Updates, updates.

I have about a million things to write about. I will write about a few, in true me-style, most likely in long rambling sentences that touch on numerous topics.

I completed my first triathlon last weekend! It was an amazing experience, and I will definitely do it again. During the run (and walk...) I felt unsure if I COULD finish, my legs were moving so slowly, and I had no energy to make them work harder. I now understand why people collapse at the end of marathons... But I knew I COULD finish, and kept on. I'm so glad I did. I had a goal to finish, preferably under 2 hours, and I met both! Yay! I'm planning on doing at least one sprint next year, and I'll be training for an Oly, though I kind of doubt I will be that in shape by this time next year...we'll see.

I did move. I'm living in podunk. Nice podunk. But still podunk. To me anyways. I think it's nice, for what it is, but it's not Boise. And...after all the hemming and hawing, I really, really, REALLY love Boise. And...there might be someone there to keep me there (or take me back...) Time will tell on that one.

I think I finally had a I-have-no-money-but-still-need-to-decorate-my-classroom breakthrough today! I'm getting really excited for school to start, even though I have thought little about what I'm going to do in the first few days. That's what next week is for...right? I am pondering starting a new blog just for lesson plans and classroom musings. If I do, and you're interested in keeping tabs on that one, let me know!

Until next time!

I might be more of an English nerd than I thought...

So I'm sitting in my favorite coffee shop (where the heck else would I be?) trying to figure out how I'm going to teach grammar, without actually having to teach grammar. And I found it!

I've always really liked the idea of using journals in the classroom. But more often than not, these end up being a place for students to copy what the teacher puts up on the board, rather than as a learning tool for the student. But here is the idea I just added to my 1st quarter lesson plans for Junior English:

Grammar Journal- Students will begin a two part Grammar Journal. The first part will contain definitions, exercises, and examples of proper grammar provided in morning mini-lessons. This will serve as a self-created reference for students. The second part is a notebook in which students keep records of sentences they have written that contain grammatical errors. Sentences are obtained from student work submitted to instructors. These errors will be marked in a consistent manner by the teaching when grading. After identifying the errors themselves, students then copy problematic sentences in their journals and rewrite the sentences, making alternative stylistic choices to improve each sentence. To take full advantage of their choices, students can rewrite their improved sentences several different ways. Students who do not have significant grammar problems can use the Grammar Journals to recognize their range of stylistic choices. They can accomplish this by rearranging sentences they have created in various ways to create emphasis or change the feel or mood of a piece they have written.

(part of this was totally bogarted from Developmental Writing.

I'm excited about trying this out. For those that have taught before, you may be laughing at me. But I see this as a two-fold endeavor. The first part is that doing it this way, I avoid the worksheets and memorization I myself have always hated about learning grammar. Instead, I can use mini-lessons to introduce a concept or skill, and then lead students to strengthen their weaknesses by making notes on their writing (my favorite part of English anyway.) The second is the goal that if I allow a little creativity, in the form of owning their journal, personalizing it and such with their own writing (and pictures, and lyrics and etc) then hopefully students will find value in it. It is definitely a more active way for students to learn a skill, having them find out what went wrong rather than me telling them (over and over and over!)