We're beginning reading! Writing was a little rough, but I learned how to help them understand the concepts better and will do a better job on it next time. Reading, though, is going to be more fun, IMAO (in my arrogant opinion - let's be honest: if I have an opinion about it, then I feel fairly strongly about it).
I've already started setting the stage this week for the context and setting of To Kill a Mockingbird, and I feel that the students have really responded to it. It has been fun to see them thinking about segregation and what life was like in the Jim Crow South. Some of them even seem interested in this mysterious Boo Radley character, and that makes me glad.
My honors class is doing really well and I have a unit plan, a variation on lit circles, that I'm really excited about planned for them. I really like it, but I'm going to need to do something a little different for my regular English 9 classes. I'm still deciding how I want to do it, though...
Ben,
ReplyDeleteWriting is important, but I too enjoy teaching literature. This is a great text to study and I'm interested to know what you've been doing to prep students to explore the issues you've mentioned. It sounds like your honors class has jumped into the text and that you're experimenting with some great approaches to literary study. As you consider how to structure the work of the English 9 classes, I'd encourage you to think about how you could alter your honors work to the needs of the 9th graders. Perhaps more scaffolding? I'm not sure what you are doing so this may not be the answer, but there are lots of opportunities to strengthen and build on your existing lesson plans. I'm excited to see what you come up with!