Standards

I haven't blogged much lately.  I've been researching too much.  I'll have a different job next year.  I'll be teaching English again this fall at the same school where I am now.

I have taken the standards and compared them to the material left for me.  My colleague had excellent taste in books.  We will read many amazing books such as Out of the Dust, A Day No Pigs would Die, The Great Gatsby, and The Scarlett Letter. The literature books are amazing and fit in with the concepts we need to cover throughout the year.  I'm looking forward to Anne Frank again.  I've missed her.  I've missed "The Highwayman".  I've missed reading students' poetry.

Since teaching Spanish, some of the English standards have changed.  I found it interesting that they've added requirements to both fiction and informational texts regarding Minnesota American Indians.  It hasn't been that easy in finding material to use. Of course, my colleague has been an excellent resource, and we dug up some interesting material on "The Dakota war of 1862".  I've spent my free time at work googling short stories and frankly, there isn't much out there.  The scarcity of material makes me glad that the standards require the search.  The scarcity proves to us that we need to dig more, share what we find, and encourage students to think about our history and question our present. I

And so begins my search and my constant planning for the fall.  I'm convinced I'll find something perfect... I'm betting Will Weaver has something I could use.