Final C4T Continuous

Post 1

Jabiz has not been posting lately - but I ran across this gem. It was short and to the point. A lesson that I think we all need to learn. It was a language lesson. This is what happened - Jabiz overheard one of his students say, ”Stop being such a homo. That is so lame and gay.” I think Jabiz handled it very well. He immediately went and talked to the student. He explained why he didn't like those types of words to be used in a  derogatory fashion. I thought he did a very nice job of explaining how these words can hurt and cause pain to people that hear them. I really appreciated the way that he handled the situation. It was cool! 

Post 2

"You can either think of yourself as thirteen year olds writing for a teacher in English class, or you can think of yourselves as writers who demand to tell a story. There is a difference." Jabiz 

So - in this post Jabiz's class is working on a research project. He is really thrilled with his students being super engaged! He says,  "The formula for engagement is simple - students need high expectations and challenges, but they also need every ounce of energy we have to maintain enthusiasm and love for what we teach." Students need to see the value in what we have to teach them. They need to know they have a choice and that they can take ownership of what they do. As teachers we also have to support their choices with constant feedback. 

Post #3

This week I read a post from Jabiz that hit a little close to home. It really made me wonder how we - as English teachers - choose "appropriate" reading material for our students.  Jabiz was approached by a student that wanted to know if he had every read a book titled, The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Apparently this a popular book that some people have thought to be inappropriate for young adults. Jabiz laments over how we do not want students reading books about sex, drugs or other inappropriate content. In essence - though - a lot of "classic" novels are full of the same ideas. Aren't students that are 12-13 years old interested in this exact topic? They enjoy reading these things. As teachers we are being foolish to believe that our students haven't engaged in any of these activities. We hope - but we are unsure. I really enjoyed this post. So much that I am going to read the book! Jabiz compares it to Catcher in the Rye!!