry first enters the Great Hall a swarm of emotions and images fluttered through my mind.  J.K. Rowling used such colorful descriptions that I had a concrete mindset of what this scene actually looked like.  Every book after that I perceived the Great Hall in the same way and it left a lasting impression.  When the movie came out, I was little concerned that Hollywood was going to damper my images Rowling’s wonderful world, particularly that scene that I held so close.  However, I was pleasantly surprised! The director, Chris Columbus, executed the scene exactly how I imagined in the book.  It was actually alarming at how well he captured that moment when Harry enters.  This is when it occurred to me that J.K. Rowling left little room to improvise and create something new.  Her passages were written with so many verbs and the brushstrokes that the script and the sets were already created from her original writing.  Luckily, I had the honor to actually see the set in person and it was breathtaking.  As for the lessons that the different pairs taught, they made so much sense and, personally, I think it was the best material I have learned when it comes to teaching.  These activities, so simple, are so important.  It makes a great deal of difference in your writing if you follow these simple tools that were presented in class. 

                So, I guess the question lies as to how I plan on teaching grammar in my class.  I suppose that I will teach it as a learning process.  I was thinking of having the students learn the brushstrokes as a lesson that occurs once a week, perhaps a set day of the week.  For instance, I would spend a whole class period dedicated to the different brushstrokes.  After that, I would do mini-lessons or writing samples of Fridays in order for the students to get practice.  I would put a sentence on the board and have the students build from it.  Have them write a paragraph based on once sentence that has appositives in it and another with absolutes and so on.  I think the mini assignments would change every week to mix things up and it would hopefully get the students motivated.  I would also have bigger writing assignments throughout the year as well.  I would have a rubric that includes conventions, content, spelling, and the traditional categories that are associated with grammar.  However, I would make one of the criteria usages of the brushstrokes.  Not only would that encourage my students to use them, it would allow them to see how important they are and it would even out the use of red pen for traditional grammar errors.  I think this ensures a happy medium between what people know as traditional grammar and the brushstrokes.

                Therefore, how does the “red pen” article make me feel after I learned about the brushstrokes?  I still feel that the red pen is very necessary and not meant to make people feel bad.  I still think students need to write papers that make sense and free from error.  However, I do realize that I value other things as well.  I feel like the red pen can only do so much.  Brushstrokes should be taught first, in my opinion, and then the traditional grammar should follow.  I even think that proper grammar would start to flow naturally if the brushstrokes were implemented first.  Overall, I really enjoyed Image Grammar, the teaches these past two weeks, and even the thought of teaching grammar.  I sincerely hope I can put the brushstrokes to use because they are great to use.

Writing Strategies

      In my opinion, writing is the most important skill that a person acquires as they progress through school and in to the real world.  Whether it is college papers, notices at work, emails, and even text messages, how you write says a lot about you.  Although I disagree a lot with Gallagher on this topic, I would like to bring up the few good points that I found true and useful in the classroom.  The one idea that I really enjoyed is Gallagher’s view on what students write.  I know that that sounds very simplistic  but it makes all the difference in the world! I do not know how many times I have been forced to write a paper that had the strictest of guidelines and a thesis that was already given to us on the prompt.  That is almost the equivalent of readicide…might we call it writicide??  Simply stated, you cannot force students to care about a topic.  Students have almost been treated like machines in the way that they write that it takes away EVERYTHING writing is supposed to be about.  A teacher gives a prompt about a specific element in literature that students must write about.  The student goes through their notes and through the book to write a paper that appeals to the teacher to ensure a good grade.  On the other hand, there are students who get the prompt and look at it with blank eyes and an uninteresting groan.  These students then wait until the last minute to write the paper and give minimum effort.  There are even students who may refuse to write it because they do not have a place to begin on a topic that they find pointless.  Gallagher makes it quite clear that choice is an essential key to make a good paper.  In particular, I loved his activity entitled “find the fib” (Gallagher 94).  I think that this is a great first paper for students to write and showcase how they can write a narrative or informative piece.  It also ensures that they are writing about something that is interesting and something that they want to write about.  Let’s be honest, people like to write about things that make them stand out.  This activity will likely invite students to use much detail and write everything that makes the story a great one to tell over others.
                In a nutshell, I also enjoyed how Gallagher encourages students to take a large role in the whole writing process.  For example I like when he addresses that students could help to create the rubric (Gallagher 155).  This allows students to be accountable for their grades and to decide what they value in their own writing.  It also eliminates a lot of discrepancies on grades.  He also allows them to discover on their own their flaws and their strengths while allowing them to hone their skills.  Students would really appreciate how much power and how fluid writing is.  I feel as though students would want to get better and try harder if they knew that they were accountable for their paper from the beginning to the end.

                Now I know this will probably make a lot of people a little upset; however, I am a big fan of the red pen and the grading process.  In class we talked about what we should correct and how much content should matter over grammar.  Personally, I think it is my duty, as a teacher, to correct their paper to the best I can (red pen or not).  I know it sounds discouraging but I want my students to be taken seriously in the real world.  I don’t see the point in sugarcoating grammatical errors if they are present in their paper.  Should they get the chance to improve their paper? Always.  Should I conference with them and give them positive feedback? Absolutely.  However, I feel like I would be doing a great disservice if I didn’t mark every little thing that is wrong.  Steven Zemelman and Harvey Daniels’ article entitled, “The English Teacher’s Red Pen: History of an Obsession” really bothered me as I read.  The quote that really angered me was “Indeed, that is essentially what we have done in the teaching of writing in this country; we have taken what is potentially the most personal, energizing, and richly meaningful subject in the whole curriculum and sucked the meaning out of it. We’ve degraded our subject and in so doing have created a nation of wounded, unconfident semi-writers” (3). I don’t think that correcting every error creates unconfident students.  I think that it should encourage them to accept the challenge of re-doing a paper better than the last one.  I agree, I think paper writing should be a process.  However, I don’t think that teachers have sucked the fun out of writing by correcting every mistake.  I think the fun out of writing gets sucked out when there is no choice and the students are forced to write about things that they do not want to.  In the real world, college or any job, people are scrutinized for everything that they do.  For example, at my job, my boss posts all sorts of messages on the breakroom board every day.  As I read them, I find several mistakes in his writing and naturally call him out on it.  As shallow as it seems, I do feel that he loses credentials by not being able to write with proper grammar.  Does it make him a bad boss? No.  It does, however, make him look like he cannot communicate effectively.

            On a brighter note, I do like the idea that Gallagher has on “funneling” (97).  Even now I have trouble taking a topic and making it small enough to write a solid paper on it.  I think this process allows students to really focus and become a better writer.  If you write on a topic that is really big than that your ideas are all over the place and you build your paper out, not up.  Once you narrow your topic than you can add details and really solidify your material.  It also allows you to put some depth in your paper and make it really strong. 

            The last piece of information that I enjoyed from Gallagher is the way that the revision process works.  I truly believe that students should not get one attempt at a paper.  I agree that they should work until becomes a solid paper.  I also agree that conferencing with the whole class is not a good idea.  Personally, I would not trust my peers (who have the same writing experience as I) with my paper and my revisions.  After all, what do they know? (I would be thinking in high school).  I would like a one-on-one conference with the teacher and maybe one other classmate.  I think it is important for someone to read your work because you get a different insight.  Also, the teacher is a good person to conference with because he or she knows what they are looking for over a peer.

            On the other hand, Smagorinsky brings up a few good points I would like to address.  Smagorinsky writes, “Postpone grammar instruction to the point where it can really become useful to the student” (Smagorinsky 165).  I have had and seen English classes where a teacher will go over grammar one week out of a school year.  It is usually at a random time where they are not working on papers and they cram it all in to one week.  I think Smagorinsky is right in that grammar should come up as a supplement when they write their papers.  Talking about predicate nominatives is not important when they just get done reading a novel.  Instead, a teacher should wait until the trouble with them occurs in many papers or whenever students have questions about it.  Why bother with grammar lessons on things that students already know and keep piling on lesson after lesson?  Grammar is also a process and should be treated in a systematic and procedural way.  Too much grammar can make students very confused and it probably wouldn’t make sense unless it was USEFUL.  Therefore, I agree with Smagorinsky: Don’t waste their time, wait until it is crucial.

      I also like how Smagorinsky states, “Don’t teach grammar in isolation” (165).  Once again, this goes back to those high school days where we would spend a week on grammar.  There would be worksheets with sentences that needed to be fixed based on the day’s lesson, for example, commas. Grammar should be approached when writing papers and as errors occur.  Giving a student a random sentence to fix is not going to make the grammatical rule stick in their head.  If you give them a sentence in their own paper to fix then they will care a lot more.  Not only will they be more receptive, they will also be able to see where they went wrong and how it affects a whole paper or paragraph.  Grammar is not something that can be taught out of a textbook.  It needs to be applicable and show students its benefits.  Grammar is everywhere and in every text; thus, it should be taught as such.  Grammar being taught just as grammar is confusing and it does not allow students to connect with their own writing.

            I feel as though writing strategies need to change but keep some traditional values.  Obviously, I find the red pen effective and that correcting every error is beneficial.  However, I like these new ideas that the scholars bring up about what is important in writing and how to get students to enjoy writing.  I think the easiest way to sum up what I learned is that writing is a process between a student, their work, and the teacher.  Students should be given opportunities, given choices, and be able to correct their work frequently.  However, teachers should still be a critic because that is how students will learn what they are doing wrong. I can't imagine letting errors go and simply reading it as though I was just a typical reader.  I think that content is very important; however, I think that grammar and content should be evaluated 50/50.  If I can read the paper and get something out if it then that's great. I don't think that's enough though.  The one thing that I don't agree with in regard to the red pen is to mark the same error throughout the paper and lower the grade because of that.  I think once or twice is enough to address the issue.  How can a student get a bad grade if they are not aware they are making the same mistake in a paper?  Overall, I think the scholars make valid and solid points.  I am still not sure how I feel about the "red pen" article but I understand what they are saying.  I am definitely considering using their approaches.