Friday, October 30

Writers' Groups.
Students shared their chosen model poems and comments with one another.
Students shared their original poems with one another.

Groups began sharing their chosen model and original poem with the whole class.

DUE DATES

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6: Submit a rough draft (any genre) for a grade.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13: Submit a final draft (any genre) for a grade.

MONDAYS: Weekly reading logs, DEJs on independent reading.
THURSDAYS: Publish drafts for writers' groups on Friday.
FRIDAYS: Weekly writers' groups.

Thursday, October 29

Idea of poems that are noting a moment.  Shared Gary Snyder's poem, "Late October Camping in the Sawtooths" with Czeslaw Milosz's commentary as today's mini-lesson.

Writers' Workshop.

DUE DATES

FRIDAY OCTOBER 30: Have posted another poem of your own AND a model poem to share and discuss with your group.  (Add a comment to the model poem you share!)
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6: Submit a rough draft (any genre) for a grade.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13: Submit a final draft (any genre) for a grade.

MONDAYS: Weekly reading logs, DEJs on independent reading.
THURSDAYS: Publish drafts for writers' groups on Friday.
FRIDAYS: Weekly writers' groups.

Wednesday, October 28

Idea of "a lot in a little": poetry as a carving away of whatever's not completely necessary.
Shared Nemerov's poem, "Because You Asked about the Line between Prose and Poetry" with a comment as today's mini-lesson.

Writers' Workshop.

DUE DATES

FRIDAY OCTOBER 30: Have posted another poem of your own AND a model poem to share and discuss with your group.  (Add a comment to the model poem you share!)
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6: Submit a rough draft (any genre) for a grade.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13: Submit a final draft (any genre) for a grade.

MONDAYS: Weekly reading logs, DEJs on independent reading.
THURSDAYS: Publish drafts for writers' groups on Friday.
FRIDAYS: Weekly writers' groups.

Tuesday, October 27

Idea of "a lot in a little": poetry as a carving away of whatever's not completely necessary.
Shared Sandburg's poem, "Grass" as an example; shared my comment on my post of it as a model of a comment.

Writers' Workshop.

DUE DATES

FRIDAY OCTOBER 30: Have posted another poem of your own AND a model poem to share and discuss with your group.  (Add a comment to the model poem you share!)
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6: Submit a rough draft (any genre) for a grade.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13: Submit a final draft (any genre) for a grade.

MONDAYS: Weekly reading logs, DEJs on independent reading.
THURSDAYS: Publish drafts for writers' groups on Friday.
FRIDAYS: Weekly writers' groups.

Monday, October 26

Discussed final poem shared will be held over from Friday.
Reviewed upcoming due dates.
HW check: independent reading DEJs.
Writers groups shared, discussed DEJs.
COLLECTED weekly reading logs and DEJs.

Writers' Workshop.

DUE DATES

FRIDAY OCTOBER 30: Have posted another poem of your own AND a model poem to share and discuss with your group.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6: Submit a rough draft (any genre) for a grade.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13: Submit a final draft (any genre) for a grade.

MONDAYS: Weekly reading logs, DEJs on independent reading.
THURSDAYS: Publish drafts for writers' groups on Friday.
FRIDAYS: Weekly writers' groups.

Friday, October 23

Students shared one model poem and one student poem each in their writers' groups.
Groups reflected on most effective lines and stanzas of all the poems, and selected one of each to share with the whole class.

Class listened to and discussed each of the poems.  (Some discussion of the final poem shared will be held over until Monday.)

Remember reading logs and DEJs on independent reading for Monday!

DUE DATES

FRIDAY OCTOBER 30: Have posted another poem of your own AND a model poem to share and discuss with your group.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6: Submit a rough draft (any genre) for a grade.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13: Submit a final draft (any genre) for a grade.

MONDAYS: Weekly reading logs, DEJs on independent reading.
THURSDAYS: Publish drafts for writers' groups on Friday.
FRIDAYS: Weekly writers' groups.

Thursday, October 22

Reminder of Friday's assignments: post one model poem (not by a student and not a poem that rhymes) that you like in the Private Writing Zone, and be prepared to discuss why you like it and write a poem of your own and post that to share as well.

Remember, good quality poetry can be found online through the Poetry Foundation!
Shared, discussed the poem "What the Living Do."

Writers' Workshop.

DUE DATES

FRIDAY OCTOBER 23: Have posted a poem of your own AND a model poem to share and discuss with your group.

MONDAYS: Weekly reading logs, DEJs on independent reading.
THURSDAYS: Publish drafts for writers' groups on Friday.
FRIDAYS: Weekly writers' groups.

Wednesday, October 21

Reminder of Friday's assignments: post one model poem (not by a student and not a poem that rhymes) that you like in the Private Writing Zone, and be prepared to discuss why you like it and write a poem of your own and post that to share as well.

Remember, good quality poetry can be found online through the Poetry Foundation!

Writers' Workshop.

DUE DATES

FRIDAY OCTOBER 23: Have posted a poem of your own AND a model poem to share and discuss with your group.

MONDAYS: Weekly reading logs, DEJs on independent reading.
THURSDAYS: Publish drafts for writers' groups on Friday.
FRIDAYS: Weekly writers' groups.

Tuesday, October 20

Read and discussed William Carlos Williams's poem "This Is Just to Say."
Shared parody poems based on "This Is Just to Say."
Writer's challenge: write a concrete poem in the style of William Carlos Williams.  (Alternatively: write a parody poem based on "This is Just to Say.")

Assignment before Friday: post one model poem (not by a student and not a poem that rhymes) that you like in the Private Writing Zone, and be prepared to discuss why you like it; write a poem of your own and post that to share as well.

Writers' Workshop

DUE DATES

FRIDAY OCTOBER 23: Have posted a poem of your own AND a model poem to share and discuss with your group.

MONDAYS: Weekly reading logs, DEJs on independent reading.
THURSDAYS:  Publish drafts for writers' groups on Friday.

FRIDAYS: Weekly writers' groups.

Monday, October 19

Homework check: Double-entry Journals (DEJs) on independent reading.
Students shared DEJs in groups; groups presented a favorite DEJ to the class.

COLLECTED weekly reading logs and DEJs.

Read and discussed William Carlos Williams's poem "A Sort of a Song."
Read and discussed critical essay on "A Sort of a Song," and discussed the writing principle of "No ideas but in things."

Students put poem and essay into the binder for possible use in the end-of-course portfolio essay.

DUE DATES

FRIDAY OCTOBER 16: Rough draft reflective essay due for a grade.

MONDAYS: Weekly reading logs, DEJs on independent reading.
THURSDAYS:  Publish drafts for writers' groups on Friday.

FRIDAYS: Weekly writers' groups.

Friday, October 16

Writers' Workshop.
COLLECTED (or shared via Google Docs) reflective essay drafts.

DUE DATES

FRIDAY OCTOBER 16: Rough draft reflective essay due for a grade.

MONDAYS: Weekly reading logs, DEJs on independent reading.
THURSDAYS:  Publish drafts for writers' groups on Friday.
FRIDAYS: Weekly writers' groups.

Thursday, October 15

Shared one last piece of reflective writing with the class.

Writers' Workshop.

DUE DATES

FRIDAY OCTOBER 16: Rough draft reflective essay due for a grade.

MONDAYS: Weekly reading logs, DEJs on independent reading.
THURSDAYS:  Publish drafts for writers' groups on Friday.

FRIDAYS: Weekly writers' groups.

Wednesday, October 14

Homework Check: Independent reading DEJs.
Writer's groups shared their DEJs and observations on their reading.
COLLECTED DEJs and weekly reading logs.

Groups presented pieces chosen last week to share with the class.

DUE DATES

FRIDAY OCTOBER 16: Rough draft reflective essay due for a grade.

MONDAYS: Weekly reading logs, DEJs on independent reading.
THURSDAYS:  Publish drafts for writers' groups on Friday.

FRIDAYS: Weekly writers' groups.

Friday, October 9

Writer's groups.
Students shared their reflective essays with one another, and got feedback from their peers.
Groups selected 1--2 pieces to share with the class.

DUE DATES

MONDAYS: Weekly reading logs, DEJs on independent reading.
THURSDAYS:  Publish drafts for writers' groups on Friday.

FRIDAYS: Weekly writers' groups.

Thursday, October 8

On Friday: be prepared to share your reflective essay.

Writer's Workshop.
Students continued work on a reflective essay/memoir.

While this essay will ultimately be collected for a grade, and must be original work, not previously used for any class, students may also spend time in class polishing previously written essays for the Common App, if they wish.

DUE DATES

MONDAYS: Weekly reading logs, DEJs on independent reading.
THURSDAYS:  Publish drafts for writers' groups on Friday.

FRIDAYS: Weekly writers' groups.

Wednesday, October 7

On Thursday: Publish the draft of your reflective essay, for use in group on Friday!

Writer's Workshop.
Students continued work on a reflective essay/memoir.

While this essay will ultimately be collected for a grade, and must be original work, not previously used for any class, students may also spend time in class polishing previously written essays for the Common App, if they wish.

DUE DATES

MONDAYS: Weekly reading logs, DEJs on independent reading.
THURSDAYS:  Publish drafts for writers' groups on Friday.

FRIDAYS: Weekly writers' groups.

Tuesday, October 6

Today's class short due to early release day schedule.
On Thursday: Publish the draft of your reflective essay, for use in group on Friday!

Reviewed sample college application essay and prompts.
Assigned a reflective essay, 500--650 words, which CAN meet the requirements of the Common App college essay, but does not have to do so.

While this essay will ultimately be collected for a grade, and must be original work, not previously used for any class, students may also spend time in class polishing previously written essays for the Common App, if they wish.

Brainstormed possible subjects for the essay.

DUE DATES

MONDAYS: Weekly reading logs, DEJs on independent reading.
THURSDAYS:  Publish drafts for writers' groups on Friday.

FRIDAYS: Weekly writers' groups.

Monday, October 5

Homework check: DEJs on independent reading.
COLLECTED weekly reading logs.
Groups shared and discussed DEJs.  What makes each good writing?
Groups shared 1 favorite DEJ and the chosen draft from Friday's group meeting with the class as a whole.

DUE DATES

MONDAYS: Weekly reading logs, DEJs on independent reading.
THURSDAYS:  Publish drafts for writers' groups on Friday.

FRIDAYS: Weekly writers' groups.

Friday, October 2

Writers' Groups.
We will share representative pieces on Monday.

DUE DATES

MONDAYS: Weekly reading logs, DEJs on independent reading.
THURSDAYS:  Publish drafts for writers' groups tomorrow.

FRIDAYS: Weekly writers' groups.

Thursday, October 1

Reminder:  DEJs were due yesterday.

Writers' Workshop.  (Drafts due to share with groups on Friday!)
Students published their writing to the Private Writing Zone by the end of class.

DUE DATES

MONDAYS: Weekly reading logs, DEJs on independent reading.
THURSDAYS:  Publish drafts for writers' groups tomorrow.
FRIDAYS: Weekly writers' groups.

Wednesday, September 30

This lesson, short due to club day, was taught by a sub in Ms. Bishop's absence.

Students shared their double-entry journals on  Lamott's Bird by Bird, 28--43, from "School Lunches."

Writers' Workshop.  (Drafts due to share with groups on Friday!)

DUE DATES

MONDAYS: Weekly reading logs, DEJs on independent reading.
THURSDAYS:  Publish drafts for writers' groups tomorrow.
FRIDAYS: Weekly writers' groups.