(I, too, struggle with all the old messages attached to the digest, but I'm trying to remember to delete everything but my new post when I reply. I think it helps some.)
I teach in an unusual situation, in that I'm part of a "school within a school," my part being a magnet for identified gifted within a math/reading magnet school. So, my kids are expected to do more and "more rigorous" while also doing what the district mandates. The other language arts classes use an anthology written "especially for Virginia SOLs" (our state assessment), which is way too easy, even for the average kid. SO, I have the anthologies on a shelf in my room and pretty much do what I want to do. It hasn't been a problem so long as the test scores on quarterly benchmarks and yearly Standards of Learning tests are where they're expected to be. I plan genre studies within my workshop to roughly coincide with the district's pacing guides and benchmarks genres, but I've found that the kids do well on most anything as long as I keep the workshop expectations high. My difficulty- among so many!- is the issue of time. I have five classes of kids, about 125 students, for ninety minutes every other day. So, this year I'm going to try to have the kids read every class meeting just like we write, just for less time- the last 20 min. of the block. I've been reading Katy Wood Ray's book- The Writing Workshop...._ and I have found a lot of ideas that have helped me revision my teaching for next year. Diane Buchanan Hampton, VA > _______________________________________________ > The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org > > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org. > Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive. > > > End of lit Digest, Vol 33, Issue 13 > *********************************** > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This email message, including any attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain information that is legally privileged, confidential and/or exempt from disclosure under applicable law. If you are not an intended recipient, you may not review, use, copy, disclose or distribute this message or any of the information contained in this message to anyone. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of this message and any attachments. Hampton City Schools may monitor e-mail messages to and from the Hampton City Schools network. Unintended transmission shall not constitute waiver of any privilege or confidentiality protected under federal statutes, the Virginia Freedom of Information Act or any applicable laws. _______________________________________________ The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org. Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive
