Gallery Idea!

I mentioned before that I really wanted to figure out something to incorporate into the National Day on Writing’s Online Gallery. And I realized I don’t think I mentioned that I did it! Well, my students’ work hasn’t been submitted yet; however, I did set up our gallery!
OK, so I may be way more interested [...]

The Fun Theory

My principal sent out this video as part of our weekly notes…

That’s right. The “Fun Theory.” Thinking about all the ways this plays out in the classroom already…and the many more ways it can be included as well. (Because reading and writing is fun! And I think some of my students [...]

Images, writing, and video recording

I recently had my students work with Glogster (edu version) creating an important scene from their most recent novel Cry, the Beloved Country. I like glogs because they provide a really interactive medium for students to create a multimedia image representation (think: poster) of anything. Just like if they were to create a collage by [...]

National Novel Writing Month!

My students laughed when I mentioned the National Day on Writing and thought that I was just making up random days for English “stuff.” Then, I showed them the legislation behind the National Day on Writing, and they realized I was telling the truth.  (They also couldn’t believe that we have a National Grammar Day.)
With [...]

Grading essays

You all know the feeling. As you sift through the pile of papers in front of you (or in the online dropbox in my case), you think to yourself, “Oh, boy!” You spend a large amount of time carefully crafting your revision comments, corrections, and what I like to call “what the author did very [...]

Coach

That’s right. Not only am I Ms. Beach, the tough, first year English teacher…I’m Coach Beach, the (I have yet to fill in the blank here). And as I sit here typing away, I can’t help but wonder what I’ve gotten myself into this time!
OK, really I’m sorta joking, but I’m really not. Everyone laughs [...]

Who woulda thought?

Spirit week. Enough said. We ARE doing work in English class, but I think spirit week is taking over. Not to mention PSAT practice. PSAT testing. Just getting back from trip week. Conference day. Holiday. Oh, and we just switched our schedule around, so morning periods are in the afternoon and afternoon in the morning. [...]

Me, myself & I

I’ve been meaning to blog about this for a while now, but forgot to hit “publish.” Anyway, during my last English Dept. meeting, my dept. head asked us to think about what is keeping us from being the teacher we want to be. Our answer couldn’t be “having more time” because everyone needs time (though [...]

The wheels on the bus go round & round

This week = trip week. That’s right. Trip week. As in I head out bright and early tomorrow a.m. to camp with the freshmen class. The idea behind their trip: teamwork/bonding. Flashbacks of being a 4-H camp counselor are slowly coming into light. I’m hoping the rain disappears, but with the downpour coming down all [...]

Chocolate…yum

Today, one of my foreign exchange students from Germany presented me with a sweet little treat…she received some chocolate from back home and gave me a few of these Amicelli sticks. It made me smile, and I was just so honored that she even wanted to share her chocolate with me, ha! BUT to my [...]