Discussion Questions on Tests--the trials and tribulations

 I am a big proponent of using discussion questions on tests. I think they are the best way to allow students to be thoughtful in the way they are approaching literature. 

However, one of the biggest frustrations for me when it came to discussion questions is the wildly differing amount of detail that students were giving me. One would give me a list. (How is that discussion?) The next would write five pages. (Ah...ain't nobody got time for that! lol!)

 I decided that I was going to have to actually spend some time TEACHING my students how to answer a discussion question in my class. I created a handout, which you can purchase here, and spent a few minutes each day reviewing my expectations and modeling the type of answer I was looking for. Students practiced writing answers to discussion questions in groups, in pairs, and finally, on their own. My model requires a one paragraph answer using the format that I expect my students to use when writing informative essays. This gave them practice in constructing topic sentences, adding details, and giving commentary. They became comfortable with the format before they ever had to write their first essay for me. This saved us all a lot of pain and suffering when the time came to dive into something longer than a single paragraph.

Even if you don't like the way I taught my students to answer a DQ, I think it is important to ensure that your students are clear on your expectations for answering discussion questions. The time you take in class to teach and model the type of answer you want will pay off in better writing. 

Win/win.

EASY MEALS: Crockpot Ranch Pork Chops

 Need a quick meal after a long day? Try this quick and easy recipe. Just throw it in the crockpot before you leave for work.

4-6 pork chops

2 cans cream of chicken soup

1 can water

1 package dry ranch dressing

Lay pork chops in bottom of crock pot. In bowl, mix together soup, water and ranch dressing.  Pour mixture over pork chops. Cook on low 6-8 hours. Great over rice with your favorite sides.

The Dog and Pony Show-a better way to do teacher observations

 One year our principal decided to try something new as far as teacher observations went. He divided the faculty into veterans and those with less than 5 years experience. The newer teachers stayed on a traditional observation type track. But the veterans did something different...

We were told to pair ourselves up with someone who was interested in working on ONE particular teaching skill/idea/weakness. We had to get our area of improvement approved by the principal. Then we had a set of dates we had to schedule to meet with the principal and discuss how things were going. We had to do research, implement ideas, log what did/didn't work, re-implement. We met with our partners to discuss what we were going to try and how it was going. Then we did a final evaluation with our principal to discuss how things had gone and what we had learned.

My partner and I decided to focus on integrating an SSR program into our classrooms. WOW!! It completely altered my attitude about reading in the high school classroom. It also allowed us to focus on what we felt was an area we wanted to improve and gave us a partner we were comfortable discussing things with. 

This was so much more helpful than those stupid observations where the principal would come in one day and judge our teaching based on that dog and pony show one day. Principals  need to be able to trust their veteran teachers to be able to implement this plan. And if there are veteran teachers who don't follow through or who are identified as weak teachers...put them back on the traditional model. 

I learned more when we were using this method than in any of the other teacher observation models I have ever been part of. Try it. Run it by your principal. I think you'll all benefit.

Straight Talk: They have a life outside your classroom.

 

Let's talk. 

One of the things that has frequently bothered me about teachers and students is the fact that some teachers seem to get some kind of strange joy out of overloading students with homework. I don't get it. 

I ALWAYS tried to remember what it was like to actually BE a student. Students have anywhere from 3 to 7 classes in addition to your own. They also have after-school activities that we encourage them to be in like sports, band, clubs. Many have jobs and/or chores when they get home. And don't forget they need some free time just to be young. 

Please, teachers, try to remember that students do have a life outside of your classroom. We want them to be well-rounded individuals, and yet, all too frequently we don't give them the time to do that. 

Think carefully when assigning after school work. Make deadlines reasonable. Don't just give work for the sake of giving work. Ask students when they have other upcoming tests/deadlines/commitments and do your best, if possible, to schedule around those. It's  not always possible to do it, I know. We've all been there. Sometimes the test HAS to be on that day, or the project MUST come in that week. 

Talk to your students about it. Let them see that you CARE about them and that you are doing your best to help them be successful. They will appreciate it. And, really, it's the fair thing to do. 

Quotes About Writing

 Here are some awesome quotes to use in your ELA classroom to inspire student writing.

"If you have a minimum of talent, but you sit at the typewriter long enough, something will emerge. All I had was this burning desire to be a writer and all these emotions."  Robert Cormier

"I try to leave out the parts that people skip." Elmore Leonard

"If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot." Stephen King  

"Write what makes you happy." O. Henry

"Every writer I know has trouble writing." Joseph Heller

"The moment of change is the only poem." Adrienne Rich

"There's no rule on how to write. Sometimes it comes easily and perfectly: sometimes it's like drilling rock and then blasting it out with charges." Ernest Hemingway

"Don't say the old lady screamed. Bring her on and let her scream." Mark Twain

"If you wait for inspiration to write, you're not a writer. You're a waiter."  Dan Poynter

 "You can't edit a blank page." 

                             Jodi Picoult