Re: end-of-the-year catch-up

[jimjceleb@aol.com]

Dayle,

    Your district was extremely lucky to find someone who has so much right in their first year. Your projects sound awesome in their scope and the learning they engendered. To already have discovered the shortcomings of AR is surprising. One thing that I used successfully was having them write book reviews patterned after those that are printed in Voices From the middle. I then have a student editorial panel choose three or four best ones to be mailed to Voices for consideration for publication. They then go on to select about sixteen of the best for a sheet that we post in the school library and local bookstores. The student editorial panel is excellent at spotting the cheaters. 
   Classroom management issues call for consistency. You need to stay on them. Unfortunately some of us get distracted by content and lose sight of the routines. I am close to forty years into my career and still struggle with classroom management issues at times. There are those days that I blame the full moon, a change in weather, or too much sugar at lunch. Usually the blame falls right at my own door for not enforcing the procedures and routines we have worked out. I just can not resist an open disucssioin without raising hands when they are so excited. 
    Congratulations on not only surviivng your first year, but doing it in style. There are many of us who would be extremely proud to have accomplished just one of your projects in our first year. It is good that you are seeking to improve and grow, but do not beat yourself up. Enjoy what you have done.
Jim Johnston


-----Original Message-----
From: dayle biba <cowgirlnc@earthlink.net>
To: middle-lit@interversity.org
Sent: Fri, 22 Jun 2007 11:21 pm
Subject: Re: [middle-lit] end-of-the-year catch-up 





i
his was my first year teaching, and I THOUGHT I would never survive. From
ugust until December break----I would cry on the way to school, and cry on
he way home, at least 3 times a week. I was certifield high school, but
nly got offered a job in Middle School. I learned several things about
eaching 7th and 8th graders. The seventh graders are talkers, and
ouchers, constantly had their hands on someone, and the 8th graders lorded
heir vast knowledge to anyone, with out regard to respect or
ppropriateness. 
 found penpals in China and Turkey for them to correspond with through
nail mail. I would mail out 80-100 letters with pics, CD's with pics of
ur area, flags, and stuffed animals that the kids wanted to send. The
ther countries woud respond in kind. The kids learned that their life
estrictions were nothing compared to what their Chinese and Turkish peers
ad to endure. China has a devastating sicknees that was causing hundreds
f death, and Turkey was facing bombs being dropped in their area, and war.
he kids were albe to explore different cultures in realistic way. They
ruly enjoyed this activity. I let them make our penpal bulletin board for
isplay in our room. We spend time discussing what a letter should make a
erson feel like, what things in common they might find with each. Both
ides commonly picked different genders, but some chose to have both to
rite to. Unfortunately the mail system costs about $16.60 to mail a
ackage, and it takes about two weeks to get to its
estinatioon.Teacher.net offers penpals, as do other web sites. It was an
xcellent project for our school because we tied it into social studies via
y language arts classes. Some kids felt they had met life long friends,
nd I sincerely hope so. 
fter Christmas, I decide to use a Powerpoint presentation to play Who
ants to be a Millioniare, and Jeopardy. I used these segments to teach
hort stories, folktales, drama, and nonfiction. I supplied gold coins that
he winning teams could cash in for candy and prizes. I also used colorful
ards from Construction paper to write down vocabulary and literary terms
n which I pasted to the white board with the word on the inside of the
ard. . The teaming would have to pick two cards and try to match the
ords. If they could find a matching word, they had to give the definition
efore the point could be awarded to their teacm. They had 60 seconds to
ome up with a defintion. Winning teams cashed in their prizes for free
ome work passes, errand runs, library time or computer time. This was
imiliar to a game of Concentration. 
 used some of their songs to dissect and find alliteration, repetition,
imiles, metaphors, meter, etc. I tried to show them that poetry is just
ords without the music. 
I tried to make learning fun for them as much as possible, and still teach
he test.So every day wasnt fun and games, but it gave them something to
ook forward to. 
fter Christmas break, I cried less because I was busy trying to come up
ith ideas that kept them motivated, and on task. I despise our accelerated
eading program becaause the kids say we dont have books that interest
hem, or the books are old in the media center. I want kids to read what
hey like, rather than bombing  a test on a book they didnt care to read in
he first place. I tried the book report or book project , and ran into as
uch rampant cheating as the accelerated reading program created. 
 would love to have some ideas on accelerated reading program, some
houghts, and musings. I also have some classroom management issues that
tilll dont work. I have tried routines but they follow through for a day
r two, and soon forget and go back to disruptive behavior. Any and all
uggestions would be appreciated.
ayle Biba







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