Learning Letter

During this quarter I have learned a lot about myself as a teacher and student. The first thing that stuck out to me as a positive was the blogs used during the class. I have never created a blog or used a blog as a communication device or for a class. Usually canvas is the way professors go but I appreciated the change of pace. The second thing I noticed within the class was the amount of reading to be done both in and out of the classroom. Reading was required along with 2 blog post per week. A lot of the readings either helped me as a teacher as can help my students in the future.

One of my favorite parts of the class was the book talks. I learned about a lot of new books to teach in the classroom and read on my own.  I enjoyed giving book talks because I got to talk about books I am passionate about which is awesome. Every book I learned about during the class was exciting and pumped me up to read and teach.

One of the things I learned about myself as a teacher is I am always learning and growing intellectually. I didn't think I could accomplish a three week unit plan but I did. It was a fulfilling expirence. Every piece of literature read helped fuel the three week unit plan. Sean was a fundamental tool in the process. He took the time to look over everything and make sure every student was ready for the entire unit. Every draft I turned Sean helped me fine tune and get perfect- especially my lesson plan.

Overall, I feel like this class needs to be longer because I could have learned a lot more and it was such a helpful class.

INTO THE WILD

Into the Wild was one of the most descriptive texts I have read in a long while. I did not expect to feel the level of emotion I did towards the end. Plot twist "Alex" dies and figures out happiness means nothing without people to share it with and reverts back to his own name. The saddest part of his story is hints of abuse within the household he came from and how he is coping with it. Multiple events throughout the book highlight familial disputes that triggered the escape to the "wilderness" and eventually Alaska.

As Alex,  there was always a need to get away from civilization and the society he has been a part of. Alex leaves behind his previous identity dealing with an abusive home, excess money, and a corporate future lifestyle. Alex only works for the minimal money he needs to buy supplies and "make it" in Alaska. The friends and family he makes along the way- he never gets attached to. It seems as if he connects with other people he will be sucked into society again.

Overall, Into the Wild provides a story for adolescents or anyone to relate to. Using it within the classroom would be beneficial for students who are struggling with greater problems such as: conflicts at home, not fitting in, not wanting to be like everyone else, an urge to escape. Bringing said themes to the classroom can provide a safe discussion. Also it is a very hooking read and with suck students in.

EDGAR ALLEN POE

I dove into reading about Edgar Allen Poe this week and a couple pieces of his work. Ever since high school I have been given works of Poe without knowing exactly who he is and how his life influenced his work. The first aspect of great focus is Poe's military career. Poe lied when he was 18  saying he was 22 in order to serve and support himself. Poe released his first book of poetry that year as well! Tamberlane and Other Poems focused on the loss of a first love with themes including: Love, death, and pride.

I looked up some crazy and haunting facts about Poe. FIRST Poe died on his way to an editing job and a week before he left his dog advised him not to travel. Poe's enemy wrote his obituary: Rufus Griswold. Some of Poe's works were published after he passed. Edgar Allen Poe was the first writer to use the term "short story" and put the term to great use.

One of the most popular stories I remember from my secondary education is "The Raven". The narrative is set on a dreary night and follows an unknown person. The person has lost their love and follows a raven to ask the raven fortune telling questions. The speaker begins to get more frustrated with the raven because he is not getting the answers he desires. The speaker is trapped with the raven and can't seem to get past the experiences.

Overall, Edgar Allen Poe is the most influential writer and gives great imagery throughout his writings. There are a lot of unknown aspects from Poe's life and everytime I read more about him, I get more blown away.

BOOK TALK- THE ISLAND

The Island by Gary Paulsen

Description of text

The Island follows 15-year-old Wil Neuton and his discovery of the island. After Wil and his family move to Wisconsin Wil’s parents are fighting frequently. Wil withdrawals from the life around him and finds the island within a nearby lake. Wil’s focus becomes self-absorbed and he begins to spend all his time on the island. At first, it’s daily and moves to days on end. People visit Wil on his island throughout the text and Wil fights each one off.

Susan (close friend): fights off with kind words

Ray (Bully): fights off with fists

His Parents: fights off with determination

Counselor: fights off with scorn

Journalists/t.v. crews: fights off with cleverness

Wil begins to mature while on the island. He paints the island and friends/family around him/memories. Taking in details and representing them how he sees fit. The more Wil studies others, the more he learns of himself. As more people come to visit him- they begin to visit a new Wil. Wil eventually leaves the island a “new man” and matured (still 15). The island is a friend, mentor, and parent to Wil.

Why I chose it…

Great coming of age story told from an adolescent perspective (relatable to students). Teaches valuable lessons that can be taught within the classroom. Connection to nature unlike in Hatchet and promotes healthy self-reflection and growth. (grades 6-10)

Teaching ideas

1.      Personal narrative – having students write about their own life experience with nature/ alone time in personal narrative form, inspiration from the book

2.      Imagery practice- draw or paint some images from the text the way the reader interrupts it, practice of imagery

3.      Cause and Effect- demonstrated the cause and effect on relationship of Wil and the people he encounters, Make timeline of Wil

Challenges with the text

Students- Could find it hard to read with imagery at lower grade levels, it is a larger book.

Parents- Don’t want students reading about a boy being able to run away from home/ disrespect or go against parents

Admin- Not many schools use the book and curriculum has not been tested around the book.

THE ROUND HOUSE

How can terrible acts change a person for the better or the worse? Using themes of good and evil can help students form analysis of texts and give textual examples to support claims. There is an abundance of lesson to frame around the text. Whether is be teaching to dive deeper within the text or learning basic literary elements.

Following a thirteen-year-old facing the most unspeakable can bring great topics for discussion into the classroom. The author does an amazing job of giving a platform to an adolescent and following how adolescents deal with bad circumstances. As a teacher, I would use the controversial topics to prompt students to think about their own lives and how they would handle certain situations. One of the most blatant themes within the text is family. With how caring the boy and father are about the mother to the father and son working together to help the mother. Geraldine is the “glue” of the family and everything that happens within the family is motivated by the mother.

 The Round House brings light to a Native American narrative and helps students understand a culture different from their own. Or giving those with the same culture/heritage a platform to be represented through text. The only problems I can foresee with using this novel is the graphic content of the novel and the references to rape and murder. The solution to the controversial topics is to preface the class and have discussions about what is appropriate within the classroom. Administration WILL have problems with the text but as a teacher- I would highlight the fact that the story is being told from the eyes of  a thirteen year old and it can be beneficial for students to be able to see a relatable character and talk about their own lives and hardships in a safe space.

I READ IT, BUT I DON'T GET IT

I want to focus on fake reading because it is the most problematic of teaching English/language arts. As a highschool student, I was a fake reader when I came to class readings. It was far too easy to google the well known book and found common themes and the endings of books. Reading at a classroom pace and a classroom book was a trouble to me. It was always painfully too slow or too fast of a pace. All of the answers were already found for me.

Students can fake read for many reasons. For example, not understanding the text or not wanting to lookunintelligent. Communication with students is the main way to end fake reading. Talking with students about how they can connect to the readings is crucial. The unique layout and narrator of the book makes it easy for teachers to use the guide within their classroom. Teachers need to know h less to connect with students to get them to become stronger readers.

Identifying where students have the most issues reading or understanding text is a huge step in helping students become better readers. If a teacher is to read a text and go find what their students could have issues with (vocabulary, point of view, ect), teachers will be able to narrow down what is holding students back.

There are so many ideas within the text I plan to use within my own classroom with my own students. Making my students strong readers is a top priority.

MAKING GOOD CHOICES (TPA)

Time management is the biggest struggle I see myself facing wen completing the EdTPA. “Making Good Choices” gives valid advice on how to get started on the TPA. Planning is essential in not wasting time and getting the ball rolling. As soon as possible I need to begin planning my assessments and end goal. I will need to work steadily and regularly and save time for my revisions. Knowing what is required to complete the EdTPA will start the process of on the right foot. The texts suggest reading through the handbook before beginning the process to save time on wondering what is needed.

Organization is one of my strong suits and the organization of TPA is very important upon submitting. Making the TPA the easiest to read for assessors is the main priority. There are also page limits to the TPA and commentaries sent in. Portfolios that have unnecessary or inappropriate will receive condition codes. Organization goes hand in hand with context. You can have amazing organization but the context can be wack. Making sure to meet requirements of what is supposed to be disclosed is critical: “The Context for Learning artifact allows you to describe your school setting along with the particular features of your classroom. It informs scorers about the class you are teaching and the teaching environment along with knowledge about the learning needs of your students and their supports/accommodations.”

Showing students who are engaged during filming is important. Not just participation but higher levels of thinking need to be documented. Asking the right questions on and off camera can engage students in discussion. Keeping students on task and remaining respect can be practiced and fulfilled before the recordings need to happen. Deeping student understanding should come naturally within the context of the class because it will always be a goal that is on your mind.