Today, they are my English III and English IV students with not only visions for their futures, but also action plans to reach those goals. I encourage my students to work hard and think critically, and they have risen to every assignment/challenge I have given them. My students amaze me with their thoughts, their projects, and their innovation.
Tomorrow, they will be among the first generation of adults who have lived their wholes in the 21st Century, and I am confident they will rise to whatever challenges the world offers.
My Project
My job is to guide my students to acquire skills they can and will use in the future. Gone are the days of "listen to my lecture; read that chapter; fill out another worksheet; take a test on Friday, and while we are at it, write a five paragraph essay."
On a typical day in my classroom, students are researching and creating.
My seniors worked in groups to explore 15 QR Stations, each with links to information about "Beowulf," the History of the English Language, or Anglo-Saxon culture. Together they created slide presentations showcasing their research. Student projects also include building Play-Dough representations of figurative language from "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," and making videos of their groups acting out scenes or interviewing classmates portraying characters from literary works. These projects encompass research, writing, collaboration, and publishing.
Conference tables are so much more conducive to the work my classes do. I purchased one small used conference for my room and found some fold out tables in my school district's equipment room. My upperclassmen are physically more comfortable at tables, and they have room for their laptops, books and notes. Additionally, tables make it easier for students to work on group projects. Finally, we all enjoy my room feeling more like an office than a traditional classroom. As one student told me, "sitting at this table makes me feel important." I plan to use this larger conference table as the room's centerpiece. We will keep the smaller one, and send two of the folding tables back to storage.
All of my students are VIP's, doing important work preparing to face the world beyond high school and to become the best citizens they can be.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. McCown and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
