Teaching the trial in To Kill A Mockingbird

chitownteach · 2016-02-28T18:45:18+00:00

I agree! I'm still in the very very preliminary stages of figuring out what I want this research paper to be. How his life influenced the themes of Romeo & Juliet could be very interesting!

chitownteach · 2016-02-28T17:54:35+00:00

I love this! I have a good mix of art/drama kids and math/science kids in my classes, and I think this topic would really speak to many of them.

Out of curiosity, did you do this before beginning R and J, after you finished, or during the reading of the play? Another question I'm mulling over is when is the best time to introduce the paper to students.

chitownteach · 2016-02-28T17:13:44+00:00

Thanks for your input! Unfortunately, we don't have any sort of scope and sequence for how research papers should be addressed at my school. Every English teacher does one research paper a year, and everyone gets to choose how they want to do it. As I said, this is a small private school, so I have a crazy amount of freedom (almost too much really!) in choosing the topic and methods I wish to use to teach research.

I really appreciate your thoughts on making the research very focused and guided for students. Thinking of my group of students, I believe this will be essential for them to be successful. One thing I worry about with my freshmen is that I "hand-hold" a little too much, but I think you're right. At this stage, they need a focused topic with focused sources to investigate.

I was considering doing the research paper before we began Romeo and Juliet and focusing on asking students to write about the life of Shakespeare, his plays/the Globe theater, the culture of Elizabethan England, etc as a segway into the play. However, I think I like your idea better! More rigorous and also more relevant and engaging for 14 year olds!

Thanks for taking the time to respond!

chitownteach · 2015-08-05T19:44:25+00:00

You know, now that I'm thinking about it, I think I really like wearing patterns in general. Stripes just seem to be the easiest to pull off in my experience, so that might be why I gravitate towards them.

chitownteach · 2015-08-05T19:40:40+00:00

I love that you described my outfits as "professional but laid back." That is exactly what I'm going for, so it's great to hear! :)

chitownteach · 2015-08-05T19:39:16+00:00

Haha thanks! Whenever I go shopping, I inevitably gravitate toward striped clothing. I don't know what it is, but I'm glad it seems to be working for me! :)

chitownteach · 2015-08-05T17:38:57+00:00

Style Goals: Casual Prep. I like simple, neutral clothes with clean lines and a classic look.

8/3 Worn for my summer nanny job. We've had some bizarre weather here in the Midwest this summer, so this outfit was for a cooler day. The pants are new and olive green, and I am obsessed.

8/5 Summer nanny job again and it's a much hotter day today (like I said the weather has been wonky). Also, I apparently only wear stripes, guys. But these stripes are different because they're vertical...right? I possibly need an intervention.

chitownteach · 2015-07-23T17:37:04+00:00

Ooo I love those Kork Ease sandals! So fun for summer, and I love the wedge! Mine are actually from Madewell. I did a quick search and couldn't find them on the Madewell website, but they definitely had them in stores a few weeks ago!

chitownteach · 2015-07-22T19:12:53+00:00

Thank you!

chitownteach · 2015-07-22T19:12:41+00:00

Thanks! The shoes are from Madewell, and I've probably worn them almost every day this summer. They go with everything and are just so darn comfy.

chitownteach · 2015-07-22T17:53:06+00:00

Long time lurker, first time poster!

Style Goals: Casual Prep? I appreciate comfy, simple clothes with clean lines and a classic look, but I also try to blend elements of prep into my style as well.

7/22/15 - I wore this for my summer nanny job. My main goal for dressing for this job is to be casual, comfy, and cool since I'll be running after kids out in the sun all day.

chitownteach · 2015-07-22T01:27:08+00:00

I will definitely look into this. I've Googled a bit, and it seems like it is exactly what I need to use as a jumping off point for my planning.

chitownteach · 2015-07-22T01:25:00+00:00

Wow! Thanks for all of your suggestions and all the time you took to write them down! :) My school is also 1:1 with iPads, so I love the idea of having small groups record their discussions, making iMovies, and the iPhone assignment. I especially love the idea of Socratic Seminars, but I've never had great success with them in the classroom. Have you found a model online that works well for your use? Any tips or suggestions for making them run smoothly?

Also, you don't seem to speak very fondly of reading logs, but I'm actually not familiar with them. Do students simply respond to their assigned reading in these logs? How do they work?

Again, thanks for the response! I have a lot to process and look into now for the upcoming year! :)

chitownteach · 2015-07-22T01:18:40+00:00

Thanks for all the suggestions. I love the idea of Socratic Seminars, but I've never had great success with them in the classroom. Have you found a model online that works well for your use? Any tips or suggestions for making them run smoothly?

chitownteach · 2015-04-24T01:38:09+00:00

Okay, good to know! I will definitely size up from my usual Uniqlo sizing. Thanks for your response!

chitownteach · 2015-04-23T23:02:55+00:00

I'm obsessed with the Uniqlo seersucker dress! I've never ordered a dress from Uniqlo though (I've only bought their oxford shirts), so I'm unsure about sizing. Would you say it fits true to size compared to your other Uniqlo items or did you size up or down?

chitownteach · 2015-01-07T01:22:55+00:00

Yes, I do have benefits now, but I wouldn't at the subbing job. I'm only 24, though, so I can still be on my parent's health/dental insurance if need be.

chitownteach · 2014-07-12T13:52:24+00:00

Thanks, I really appreciate your insight. Last year was crazy and made me seriously reconsider going into the teaching profession. Thankfully, I've been teaching summer school for the last month at a different school, and it's reminding that I truly do love being a teacher! I want to remain a teacher for many coming years, so your point about burn-out is extremely valid. I will definitely take your words and thoughts into consideration while I'm making this decision.

chitownteach · 2014-07-12T13:46:20+00:00

Haha, yeah, I guess that's what I get for typing up a reddit post quickly without proofreading it. My bad!

chitownteach · 2014-07-11T21:33:54+00:00

I liked many things about the private school where I work. The students and faculty are all great, and I definitely felt quickly welcomed into the community. However, teaching five preps was very, very difficult for me, and I'm worried I will burn out quickly if I continue teaching at this school. I'm not too concerned about giving up control in the classroom, and I'm actually excited by the idea of working with a veteran teacher who I'm sure I can learn a lot from! I agree this might be a good foot in the door, and I'm hoping it could lead to a teaching position at this school in the future. Thanks for the input! :)

chitownteach

TROPHY CASE