Your student will receive consistent practice and instruction in essay writing throughout the year. It's my job to prepare them fully for the year that comes next. That said, for those of you who'd like even more opportunity to help your students to practice their writing skills, I've provided links to the Oxford University writing tutorials. These are designed for middle school students and are a delight in instructional clarity. Although different writing programs like to use their own terms to describe the parts of an essay, scratch below the surface and you'll see that all good essays are organized in a similar and logical way, to make things clear to their reader. The anchor-stone of our essay writing program is the argument essay. Have fun exploring the links provided, and if you can motivate your child to write extra essays for independent practice, I'd be pleased to take a look at them.
Thank you those who were able to get to Back to School Night! Thank you also for your kind donations (including an especially kind anonymous one...you know who you are!) There isn't time to explain much during the ten minutes available on Back to School Night, so here's a topic I'd like to explore further - RIGOR. Here is what rigor is not: it is not piling on extra hours of homework, and it is not throwing indecipherable materials at students and letting them sink miserably. Rigor is that each student is expected to achieve at a high level of learning. Each student is supported so that he or she can perform at high levels. Each student can demonstrate that high level learning has taken place. While we're working to stretch your child's skills and intelligence at school, here are some ideas that can double the effectiveness of your child's growth, if you implement them at home. It's simply a matter of a different approach. Read below, it makes perfect sense, doesn't it? And I think you'll have pleasure practicing it. Remember that the most influential teacher in your child's life is the loving adult who raises them -YOU! Rigor Tip Sheet for Parents 1. Rigor is simple to implement in school and at home. 2. Rigor is NOT moving your son or daughter to another grade level. 3. Rigor is being challenged on grade level but support is provided like reading guides to help students navigate through difficult or unfamiliar text. 4. Rigor is helping your son or daughter think for him or herself. You can help your son or daughter do this being teaching him to think beyond the text, by asking questions starting with “What if . . . ?” 5. Rigor is helping your son or daughter make connections among the disciplines. Ask, “How does this topic relate to what you are studying in your other classes?” 6. Rigor is allowing your son or daughter to explore and discover. It is okay if he takes a while to get the answer and you can see it clearly. Home is the appropriate place for your son or daughter to take his time and process while solving problems. 7. Rigor is providing guidance not answers. When your son or daughter asks for help, provide guidance, not answers. Too much help teaches that someone will do the work for him or her. 8. Rigor is providing a supportive environment at home for your son or daughter to work. He or she needs to know it is okay if his or her answers are not perfect and that he/she can ask for help as long as he/ she has exhausted other measures such as checking class notes, looking to her text or other reading material or doing some light research online. 9. Rigor is using and teaching your son or daughter to use positive language when confronted with a challenge. “I can’t” are not words anyone may use in your own. Instead say, “I am having trouble getting this done. I am going to try to do it by myself, but I may need some help.” 10. Rigor is having high expectations for your son or daughter and cheering them on when they are frustrated or challenged. © Taylor and Francis, 2014 Dear Parents of My Students,
I could not have asked for a better group of students or parents this year! Thank you for the warm, detailed letters about your child, your timely return of paperwork, and in many cases, your superlative book orders. The first few days of class we were doing diagnostic tests to determine the academic strengths and weaknesses of each student, going over classroom protocols, inspiring a love of reading, and laying the foundation of creating a classroom of emotional safety. Now I’m excited to get to the heart of the class which is our WRITING PROGRAM. Expository and creative writing is the bulk of what we do in class every day. Critical thinking, in depth comprehension strategies, and Socratic seminar are also essential elements of the program. The bulk of writing takes place in class and in our technology labs. In the coming week, your child will sign up on their Google account, (which is district provided and district protected) and also sign up for Google Classroom, where they’ll create, collaborate, and turn in their writing and projects online. I try to make the writing topics ones that they can relate to and be highly interested in, so they can become “Writing Freaks,” like me! A sneak peek at what’s coming up: the 7th graders will be writing a creepy narrative, and the 8th graders are going to be writing a personal narrative based on a six word story. Something especially nice for parents: all their writing remains in their online folder in the district “cloud” and you can go online and see it there, too! Dear "Butcherites" and Parents,
I hope the first three days of school were rewarding. I've loved seeing all the eager, perky faces shining up at me, and I'm working on learning names. Your child's homework this year is to read for 30 minutes, every Monday to Thursday. Please allow them to choose their own reading material. My objective is to have every student in love with reading and perceiving themselves as a "reader" before the end of the year. Here are some good things to know: 1. Motivation is 5 times more important than reading level. If they pick books above their "reading level," they just read them slowly. That's fine. 2. There is a natural progression in growth as a reader. They tend to start with comic books, then series books, then focusing on one author and genre, and then they start branching out and choosing higher level material. 3. Tread lightly when you are tempted to push them to a book you loved. Even kids with a high reading level are not always ready to enjoy the Stephen Crane or Jane Austen book you loved. Depending on age and personality, some kids are put of anything that their parents recommend on principle! 4. The kids get a form every 2 weeks where you verify that they did indeed do the 30 minutes of reading. Please sign nightly and find a way to ascertain that they really did the 30 minutes. Having them read where you can see you is obviously the best practice. They'll get one of these forms this Monday. Extra forms can be downloaded on the website. kacybutcher.weebly.com password: Loving-Learning. 5. Library books and audio books are great. They'll also get regular opportunities to purchase from Scholastic book clubs. This company has been really generous and ethical. When we purchase from them, they allow me to pick gorgeous, free books to put into our classroom library, which your kid also gets to read. Support us if you can. The site asks for the class website code which is MZC93. Here's a link to the site.http://www.scholastic.com/home/ With great joy and eager anticipation we welcome Mr. Neidiffer, the teacher candidate who will be helping to teach both 7th and 8th grade this trimester. We were lucky enough to get him from California Lutheran University. Hello, brothers and sisters! My name is Aaron Neidiffer. The deserts and farmlands of southern California and Arizona are where I am from. Though I am young, I have learned a great deal, and developed an appreciation for all aspects of life. As an educator, I seek to pass on my knowledge and love for the world, while learning from the unique experiences and ideas of all my students.
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AuthorWelcome... with all my heart. I can't wait to meet you. Archives
September 2016
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