Go With the Flow

 To be a teacher means that you have to go with the flow. You can have the most amazing plans ready, but inevitably something comes along and makes you change course. 

While doing all my work getting Restart ready for our novel study I started charting out the rest of my semester. Even doing a full chapter a day, we wouldn't have finished the book before Christmas break and I am not one to leave students hanging on a book over 2 weeks of vacation. All those plans will be put to use at some point, just not right now.

So here we are. 

We are now going to read Hatchet by Gary Paulsen. We have already read the first chapter and the students are hooked. The good part about this book is that there are other books in the Brian series so my few students who have read the book before and are choosing not to read it are going to read Brian's Winter. 

While planning out this novel study I practiced with a group giving students assignments on what they were to focus on while we read. It didn't turn out as planned so I tried a little differently during the next class. I still wasn't satisfied. My next class was the class that finally got what I needed. Now the students are going to focus on vocabulary and characterization for the book while we discuss the plot, literary devices, and signposts together as a class. 

I think this will work better for my students now. They will be working on finding new words, difficult words, interesting words, confusing words, etc. I want them building their vocabulary so I'm not giving them specific words to look for. I want them to have ownership of their learning. 

I will be keeping notes over all the other parts of the book so that they can have access to it. They will help me build the notes, but I will be the one compiling them. They will be responsible for their own vocabulary and characterization notes. 

I'm also going to be telling them about their One Pager assignment that will be completed after we finish the book. This way they know what to be on the lookout for while we read. I love One Pagers. I love how it allows students to be creative and as artistic as they want to be. 

When was a time you had to go with the flow during your teaching?