catching up - September 1, 2010

I missed a few days, but now I'm ready to catch up.

Whole class discussion B day went well.  Fifth period went very well.  The pace was spirited.  Lots was shared and little was repeated.  Lots about the causes of the situation in Malawi - deforestation, famine, government.  Girls seemed to have a strong science background.  Sixth period was not as strong.  Five girls did not speak at all!  More than any other class.  This is definitely something to look at.  Consider who these girls are.  How the class is as a whole.  A flag.  Overall the conversation did not go as deep as I would have hoped.  There are strong thoughtful students, but they did not seem enough to keep things going.  This is class is different from third period.  I'm thinking that maybe speaking to the stronger students about how they might be able to activate those who are not participating.  I have to remember that not talking does not always translate as not thinking.  This is a class where all summer reading projects were turned in on time!  Celebrate successes!  Seventh period had lots of good ideas shared.  They also had lots of questions which I liked.  They supported their ideas with facts from the story and felt money was the root of their troubles.  This class had no idea that modern conveniences do not exist world wide for all.  Will continue to think about 6th period.
Writing this week - I've tried offering a prompt at the girls request.  Monday for B day I shared a prompt from Natalie Goldberg's Writing Down the Bones - Every Monday (117).  The focus of the prompt was inanimate things you are a friend to.  On Monday most girls chose to stay with What's on your mind?  Those who went with the prompt seemed to appreciate it.  Yesterday on A day I chose a prompt from Room to Write by Bonni Goldberg (is there a pattern?).  I shared Memory is Imagination (2).  The prompt was I remember.  Tuesday most of the girls in all three classes chose to follow the prompt.  I chose the prompt, because I felt it would provide writing to prepare them for a memoir.  I think the girls liked it because it was open-ended.  Many thought it was similar to What's on your mind?  Next class the girls are writing about an object brought from home.
As far as reading on Tuesday, we went to the library for orientation and check-out.  The idea to let girls choose books to share with classmates went very well.  First period was the most sophisticated.  Second seemed to have readers with less interesting taste and the taste of the third period girls was very diverse.  I enjoyed the conversations around the book table.  The sharing went very well.  I think the idea came from Terry Lesesne's new book - Reading Ladders.  Gotta share the credit.  Will make a good tie to Kelly Gallagher's idea of reading trees.  Would like to try that later this semester.