That's a Wrap!!

MMmmmmmm.... wrap....

Thanks for letting me be your instructor for this semester. You all most likely represent the last group of students I will teach at USM. Remember that the blog will be here for you in perpetuity (as far as I know), and that it now becomes a teaching/idea/book selection resource for you and your students.

I wish you all well in your scholarly and teaching careers. Remember, that just like this class, teaching is and should be hard but rewarding work when you're doing it right. You know you've hit your stride when you come home exhausted from the work you did today, but exhilarated about what you'll do tomorrow.

I urge you all to try your hand at teaching in Mississippi, but to learn how to be an agent of change, even if it means you have to be a subversive one. Learn the systems, then work to change the systems for the better. Remember that there are macro and micro systems. If you find yourself eventually spinning your wheels, remember that there are students in other schools, other counties, states, and even countries who need you just as much as the students in your current position.

I urge you all to eventually consider getting a Masters degree after teaching for a couple of years and to join professional organizations likes NCTE, IRA and ALAN. Ongoing professional development is key to being a good teacher current with research and best practices. Anyone who tells you that after a year or so of teaching, you no longer need to do things like lesson plan, read your field's journals, go to conferences, etc. is doing you and your students a disservice. Seek out opportunities to make yourself a better teacher, and never assume you have no more work to do.

Enjoy your students and embrace the challenges they offer you. Heed that the challenges from other stakeholders may very well be more aggravating than anything the kids throw at you. Be an educator of kids, not a purveyor of standardized tests and pacing guides. Humble yourself before your students; don't feel the need to be the smartest person in the room at all times; find ways to make every student feel safe and valued. Learn from your mistakes, and do not become one of those teachers who feels that s/he's never made any or stopped making them years ago.

Remember that failing is part of success. Sometimes you have to punt the ball and hope for another chance to score. You can fail a hundred different ways and never be a failure because you kept at it until you had a breakthrough of success, no matter how small. Distinguish between little "f" and big "F," little "s" and big "S." A string of little "f's" can actually help you achieve a big "S." My public school teaching career sounded like letting air out of a thousand tires one at a time --- "fffffssssssffffsssffsfsfsfsfsfsffffsssfsfsfsfsfsfsssfffss" --- and I'm a better teacher for it.

I know you can do it. You can make a difference in Mississippi's schools and any school in which you find yourself. Your careers are just beginning, though we may say of this course, "that's a wrap!"


Best,
Dr. Carter

Post Your Reading Lists by April 30, 2008

Please post the books that you read for your 6 independent choices. Give the author's name for each title. Write a 2-3 sentence summary/recommendation for each choice.

Example entry:

Barefoot Gen vol.1 by Keiji Nakazawa: This novel tells the story of a young boy's survival after the atomic bomb was dropped on his hometown in Japan. Though it does not shy away from showing the atrocities associated with nuclear weapons, I highly recommend it to teachers and students in grades 7-12.

Found Poems and Prompts/Poetry Responses (Post by 4.25)

Please post your found poem and your original prompt by Sunday, April 20. This will ensure that your peers have adequate time to craft a poem in response to your prompt.

We will share our responses to the prompts in class on Wednesday. Then, and only then, will you be asked to post your original poems to the blog as well. Remember to bring a copy of your crafted poem and a copy of the poem/prompt that inspired your poem.

See you Wednesday! :)

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Post your responses to the poems and prompts no earlier than after April 23rd's class but not later than midnight Friday, April 25.

Visual Bridges 4.25.08

Please post a write-up of your visual bridge (what it was, how you could/can use it) by Friday, April 25.

This space is for your visual bridge. Please post the write-up for your oral bridge in the appropriate space.

Oral Bridges! Post by 4.18.08

Please post a write-up of your oral bridge by Friday, April 18. A paragraph should cover it. Mention the text you used first, the text you bridged into, the grade level you taught, and the major ideas and themes you explored. Here's an example baed on my oral bridge:

How the Grinch Stole Christmas to "Ethan Brand": Following a brief introduction to the Great Chain of Being and the idea of knowing one's place/connectivity to humanity, I read from the Dr. Suess book, focusing on the parts where there is a clear "chain" of happily connected Hoos. I did some DRTA questioning before prompting you all to consider the theme in the Hawthorne story, from which I also read, completing the bridge.

Virtual Book Talks!

Based on the article "The Book Report, Version 2.0: Podcasting on Young Adult Novels" by Robert Rozema (English Journal, September 2007) and our understanding of book talks as learned from Kenneth L. Donelson and Alleen Pace Nilsen's 7th edition of Literature for Today's Young Adults (Allyn and Bacon, 2005), Dr. Carter's YA Lit class is pleased to offer you the following virtual book talks for your viewing pleasure and literary considerations!

*you may have to adjust your volume multiple times*

Virtual Booktalks!

Based on the article "The Book Report, Version 2.0: Podcasting on Young Adult Novels" by Robert Rozema (English Journal, September 2007) and our understanding of book talks as learned from Kenneth L. Donelson and Alleen Pace Nilsen's 7th edition of Literature for Today's Young Adults (Allyn and Bacon, 2005), Dr. Carter's YA Lit class is pleased to offer you the following virtual book talks for your viewing pleasure and literary considerations!

*you may have to adjust your volume multiple times*

Rationales for Spring 2008

This is just the place holder for where we'll post our rationales. They're due the 26 now, same date as your virtual booktalks, but I've not decided whether I want to see them in paper copy first or ask you to post them directly to the blog.

I do suggest, however, that you do a search for "rationales" by using the search feature of this blog, the one over there in the upper left corner. That should lead you to some links to sample rationales and format ideas from NCTE and from former students in this class. Just make sure your work is always your work, of course.

NCTE Inbox

For those of you who want to get up-to-date information on issues of interest to English Language Arts teachers, and who want to get it for FREE, I suggest signing up for the NCTE Inbox newsletter. All you need is an e-mail address. Simply click here, enter your e-mail, and you'll start receiving weekly updates on information that can help keep you the best-informed teacher around.

Much of the information considers YA lit, and censorship is an issue that comes up often. As well, the Inbox offers resources for classroom use. You'll see many topics we cover in our methods classes discussed in the Inbox. I can't recommend it strongly enough.