Students will be able to analyze persuasive arguments in editorials.
8.5 school days until Christmas break…so…close…
AFTER I took his phone away for texting yesterday, I caught a student with his personal ipad out while I was talking – and he was watching Family Guy. I was flabbergasted. What could possibly have made him think that was okay? He takes advantage of me, often – he takes notes on his ipad, and several times I’ve moved to take it away from him, only to discover he is, in fact, using it for my class (or changes screens very quickly). I kept it for the rest of the day, and when he came in at the end of last period to get it, I made him give a speech to my class about what you SHOULDN’T do in English class. It started like this: “You shouldn’t watch Family Guy on your ipad when Mrs. Hoham’s talking…” and after a few of my “ahem”s finally got to “…shouldn’t watch anything on your ipad during class.” Oy.
The bell work today involved reading a single paragraph-long student persuasive essay and deciding how to revise it. Hints were given along the side to guide students in what they could look for. I wrote on the board, “Read the hints on the side!” At least half the kids in every class asked me to come and help. I had two questions for them:
“Did you read the essay?” [No.]
“Did you read the questions on the side?” [No.]
At which point I walked away. Two “no”s for silly things did not merit me doing the work for them. I realize this is the plague of every teacher, but it wasn’t until I actually became one I realized how widespread it was. I was complaining after school to a colleague in the earshot of her sixth-grade son. I said, “If I had a dollar for every time a kid asked for help without reading the directions, I’d be so rich I wouldn’t have to teach!” To which he glibly answered, “Yes, but if you didn’t teach, you wouldn’t have kids asking you the questions that earn you the dollar.” Clever, clever boy.
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