Forever Friday!

Block A: I for one, will be so sad to see the end of our poetry unit. I have laughed, cried and been incredibly inspired by the words that you are writing. Thank you all for your hard work and dedication to the process. On Tuesday your hard work comes together with oral presentations and the handing in of your poetry project. I CAN'T WAIT!!!!

Block C: Did I blow your mind a little in class with that depth of meaning poem?! It was my intention to have you truly consider if you are an explorer or poetry or a conqueror. You have it in each and every one of you to be explorers - the found poems that I was reading today were lovely and inspiring. The due date for the found poem is next Thursday - and there will be a quiz on the poetry terms on Wednesday.

Block D: Today in class we worked from your T-Charts of connections to create the point form outline - once your outline was done - you then started on the double-spaced rough draft. The rough draft is due in class on Tuesday for peer editing.

Thoughtful Thursday:

Block A: One more day to work in class. Will you be ready on Tuesday? You better be!

Block C: We started our found poetry assignment today in class - you were to use a book you've read recently and find your poem - copying the words and pages as you go. We will continue this tomorrow - no homework tonight!

Block D: If you did not finish recording your connections on your T-chart then please do so for homework. We will start the outline in class tomorrow.

Work for this Wednesday:

Block A: You all know what you are about by now - keep up the excellent work on both of your poetry projects. If you want to hand in your duo-tang project early - you may - if not be prepared on Tuesday!

Block C: Such interesting discussions on the form of poetry today - e.e. cummings created quite the stir! Your homework tonight is to bring a book to class that you have finished recently - it could be your novel study book, your book talk book, or another book you've read.

Block D: I loved the vibe in the room today! Heads down and brains fired up! After days of practice - you are now flying on your own with the strategies that we've been working on. I handed out the green handout on writing connections paragraphs - and gave you a short story to read. You first did a brief THIEVES then on your own went through the story to code your text - using the codes we learned before and the new ones of the T-T, T-W, and T-S connections we reviewed today. If you did not finish coding your text in class today - please do so for homework tonight!

Shark Spirit Tuesday:

Block A: You have 2 ongoing projects - make sure you tell me the poem and poet that you have chosen for your oral presentation ASAP - presentations start on Tuesday. The duo-tang project is due on Friday or on Tuesday - your choice.

Block C: Thank you for your sound poems today! We looked at our third question of the day - is it form that makes a poem great? We took some notes related to form and then it was off to the pep rally - so there is no homework!

Block D: Awesome job with your text-coding strategy in class today. You previewed the text using THIEVES then you made notations on the article with the codes we learned in class yesterday. You then completed a post reading summarizing activity as your ticket out the door. I hope that you are able to keep all of this information straight - because there is going to be an assignment that uses all of these skills tomorrow! But for tonight there is no homework!

Mostly Monday

Block A: I hope you had a great time at grad skate today! We will be working on both of your ongoing project tomorrow - presentations start on Dec 3 - make sure you sign up for your poem before you get started - it is first come, first serve. We'll talk deadlines for your poetry projects as well.

Block C: I hope you enjoyed listening to some poets read their own work today in class. The intention of the day was to get you thinking about the sound of a poem and how the human voice can add so much meaning - and how certain poetic devices can play with the sounds in our ears. Your ticket out the door was to complete the react in writing - if you did so - there is no homework tonight!

Block D: Today was a triple ELO day. We reinforced and practiced using THIEVES, and we learned about 2-column notes - in addition to learning how to read smarter using a text coding strategy! Phew! So much good work in class today! We will continue tomorrow - with you practicing the text coding on your own. No homework tonight!

Fortuitous Friday:

Block A: Well poets - you have now been assigned all of the work that I am going to give you for this unit. I gave you the oral analysis project - presentations to begin on Tuesday Dec. 3. Keep working on both of your projects - I can't wait to see your final products!

Block C: Fabulous job on the terms of imagery today! Your ticket out the door was to write an imagery poem using the devices from today's lesson: simile, metaphor and personification. Well done one and all - no homework this weekend!

Block D: Grammar quiz done. Descriptive paragraph peer edited? Done. This weekend complete your double-spaced good copy and hand it in on Monday with all of the components!

Thoughts on a Thursday:

Block A: Homework tonight is to choose your own poem to practice the TP-CASTT method of poetry analysis. Take this challenge to yourself to find a poem and really see if you can make your own meaning.

Block C: Yay! Presentations are done! Fabulous work one and all! We started our poetry inquiry unit today - and pondered: what makes great poetry? We completed a free write, shared our opinions and handed them in. I can't wait to read about what you think!

Block D: Hope my band goers had a great concert today! Here is what you missed in class: we challenged ourselves to use imagery, figurative language (alliteration, personification, simile) to paint a picture with words. Use the blue handout from yesterday to help you construct your double-spaced rough draft of your descriptive paragraph from your outline. We will complete the peer editing process tomorrow - so please have your completed draft in class. Don't forget our grammar quiz on nouns, verbs, pronouns and adjectives!

Wonderful Wednesday:

Block A: All right poets - keep your creative energies flowing! Your homework tonight is to complete the 2 tasks - the first find examples of paradox, antithesis and oxymoron. The second is to write your own examples of each term in no more than 4 line. Don't forget to explain to me what your intended meaning is!

Block C: Awesome start to the novel experiences - we will finish up the last 3 groups tomorrow - there is no homework tonight!

Block D: If you did not finish the web or chart and outline for your descriptive paragraph - please do so for homework tonight!

Tricky Tuesday

Block A: Today we had a work block for the final poetry project. There are a couple of deadlines that you need to be aware of. The anonymous poem needs to be in for my approval by tomorrow - and your concrete poem needs to be done and up in the room by Friday.

Block C: This is it!!! Make sure you are ready and prepared for presentations tomorrow. We will draw numbers for the presentation order. Homework tonight is to complete the self and peer evaluation for the project.

Block D: If you needed some extra time to complete your grammar practice - then please complete it for homework tonight. We will check our answers tomorrow.

Metaphysical Monday

Block A: Today we looked at figurative comparison - and how it extends, enriches or qualifies the literal meaning of a text. There is a list of devices specific to comparison that we will have a quiz on tomorrow. If you did not complete the task - to write a poem using 3 of the devices and explain your intended usage - please do so for tomorrow.

Block C: One more day to practice. One more day to make your novel study experience awesome!

Block D: If you did not finish up your THIEVES practice sheet - please do so for homework tonight!

Forceful Friday:

Block A: Documentary is over. Some interesting reactions... I know that poetry is not for everyone - but I appreciate each and every one of you giving it a chance! Please have your post movie reflection done for Monday! Make a note in your agenda that your anonymous poem must be in to me by Wednesday for approval before it goes up in the school, and that your concrete poem needs to be up and displayed in the classroom by Friday of next week.

Block C: I hope that all groups are on a productive and positive journey towards our Wednesday performance date! You will have 2 more work blocks to be as prepared as you can be!

Block D: Keep pushing on my reading THIEVES!!! Today we learned a new strategy about previewing text in order to steal information - essentially I want you to read smarter not harder! We will practice this strategy further on Monday. Speaking of Monday - your double-spaced good copy of your opinion paragraph is to be submitted first thing in the morning!

Thrifty Thursday:

Block A: I hope that you are enjoying Louder Than a Bomb the slam poetry documentary. We will finish watching it tomorrow.

Block C: If you did not finish your lit circle reflection please complete it for homework and hand it in tomorrow.

Block D: The double-spaced good copy of your opinion paragraph is due on Monday. Please make sure that you hand in the outline, rough draft, and peer editing sheet along with the good copy. Your homework tonight is to study the yellow sheet of short story terminology for the quiz tomorrow.

The Way We Were on a Wednesday:

Block A: Great job on the sound performances today! For homework tonight please reflect on the experience of performing - here are the instructions from the end of class:

After the performances, write a personal reflection, being as specific as possible, explain the impact that the sound of the words in the text had on you as the "reader" and as the listener.

I also gave you a list of sound devices that you need to find the definitions for and make your own example for the quiz tomorrow.

Block C: It was our last meeting today! Most of you got all of your work done - some will need a little extra time tomorrow. You should also have gotten a chance to discuss your journals so that you have full and complete group responses ready to hand in tomorrow.

Block D: I'm very pleased with your paragraph work so far! If you did not finish up your double-spaced rough draft of your opinion paragraph in class today - please do so for homework tonight!

Take it away Tuesday!

Block A: Poetry tasks for everyone! Today I assigned one of the poetry projects that you will be completing for this unit. We are learning about types of poems and writing a lot of our own poems - challenging ourselves to do things that we never thought possible. Do not procrastinate - yes you have a couple of weeks to complete this whole thing - but leaving it all to the last minute will be very detrimental.

Block C: It is our last group meeting tomorrow -  make sure your novel is done and that you are ready to discuss how your novel ends. The your last set of journals is due on Thursday - so you and your group should have had a chance to talk those over today.

Block D: Today we started on our opinion paragraphs. You chose one of the five given topics and created a brainstorm of your ideas. You chose the best 3 to incorporate into your outline. You should have finished the outline in class - if not - please do so for homework tonight!

Lest We Forget Friday:

Block A: Thank you for all of your generous donations to the poppy fund. It is so important that we not forget those who willingly risked their lives so that we may enjoy our lives in this great country. Today's poetry lesson focused on the relationship between poetic form and meaning. You looked through our classroom anthologies to find examples of 2 poems and then wrote about their form and meanings. If you were unable to finish this up in class - please do so for Tuesday!

Block C: Thanks to all of you for your hard work in your group discussions today. I will give you extra time on Tuesday if you didn't finish up the work on conflict. Also - please make sure you have your 2 quotes and 2 personal responses in class ready for group discussion. Remember you are to summarize the responses of your group members and to demonstrate how the group discussion has expended your understanding of the novel.

Block D: The double-spaced good copy of your compare and contrast paragraph is due on Tuesday. Make sure you hand in the outline, rough draft, peer editing sheet (yellow) and the good copy which is double-spaced in pen or typed in 12 pt. font.

Thoughts on Thursday:

Block A: How much fun is poetry?! SO MUCH FUN!!! One of my favourite parts of English literature!!! Today we had story time and we talked about a few different types of poems. There is no homework tonight!

Block C: Our meeting day is tomorrow - so make sure you have completed your reading and sticky notes in preparation to discuss this second to last chunk of the book!

Block D: Great work on the peer editing - I know we didn't finish - there will be time in class tomorrow to work on editing and revisions.

Work-A-Day Wednesday!

Block A: Phew! You did it! Literary analysis essays are done!!! Great job all! On to the next tomorrow :)

Block C: Hope you enjoyed your day at work today - we will finish up any group work not done yesterday in the meeting tomorrow. Thursday's meeting is moved to Friday.

Block D: Be creative - not boring - in your compare and contrast rough drafts. The paragraph needs to be double-spaced - use transition words! We will be editing these tomorrow - so make sure you bring your copy to class.

Magnificent Monday!

Block A: Time to get into the zone people! It is literary analysis day tomorrow! Come to class ready to write - you will have tomorrow and Wednesday's class to complete your essay. If you don't finish your outline - don't stress - just do the best you can. Please remember that you will not be able to bring in ANY outside materials to class. Any work you complete in class tomorrow will need to be left in class as well.

Block C: Thank you for handing in your journals. Please make sure that you have your reading and sticky notes completed for the group discussion tomorrow! Remember no notes - no meeting!

Block D: Great work on the paragraph structures today - Topic - Support - Conclusion! Don't forget transition words!! If you did not complete Part 3 of the handout - build your own paragraph - please do so tonight! We will start on your compare and contrast paragraphs tomorrow - start thinking about about Roger and Alfred or Mrs. Higgins and Mrs. Jones.

Fun-times Friday!

Block A: Look to Twitter today after 4:00 for the best tweets of the class! Your journals and verbal visual essays are due on Monday!

Block C: Journals are due on Monday - make sure you are keeping up with your reading as well. If your group needs extra time to discuss your themes you can have the time on Monday.

Block D: Another grammar quiz done and done! Thanks for exercising your group discussion skills today - in our ELO - this is our first one - there will be more! We then went on to review paragraph writing and what makes a good paragraph. If you did not finish part 1 of the handout - please do so for homework tonight!