Tuesday, November 8, 2016
Wednesday, November 2, 2016
Make Your Poetry Zing
Is your poetry alive? Or does it just lay there squashed and ragged, like a mushy apple smashed on the road? Maybe it needs a little "ing" put into it.
Good poetry is alive, bringing the reader inside and making him think, or wonder, or laugh, or cry. And to bring the reader in nothing works better than action verbs. Thus the need for some "ing."
Screaming, shouting, racing, zinging, glistening, clinging, spinning, howling, catching, hooting, buzzing, violating, falling, sprinting, vaulting, pouncing, scaling, attacking, lunging, foraging, galloping, whipping, creating, gambling, whaling, slashing, wondering, listing, faking, destroying, escaping, dreaming, visualizing, imagining, bouncing, scraping, flailing, editing, revising, writing . . .
Labels:
Free Verse Poems,
Poetry,
Reading Workshop
Celebrating the Success of Others
I just want to give a shout out to the students that can celebrate when someone else is selected Reading Workshop Student of the Day. You make their success your success when you can feel good about your classmates.
Labels:
Friendship,
Reading Workshop,
success,
Teamwork
Monday, October 31, 2016
The Power of Poetry
Taken from the famous basketball movie, Coach Carter, this is an excellent example of Spoken Poetry and the power of poems.
Timo Cruz:
Our deepest fear
is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear
is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness
that most frightens us.
Your playing small
does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened
about shrinking
so that other people
won't feel insecure around you.
We were all meant to shine
as children do.
It's not just in some of us;
it's in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine,
we unconsciously
give other people permission
to do the same.
As we are liberated
from our own fear,
our presence automatically
liberates others.
Labels:
Free Verse Poems,
Poetry,
Reading Workshop,
Youtube
Friday, October 28, 2016
Make it Yours
In Reading Workshop we have been studying figurative language this week. For today, take this starter poem and see what you can do. You can use idioms, similes, metaphors, repetition, action verbs, imagery, onomatopoeia, or anything else you can think of to make your poem great.
I walked down the hall
very slowly
because my name was called
to come to the office.
I walked down the hall
very slowly
because my name was called
to come to the office.
Thursday, October 27, 2016
Monday, October 24, 2016
Reading Assignment
Students
are required to read at home as homework. Students must read 20
minutes each night Monday – Thursday and one time over the
weekend (Friday – Sunday) for 20 minutes. Students should have a
time every night to do their reading homework. Students that do not
complete this will have serve detention to make up for missed time.
Students'
Weekly Reading Assignment rewards effort. Students choose a book that
they want to read from home, the library, or the bookmobile. The only
requirement is that they log the title, time read, and pages.
Any
time students read it counts towards their weekly minutes. They will
read each day at school during SSR--Sustained Silent Reading time
(10:55-11:10). In addition, they can read at home, on the bus, while
they are eating breakfast, once they finish a test or assignment in
another class. Any time they read it counts towards their grade.
Reading
Assignment Grading Scale
A = 180 + Minutes
B = 120 - 179 Minutes
C = 60 - 119 Minutes
F = Less than 60 minutes and/or less than 4 times a week.
A = 180 + Minutes
B = 120 - 179 Minutes
C = 60 - 119 Minutes
F = Less than 60 minutes and/or less than 4 times a week.
Extra
credit will be given for students that read more than 225 minutes in
a week.
Labels:
grades,
Homework,
Read at Home,
Reading,
Reading Logs,
Reading Workshop
Wednesday, October 12, 2016
Friday, October 7, 2016
Opportunity v. Obligation or Don't Be Average
Labels:
Eric Thomas,
Hard Work,
Reading Workshop,
success
Thursday, October 6, 2016
Tuesday, October 4, 2016
Friday, September 23, 2016
Never, Ever Give Up!
Image from @WeAreTeachers
Labels:
Determination,
Hard Work,
Reading Workshop,
success
Monday, September 19, 2016
Dear Students
Dear Students,
This has been a great start to the new school year. Students have been working hard with great attitudes. Also, it seems like this has been a record start for smiles. By now, everyone should know how I feel about smiles--they make our world a better place. Language arts class this year has been the best.
Our language arts class is built around books. Knowing this, when I see students making great choices, I know they will have a good year. Book selection is so important in determining how students feel about language arts and reading. I have seen students talking to each other, talking with Mrs. Blubaugh, and asking me about good books.
As I am sure you have noticed already, students do a lot of writing in Reading Workshop. Some of the writing will be based on the book students are reading, but they will write on many topics throughout the year. In every assignment, quality is based on the details. Writing supported with evidence always means more, but like everything else, this takes work.
I hope all students have a fabulous sixth grade year. Please keep in mind, two factors control success--hard work and a great attitude. Make these a priority and choose good books and it will be a year to remember.
Take care,
Mr. McGuire
Labels:
Books,
Letter Writing,
Reading Workshop,
Writing
Kid President Says Get Along
The latest video from KP talks about how to disagree without being disagreeable.
Labels:
Kid President,
Kindness,
Reading Workshop,
success
Thursday, September 8, 2016
Tuesday, September 6, 2016
Celebrate National Read a Book Day!
Today I am reading _________________ on National Read a Book Day, #ReadABookDay.
Please share the title of the book you are reading in a comment below. I am reading Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix.
Please share the title of the book you are reading in a comment below. I am reading Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix.
Labels:
Fiction,
National Read a Book Day,
Reading,
Reading Workshop
Thursday, September 1, 2016
Wednesday, August 31, 2016
A Different Thought on Being a Leader
You hear a lot of discussion on being a leader. What do you think of this view? Is being the first follower just as important?
Labels:
Leadership,
Reading Workshop,
success
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