Literacy Speaks Volumes

Thanksgiving week is a tough one to be a teacher~here in my school district, we only go to school on Monday and Tuesday. Which basically means that not much gets done. It's a great week to give a test~a big one, like a benchmark or unit test. The problem is that several students are absent, so you have to make sure that those students complete the test once they return after the holiday. But you can't do fluff activities either because 7th period on the last day is probably when you will have your unannounced observation. It's really a lose-lose (or win-win depending on how you look at it) situation. I hope you manage to get to through the next few days without too much stress....remember those few days before Christmas holiday are coming up soon!

For twenty-three years I taught seventh grade English. When I first began teaching, I was handed the key to my classroom and a box of white chalk. I immediately went out and bought colored chalk. Rikki was with me the whole way. I loved his sweet disposition and protective nature towards Teddy. Along with my students, I cheered Rikki on when he chased Nagaina into the giant hole and came out alive. But something soured along the way. I grew tired of Rikki and silently wished for his demise. You see, the story of the little Mongoose who could had been in every anthology that the school district bought. It was always in unit one and was the primary text for teaching conflict in literature. I simply grew tired of it. Now, I teach sixth grade English and have yet to grow tired of any one particular story. I don't know if I will stay in sixth grade long enough to grow jaded on any story. Perhaps it was time to move on. Perhaps it was time to open a new anthology.

Do you need a checklist to show mastery of the CCSS in 6th grade math and ELA? Then, check out these two resources: CCSS checklist for 6th grade ELA and CCSS checlist for 6th grade math