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I am thrilled to be starting my thirty-fourth year of teaching, and my seventh year at the Wesley School. My heart still pounds with excitement as my students enter our classroom each morning to start our day! My goal is to create a safe and welcoming space for students to learn, explore, question, and take academic risks. I make every effort to "light a fire" rather than "fill the bucket", with regard to learning, by including choice, inquiry, creativity, and collaboration into all things Humanities. The blurring of lines between disciplines in my classroom, especially Language Arts and History, is by design in order to show students the overlap of subjects when learning and thinking, and to create and instill a process in their life long quest of knowledge.
In my spare time, I enjoy my family and my home. Often times, you will find me in my garden or relaxing in my yard with a good book. I also spend time in the kitchen, and, over the pandemic, I have worked on improving my homemade pasta and ravioli skills! Spending time with my grandchildren is my greatest delight! Long walks, mild hikes, and travel are also favorite activities
Overview, Workshop Expectations, and Homework
This will be an exciting year of reading, thinking, problem solving, and creating. Your child will be expected to bring their personal best to class each day.
weekly reading comprehension checks from either literature or history readings, as well as targeted skills readings
biweekly Friday vocabulary tests
occasional grammar checks: both traditional and untraditional
appropriate compos and books for each class... daily materials will be posted outside the classroom each morning
planner
free read book
black pencil pouch with all needed supplies
"Best Friend"
WORKSHOP: Classroom Expectations:
Come to class ready to actively learn and participate
Respect themselves, others, and the teachers
Do their personal best
ASK QUESTIONS to better understand...ADVOCATE for themselves!
HOMEWORK:
All assignments will be written on the classroom homework board AND found on Veracross. Students have a planner that they are required to use, at this point in time.
HOMEWORK MAY INCLUDE:
Reading and note taking
Reading comprehension questions
Responding to Literature
Atlas work
Research
Project work
Video viewing
CORE Reading 15 minutes of free reading per night
CORE Writing 30 minutes of free writing per week
Projects:
Connect across the curricula
Some involve outside materials and will be completed at home
Some will be completed entirely at school
Language Arts and Study Skills:
Reading/ Writing Humanities Workshop four periods per week
Friday: Targeted Reading Comprehension, DOLs (grammar), SQUIRT
Expectations for Reading Writing Workshop are in the writing binders or compos
Greek and Latin Roots, WOC words
Poetry Workshop one period per week
Mini-lessons: The "literature" of writing, conventions, the writing process
Genres of reading and writing
CORE Writing: Ongoing...30 minutes of free at home writing per week
Reading Comprehension Application: ongoing throughout novel studies and Literature Circles/Paired Reading
Storyworks magazine for targeted skills
Free Read books are mandatory for class, daily
LITERATURE:
FREE READ CHOICE BOOKS: SQUIRT, Book Tower Challenge
TEACHER GUIDED:
“Special”: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, The Raven,
The Gift of the Magi OR A Christmas Carol
Humanities Connection:
Dead Reckon; Zombie Based Learning (geography)
Gilgamesh for Teens (Mesopotamia)
The Golden Goblet/Mara (Ancient Egypt)
D’Auliere’s Book of Greek Mythology, The Adventures
of Ulysses, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (performative) (Ancient Greece)
POETRY:
Poet’s Notebook Project ongoing
Poetry Memorization
Attacking Poetry
STUDY SKILLS:
Learning to Learn: Who Am I as a Learner? The Multiple Intelligences
Homework, Organization and Time Management (these are key)
MLA Format: Heading and word processed work
Reading for Content: Cornell notes, outlining, Ancient Greece research paper
Memorization skills and mnemonics
Oral presentations
Ancient History:
GRAPES: the cultures of the ancient worlds
Geography, Religion, Achievements, Politics, Economics, Social Structure
Early Humans/Agricultural Revolution-Mesopotamia
Ancient Egypt and Kush *deep dive
POSSIBLY: Ancient Hebrews, Ancient China, Ancient India *independent choice study
Ancient Greece *deep dive
MAP SKILLS:
Tracking the Zombie Apocalypse
Mystery Cemetery (critical thinking)
Atlas of World History (weekly)
FIELD TRIPS and CELEBRATIONS of LEARNING:
Theatricum Botanicum
6th Grade cross-curricula Greek Festival: project displays, musical performances, Greek lunch, and Olympics
Social Justice / Social Thinking:
Throwing Shadows and Altogether One at a Time and Junior Scholastic magazine for current events
Social Justice with Mrs. Goelman each week
SEL with Mr. Williams
GRADING and ASSESSMENTS
Assessments: 35%
Workshop: 25%
Classwork: 20%
Homework: 20%
A 93-100 A- 90-93
B+ 87-89 B 84-86 B- 81-83
C+ 77-79 C 74-76 C- 71-73
D+ 67-69 D 64-66 D- 61-63
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