I LOVE teaching writing. I find it incredibly rewarding to help my students along with way and see the evolution from the first draft to the final, polished piece. It is incredibly inspiring to see my students get excited about their work and proud of what they have written. Students in my English 8 classes are currently writing their own free verse poems. Students choose what they want to write about, and I give a mini lesson each day that helps them to understand the ins and outs of powerful writing. My English 9 Pre-AP class is also writing and having the mini lesson, but they are creating their own personal memoirs. I was inspired to create this unit after reading two powerful memoirs, The Glass Castle by J. Walls and House in the Sky by A. Lindhout. I am thrilled to announce that in the coming weeks I will have StoryStudiodo a three-part writing workshop with my grade 8s, which will end up with them publishing their own short story/novel, and local author Sara Cassidy will come and give my grade 9s a two-part writing workshop. I'm very excited to have these individuals work with my students! In Socials, students wrote their Comparative Religions test last week. While many students achieved very high marks, there were also several from both classes who did not pass the test - hopefully they studied as I gave them a study guide and a good idea of what they would be tested on. If they did not pass, they must do test corrections for homework; this will increase their mark to a passing grade. I'm always happy to help students at lunch or afterschool if they are having trouble - they just need to ask. Here are assignments this week, a week of Remembrance: Eng 8 - three poems to be completed and handed in by November 20 (Div 8-02) and on November 25 (Div 8-01). Must attach a self assessment to one of them. Story Studio visits next week (Div 8-02) and the following week (Div 8-01). SS 8 - Some students STILL haven't handed in their projects that were due last week. This is overdue. We are looking at current events (Islamic State's Reign of Terror) and students must complete their questions on the handout I gave them. Due this week. Eng 9 Pre-AP - Students are writing personal memoirs. The finished piece must be at least one page typed and no more than four pages typed (approximately 300-1000 words) - a very generous word allowance. The next assignment will have tighter word counts. This assignment must be handed in by the week of November 24 (due date to follow). Sara Cassidy's first visit is scheduled for Nov. 24. |
About this Blog"Nixon's News" is a blog to share the amazing learning and wonderings happening in my classroom and at our school. It highlights the work my students are doing in the Humanities as we delve into the new curriculum, experiment with Genius Hour, and embrace an inquiry approach to help with our learning. Archives
September 2016
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