#2ndaryELA is a group of middle and high school English Language Arts teachers looking to share ideas and best practices. We chat every Tuesday night at 8 pm EST using #2ndaryELA. We'd love for you to join us!
Hi! I'm Lisa and am one of your new co-hosts for the #2ndaryELA chats! I'm from FL where I teach Middle School ELA. I blog here: https://t.co/T0SGs1rrCs
Q1: Goodevening, 2ndaryELA. I am Jessica Ogden the Instructional Lead Teacher at Richmond Hill Middle School in Georgia. I do not currently have a blog, but I am hoping to work on beginning one this year 😊 #2ndaryELA
Hi #2ndaryELA - I'm Jeff, and I teach 9th and 12th grades in NJ. You can see my blog at https://t.co/7qgjZsdBMo (though I need to update this more frequently...)
A1: I try to think about the flow of my room to organize it. I think of it as my own "Feng-shui". So that means I want easy entrances and exits from the room. #2ndaryELA
A1: Right now, my classroom is set up with stations/groups of 4-5 students, with a book shelf in the back. I am trying to find ways to incorporate flexible seating arrangements and drastically build my classroom library for this upcoming year. #2ndaryELA
Last year I had groups of 5, this year I'm moving to row groups of 4 and a podium/station for me in the back to promote talking to the class, not just to me #2ndaryela
I'm very lucky to have tables on wheels, so I have a flexible set up: pods of 4, singleton tables for 2, a long conference table set up for 8 and 2 sets of semi-circle tables! #2ndaryELA
Q1:: I organize my classroom into different spaces (1) Class Data/Growth Wall (2) Teacher-directed small group center (3) Student group work area w/ baskets in the middle to organize materials for the day’s lesson (handouts, markers, etc.)—The baskets are a LIFESAVER! #2ndaryELA
A2: In recent years, I've gotten away from the typical 1st day of school routine. Now, I jump right into a lesson, and explain to Ss that as necessary, I will explain procedures/rules, etc. No reason to waste class time #2ndaryELA
I'm trying to find ways to "automate" that process a little more - I find that having students hand things in digitally whenever possible helps! #2ndaryELA
In reply to
@hsengteach, @ms_jandrews, @SpanglerMiddle
A2: I teach 4 different preps, so I do something a little different for each (depending on content!) - I do try to spend some time getting some data and feedback from them RIGHT AWAY about their reading/writing skills/preferences #2ndaryELA
A2: I typically do a stations activity that allows students to meet each other and me in smaller settings, move around the classroom, and avoids the amount of extensive talking "at them" that I used to do #2ndaryela
A3: I don't so much "teach" them as find ways to make our most frequent procedures clear by drawing attn to them as needed (ie bathroom pass stuff, laptop use, etc.) #2ndaryELA
Q2: After an intro of classroom expectations, Ss explore a mysterious file of information about me for students to organize the info based on the explicit vs. implicit information they have learned to reinforce group procedures then I end with a 6-word memoir #2ndaryELA
A3: This year, I'm going to branch out my usual bathroom, warm ups, and discussion partner routines and begin with norm setting for each class and building on it for a master list #2ndaryela
You make a really good point - the "how to be successful" stuff is SO important. I find that my students sometimes experience school as a thing that happens TO them - this type of thinking undoes those notions #2ndaryELA
A3: I don't teach procedures or rules in isolation. They come up naturally when the situation calls for it. I try to avoid overloading Ss with info that they may not need to know right away. My main goal is to build a routine and class culture as soon as possible. #2ndaryELA
A3: Exceptions when entering the classroom, when and where to find supplies for lessons, how to turn in class assignments, how to clean their work space at the end of the lesson #2ndaryela
A4 I'm really focused on building a community of readers this yr. Students will email book selfies so I can create a bulletin board showing off their summer reads for the first day of school #2ndaryela
A4: Setting norms and expectations TOGETHER is a really important step in this. I teach in a really small school, so often the community aspect is already there; I try to frame things as Ss welcoming me to THEIR community #2ndaryELA
A4: By creating activities for Ss to learn about me as well as each other! I complete many group tasks from the beginning to practice and establish group work norms, but this also allows students the time to build our classroom community. #2ndaryela
A4: To be honest, this has always been really hard for me after the initial first week stuff. So, I'm hoping to really move seats a lot even draw a card and find a pair at the door kind of movement and TONS of structured convos in the first few weeks #2ndaryela
A4: Frequent talk. The best part of my job is getting to know my Ss, and I try to keep a sense of humor in class, and build in a lot of opportunities for conference time. This helps me learn strengths & also builds their confidence #2ndaryELA
I'm late to the party! I'm going into my 19th year teaching high school English. I also have an author website since I write YA.
https://t.co/n7mTtJegp4#2ndaryELA
Hi all! 👋🏼 New here! I've been in MS for 23 years. Though I'm staying in 7/8, I'm adding on a 9th grade class this year! So excited to be in #2ndaryELA
After the first month, I'm hoping to continue the push for them to be comfortable with ambiguity by changing groups for activities, getting them up and moving and talking, and making it a point to showcase answers to promote a sense of communal effort in the classroom #2ndaryELA
A5 To help me get to know students and start working on writing skills, I like to do a writer's workshop using coming of age poetry https://t.co/yALbj2DT6X#2ndaryela
A5: I’m starting Eng 11 with a unit defining America and Americans. Still putting it together, but I know discussing “The New Colossus” is part of it. #2ndaryELA
A5: Our first unit will be The Crucible I think, so maybe historical context or vocabulary, but also just a possibility of going over MLA format and in text citations #2ndaryela
A1. Teachers float into my room, & the chairs are attached to the desks, so can't group. I color-code IN & OUT folders for 8 classes to stay organized. I create Google Classrooms for sections. I have clear procedures that we practice (I don't collect/pass back work) #2ndaryELA
A4: To build a community I try to share what I can about my life with students. I think if they see me as a human being it helps us to begin to build trust with one another. I feel like in an ELA class trust is so important because we put so much into our work. #2ndaryela
A2. Introduce myself, my background, acclimate them to expectations, have them fill in a sheet about their interests and reading/writing habits, then teach them something fun and have them interact (usually with sticky notes). #2ndaryELA
A5: The first content related lesson I am doing is going to be about genres so that my 7th grade Ss will have a basis to start our discussion for all things that we read. It will provide them with a point of reference that they can rely on for the whole school year. #2ndaryela
A3. Routines for handing in assignments, feedback, how to work with other students in my classroom, silent time vs discussion time vs creative time expectations. My goal is to make them comfortable, with an expectation that I am there to push them and make them think.
#2ndaryELA
A4. Staying consistent. Respect students' time and needs. I admit when I don't know something or when I make a mistake. Students see me as super curious. I try to learn from their talents. I mentally set a "clean slate" each day, so yesterday's bad day doesn't repeat. #2ndaryELA
