#2ndaryELA Archive
#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!
Tuesday August 2, 2016
Welcome to tonight’s chat! Please introduce yourself. Tell what & where you teach. Share your blog link if you have one.
Hi there, I'm interested in joining today. Is it on for 5:00pm PST time? Thanks!
Don't forget: use on responses & replies 2 others, label yr responses w/A1, A2, & follow anyone chatting w/us 2night
Hi! Lisa from FL Teaching 6th ELA this yr. entering yr. no. 23! Scheduled tweets due to last hurrah vacay.
Hi all! I'm Erin, from upstate NY and I teach grades 9-12 English in a special education program
Hi all! I'm Meghan. I teach 9th and 12th ELA and Mythology in Pennsylvania.
Middle School language arts teachers from Northern NJ. Altogether we teach 6-8th grade.
Hello Cristina from Ohio. 10th ELA and Creative Writing. My Blog: https://t.co/5mUI6sz3WV -Just blogged on my syllabi
I'm Heather from Vegas. I teach 11th AP and Eng 9.
I'm Brynn Allison, chat co-host. 8 yrs teaching HS English & reading interventions in Philly. Blog: https://t.co/cyx1WlfdS8
Amy teaching 7th in Chicago suburbs. Several abandoned blogs.
In & out for tonight, but join me in a week & we'll talk about how works for big kids, too! https://t.co/5XAnmzZH9L
Kelly from Southern Ohio, I teach 7/8 ELA
I'm Amy. 18 yr teacher in 1st grade. New job in 7th ELA. Excited!!!
Wow! That's a big change! Exciting!
Tonight’s chat will be hosted by Meghan Mathis so look for questions coming from her.
Jen from IN here...6th grade going into 7th year!
Hi! I'm Hillary from IN - I teach 8th grade LA :)
Amy here. 12th grade IB English and 10th grade Writing in Green Bay, WI.
I taught 9th-12th ELA in special ed. for the past 5 years before becoming full-time reg. ed. this year.
Greetings, noobie to this chat and Twitter. I teach LA for grades 6, 7 and 8 in CA.
Q1: Are you responsible for designing your curriculum or are you given a prescribed curriculum to follow? Explain.
Excited/scared to see if my questions pop up as scheduled. Used for the first time for this chat!
A1: The curriculum I teach is mandated by the district, but I have control over how to teach the content.
Q1a autonomy as long as what I do is as good as or better than the course master units; for all Ts to access, like a buffet
Congrats! I teach in Worcester Co. in MD.
I'm Marc and I teach ELA 9 this year but AP as well in MA.
A1: I am the only T who teaches 10th ELA in my district; so, I design my own curriculum
new to 7th English & 10th World Literature this year from 8th and 11th
A1 My school creates its own curriculum, all focused on the environment. This yr as literacy coach I'll strengthen grades 7 & 8
A1: We have prescribed curriculum: Springboard from the College Board.
A1 create my own. Last summer I helped create a curr. for my organization but the ball got dropped & it isn't being used
I'm Abby. Just started year three teaching English, journalism, and newspaper in IN.
A1 - I design my own curriculum! Exciting but can make me anxious at times
A1: I get complete freedom to choose whatever I want to teach in my classroom - as long as I address the CCSS
Curriculum was just the skeleton. I have freedom to teach whatever texts and topics I am/have been rewriting this summer
I create my own curriculum using standards.
That is how it is in our reg. ed. ELA program. Do any of your teachers find that confining?
We follow the reader's and writer's workshop model but can design how we choose to implement our units.
Marcia here from NC. I teach 9th and 12th.
A1: We have district maps and PBAs but I develop all of my own lessons. My classroom is my aquarium.
A1: Objectives are laid out; some flexibility in how to meet the objectives; choose novels from anchor text lists
Absolutely. So glad I found this chat. Nice to bounce ideas off others who teach my grade level
I agree! I love the autonomy, but the stress of making sure its rigorous and is really teaching can be huge.
A1: My ELA dept has great autonomy and is trying a new course progression this yr: moving from surveys to skill-focused classes
A1: I am lucky enough to teach with my own curriculum. We tried Springboard last year but no more of that this year (yay!)
A1 Teachers at my school pretty much get free reign on curriculum,which is neat but scary at times.
A1: We have no required curr except CCSS. Working on a unified scope and sequence for this yr, but freedom to choose resources
A1: We use 's backwards design for a lot of our curriculum and I have really enjoyed how it has changed my teaching!
A1: Coming from a private school, I could do pretty much anything within reason, so I have come to enjoy LOTS of flexibility.
A1 Up until this year I've been writing own curriculum.Then came new adoption,HMS Collections. Unsure.
I'm Julie in KS and I teach 9th grade English and a literacy class for 9th gr struggling readers.
same here in terms of objective. That is pretty much the absolute. All is is free to create!
We have maps but they are very general and genre based. I have been trying to work around them and do things like PBL.
A1: Anyone use Calkins's Units of Study?
Our county started Springboard but not all teachers wanted to follow it. We got Pearson online text.
For Eng 9 in teams trying to be horizontally aligned.
Q2: What are the challenges of designing your own curriculum or having to follow a prescribed curriculum?
A2: A major challenge of following a prescribed curriculum = less freedom.
Q2 trying to use prescribed curr in blended class is tough. pulling it apart to differentiate takes as much time as writing it!
Q2 coming up with multi leveled/varied learning style activities is crucial in my class; love for this
Do you get in trouble with different grade levels wanting to use the same text?
A1: I have much freedom in designing my curriculum as long as I use CCSS & have a coordinated WWII/Holocaust unit w/World History
Designing: time is the challenge! It takes a tone of time to research, align and write. Felt like a desk job this summer.
A2 Designing yr own = where to start? Not knowing how much you'll be able to cover. Can be overwhelming
A2: Challenges are making sometimes dry material interesting/engaging.
A2 Major challenge for me is figuring out a curr. for multi-graded classes
A2 - I think one of the hardest things for me is timing everything! Esp when SS like units and want to explore more topics
A prescribed curriculum does always meet the needs of your students. Teachers need autonomy.
A2: Challenges of designing own is that sometimes it's too many choices. Also, not having other content Ts to collab with
Yes, we do. I'm a fan but it takes getting used to, and personal tweaking
A2: When designing, you risk missing things or lacking the balance required (esp. when teaching it for the 1st time).
A2: Designing your own = time-consuming & stressful/overwhelming @ times (even though I love/appreciate the freedom to design)
A2: Also, second guessing one's self "Am I even doing this right" can be a struggle of designing own curriculum
A2 cont Following a prescribed = not being interesting to students or meeting them where they are. Constantly needing to adapt
Creating your own curriculum means taking risks which sometimes teachers are afraid to do... afraid to make mistakes and fail.
Q2: I loved being able to use the "hot" texts when no curr. But I was also designing a new curr. each year - a LOT of work!
True, and keeping a good pacing schedule!
Designing challenge: occasional parents oppose content of some texts
YES! I loved the freedom, but really missed the collaboration.
Absolutely. Always a guessing game.
A2: Challenging w autonomy to build perfectly in vertical. Dept of 14 + middle school Ts need to collaborate & communicate lots
it's a College board curriculum...it definitely has the rigor but it's not engaging. Workbooks = boring :(
A2: Prescribed creates unit deadlines and interferes with rhythm and flow. Autonomy can overwhelm you with choices.
A2: Not being able to fully implement because of prescribed texts.
A2- Challenge this year will be how to work in those novels and units I love into new adoption.
A2: It's overwhelming w/ so much to fit in, not to mention bringing freshmen up to speed to HS expectations
why does freedom = no collaboration?
Q3: What are the rewards of designing your own curriculum or having to follow a prescribed curriculum?
A3: While there is less freedom following a prescribed curriculum, the major benefit is collaborating with a great team on site.
Hi , Sarah here () from MD/VA. Regional Technology Coordinator, former MS ELA T.
Q3 I ❤️ how fosters equal access of great materials. Sharing (&remixing &resharing!) is caring!
It doesn't have to. My position was 9-12 learn. sup. Ss all in one class for 4 years. Only teacher.
I collab with other content areas. That is helpful.
what is ? sounds like the spot I am in
A3 creating own curriculum means I can pick and choose according to students' needs.
there's a ton to fit with MS there's a lot of data driven instruction across disciplines which is time consuming
So in that position I had freedom to do whatever i wanted (yay!) but no one doing what I was doing.
A3 BIggest reward is the freedom I have & respect from admin to create my own
A3: Rewards are that it taught me reverse design. We begin unit with explaining the assessment & then teach w/ the end in mind
A3 Designing yr own = tailoring lessons to students' interests and levels. Can always shift gears if something isn't working
A3 I enjoyed having flexibility w/ curriculum when I taught tech. Wasn't able to do as much in ELA, but still could be creative
A3 - I like that I am able to select topics (esp nonfiction) that I know will engage the SS in my own planned curriculum
A2: Challenges of own curr = overwhelming trying to fit everything in, constantly 2nd-guessing methods, collab across gr levels
Great idea. I started to do this too. Especially with history.
It's very difficult to find right balance of interest and academics
freedom to create means you don't have to teach the same thing over and over.can update materials with the times/student interest
A3 cont Following prescribed = not having to reinvent the wheel, having a starting pt, knowing whats expected especially when new
A3: Since I design my own, I can go at the pace my students need = more/less time on concepts
A3: Rewards of designing my own is that I can teach what I want as long as I'm hitting the standards! ;)
Designing: creative freedom and not really having to report to anyone. We did it for ourselves, to save time and be prepared.
A3: With autonomy: such fabulous, personal satisfaction when lessons rock :)
it seems like a lot of the teachers here have at least some autonomy in their classes. That's awesome!
I did a huge collab unit with science & history for Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks; so fun!
A3: I love to experiment w/strategies, texts, activities, so I have that freedom and I can include more student choice and input
Rewards of prescribed curriculum is less planning time. Not as much creativity though.
(forgot # - I'm new to this!) https://t.co/UCH4UCoq5E
A2: One of the major probs of designing my own is making sure that I hit every standard. I use to make sure I cover them all
A3: Knowing that you taught your kiddos 100% the way YOU know is best for them...creating engaging, fun learning experiences
Also collab a lot w/ history for The Things They Carried/Vietnam
A3: Rewards of own curr = creativity & freedom! Not stuck doing anything. Can change course & try new things.
A3: I love designing my curriculum. Make connections between texts and skills. Relevancy for Ss & adapt for Ss needs.
Tell me you wouldn't have wanted to be part of this class! Awesome teaching! https://t.co/nieno6hSj8
I did a huge collab unit with science & history for Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks; so fun!
It means I can lean toward being a social justice teacher and not just an ela teacher
Q4: Describe your approach to planning a unit within your curriculum.
Right - totally agree. Love when I don't have to sound like a robot :)
I'm seeing this too as I now teach a prescribed curriculum. Trying to find ways to make each unit "my own."
A4: When planning, I work backward. I start with the goal, and plan activities/lessons to get the students to where I want them.
Q4 1)collab w/team 2)EQs 3)end goal/proj/process 4)standards 5)activities 6)sm grp lessons 7)wholeclass lessons 8)create material
Q4 Love backward design & universal design. Always look 4 ways 2 personalize for each student, lots of data req'd 2 plan this way
So fun, Ss researched genetic traits & family history. Ss did a interview/paper for me. So rewarding
first we start with the standards then use the backward design model
A4 I start with standards and goals then move to topic. Trying to focus on summative.
A4 When planning, 1st think about the end goal then work backwards to create activities and choose texts that lead to end goal
A3: I also have the flexibility to cover different texts or do different activities for each of my classes based personalities
A4 Still trying to work out the best way to do this! I try to think about end goal (product) & then skills & knowledge required
Very true! I'm always looking for current events, YA lit to tie into my lessons
A4 - I tend to set big picture goals I would like to see the SS be able to develop achieve and then work backwards from there
Start with novel and supplemental texts then CCSS and Performance Tasks, then activities to reach standards
This is an awesome book and wonderful for STEM connections.
A4: Backwards design () is awesome. have you read this? https://t.co/EjB8pfcCx6
A4: When planning, I work backward. I start with the goal, and plan activities/lessons to get the students to where I want them.
Really great lead! My focus this year is getting kids to LOVE reading. Not ambitious at all, i know.
I want my students to read and write as much as possible and find success.
A4: Identify main essential learnings, plan the assessment, and use backwards design to prepare the unit from there.
It sounds REALLY awesome. I bet the students were SO ENGAGED when they got to study their own genetics!
What I great idea! I would love to do this!
A4: I start with the standards and novel/workbook/concept and search the internet for ideas or design my own and go from there
A4: of course back design and standards but I always consider connections between texts and real world issues.
A4: Start w/standards and go backwards. Plan form/summ assessments. Set a course then adjust constantly.
This summer I've tried to find something that inspires me...a song... an issue or idea I think would engage Ss a&go from there
A4: I usually "chunk" my units into many pieces but I do try to focus on varied repetition to reach different students
A4: 1st, I need a calendar. I need to see the days in front of me. Then, I need to look at what I want to teach & standards
We also make sure all of our units integrate reading and writing.
A4: Integrating technology has become an important aspect of planning units
Q5: What advice would you give to teachers struggling to plan a unit or an entire curriculum?
A5: Advice: Don't be afraid to change direction mid class if something isn't working. Don't stick with a failing plan.
Q5 this yr I'll use a standards tracker as I plan to make sure I loop back thru & make sure I don't miss anything
Q5 check out resources! You have peers willing to collab & share (for FREE!). Here's a list https://t.co/bcV0AlLbrH
A5: It can be overwhelming, but really fine-tuning how your units build on one another is essential. Never lose sight of that!
Yes! Ours too... we needed to revamp and bring our units into the 21st century.
A4- I am a theme-based teacher, so after I work backwards, I try to fit novel/concept/skill into overall theme
I think this is a major weakness in prescribed curriculum's - trying to make cur. events fit. Doesn't always work.
A5: Start with one unit at a time and have a list of standards
I have a similar process with being a global theme school. I try to focus on exploring plights of individuals
A5 Do a little Googling, not too much. You can get sucked down the internet rabbit hole & distracted from what you want to teach
A5 I'd say take it little by little, reach out for support, and use tools like https://t.co/vwGf5aYwor so you have it for nxt yr
Use primary sources whenever possible. See for starters.
A5: Set goals that can be linked to other units so there’s scaffolding. That way you don’t try to cover too much in one unit
A5 cont Don't be afraid to ask someone else how they've taught it. Our FB group is a great place to do that!
A5: Start with what you want your students to know/master and work backwards from there.
Start with one unit at a time. Have someone you can collaborate with while you plan the unit.
I'm always Googling, Pinterest-ing, Diigo-ing, and TPT-ing :)
This is the hardesr for me.
A5: Find texts you're passionate about. Consider the "big picture" and takeaways. What will students remember and use?
A5: Re-evaluate frequently. You may LOVE a text, but if it isn't working for Ss, a change is better than losing their interest
A5: Switch directions if something isn't working & use something to track what standards you've addressed - checklist or program
So. True. Google sucks you in. Search one thing and next thing you know, you have 38103 idea but no concrete plans
I really need the checklist this year
A5: Print off objectives and write all over the sheets. Take notes about how your students will meet each one. Brainstorm!
A5: Look to great ELA colleagues and gurus (Jim Burke, Nancy Dean, Kelly Gallagher, etc) Then, don't be afraid to try/fail/tweak
I agree. Frequent reflection is SO important (but hard to find the time for mid-year!!!)
Q5: Consider multiple approaches to the task, skill, etc. Variety is the spice of curriculum.
There are tons of ideas out there.you don't have to reinvent the wheel Don't be afraid to adapt ideas to fit into your unit
A1 a: We have curriculum guides based on CCSS. How we go about it is up to us.
That's what blogging is for!
A5: Plan out scope and seq w/std for yr, plan your first unit(s), then adjust. Going to check out https://t.co/KCLEOlBgHq now...
Don't take on too much. I tried to write too many units this summer. It's overwhelming and easy to lose motivation
Thanks for chatting with us tonight. Next week's chat: Setting Up the ELA Classroom. See you on August 8 at 8pm EST
A5: We've done a lot of work trying to make tasks with authentic audiences. Fun to see Ss engagement go up when they "care"
Question for all: What about planning for 3 gd levels for an entire year? Where to begin? Building a mid school
In earlier yrs, I tried to plan everything out for the entire year...not anymore...
A5: Also, ask your students! Best gurus of their own learning
know what teachers in grades before & after are teaching to try and map out the skills especially those with freedom to design
This is so true for so many of us. And its hard b/c we need our summers to recharge! https://t.co/yNg41l7TWI
Don't take on too much. I tried to write too many units this summer. It's overwhelming and easy to lose motivation
A1b: We are partners w OSU and Literacy Collaborative. LC is New to middle school. Fountas and Pinnell based curriculum.
Whew. Big job! I would start by looking at standards. Assign each gr. appropriate ones that build frm gr. to gr.
Me too! But I found that as I got to know my Ss, things changed, needs changed!
it's over now, but follow for details. She posts ?s and you respond with A1, A2, etc (answers) &
Great topic.. especially for the start of a new school year.
From there you can begin to plan units knowing you aren't overlapping from one yr. to next but building.
Thanks for making happen!
Have you been there the whole 5 years?
Looking forward to joining this group!
Thanks, everyone! It was great to see such awesome conversation about a topic I love!
Thanks for a great chat. This is def. one of my new Twitter chat favorites!
A3: freedom! And totally falling in love with material. Allowing students to follow their hearts!
This chat went by super fast! Thank you!
