Starting This Semester Right!

Hello all!

Well this semester is off to a flying start! I have begun my core III teaching, and am enjoying my class very much. It is a class full of juniors who have IEPs and other learning issues. It is a class of about 18-19, it seems at the beginning of every week, we get a new student that has transferred into the creaky old classroom. The classroom is in an older section of the building, but it has a very warm and welcoming atmosphere.

Our readings so far have shown me what it means to depict a better way for our students to write in their own personal style. In Harry Noden’s book, Image Grammar, he writes “Developing a grammar of style begins with learning to “see,” literally and metaphorically.” (Noden 2) In my classroom, my CT has been teaching student how to identify irony, metaphors, and similes through television shows, and class readings. The students are beginning to pick up on the subjects, and have had to write poems and short stories on their experiences and personal feelings. The way in which they write is based on their creative writing style, and they are encouraged by my CT and their teacher to write what they want and how they want. I have also noticed that when they are done with their writing, they can read to the class if they want. My CT doesn’t feel that the students have to read out loud if they don’t want to; as many may not want to read out loud due to their fear of public speaking.

Since we have just begun the semester, there have not been any big assignments where the students have had to write any big papers or anything that would require advanced grammar. Instead we have been using our time in class reading William Carlos Williams poems and writing poems similar to it using his poems as a model. However, I am looking forward to helping students expand their grammar. In our Pre-Student teaching course, we learned about appositives. I am very anxious to help my students learn more about them when we come to the lessons on expanding our grammar.

Right now my students are in the process of reading a young adult literature novel of their choice. Many of them have chosen the book, The Maze Runner, by James Dashner. When the seven students who chose this book have been reading it in their free time in class, have had a hard time trying to picture the images that the author is trying to produce. I have used the images released from the movie that they are making to show the students a better image of the book’s universe. According to Noden, “The combination of written brush strokes and popular film cuts reinforces the concept of the writer as artist, making image grammar more significant for students, many of whom have been exposed primarily to multi-media imagery.” (Noden 18) Keeping this in mind, I have been asking my students to tell me about what imagery they have seen from the movie pictures and what the book says. Hopefully as time progresses, I will be able to show them how their writings will be able express the pictures in their minds.

Chapter nine in Noden’s text discusses the well-known area of literature known as non-fiction. The way that my class has been reading, seems to be a balance of non-fiction and fiction. I am very excited for the non-fiction section of this semester as I understand that it is supposed to coincide with the students’ social studies class. We have read a story where the book gives a narrative lead. Noden states “A narrative lead lures the reader with a compelling story in one to three paragraphs.” (Noden 207) I have always had a problem with narrative leads, as it does not give the reader other characters’ points of views, and limits your understanding of the situation. What are my fellow teacher and student teachers’ opinion on narrative leads? Our text says “A narrative lead lures the reader with a compelling story in one to three paragraphs.” (Noden, 207) However, I can never really trust the narrator though, what are your thoughts on the subject?

So far I have really enjoyed my time in my placement, and am becoming close to the kids. I hope to be able to teach them how to expand their grammar as we progress through the semester. Until next time!

Noden, Harry Image Grammar, Teaching Grammar as Part of the Writing Process Heinemann, Portsmouth, NH. 2011