Welcome to Miss. Z's 7th Grade English!
We are going to have a blast this year. I will be developing several skills with your child throughout the school year that are essential now and in years to come. Not only reading skills but general cognitive skills, also! Your child will not only expand their vocabulary and literacy but they will also grow as learners.
Throughlines- Throughlines are the goals that we will be meeting throughout this year in addition to our core concepts- cognitive skills, self motivation skills, metacognitive skills, and responsibility. These goals will be developed through the normal curriculum through activities built into the lessons. Below are the 4 goals we will be meeting and how we will be meeting them.
Cognitive Skills:
Metacognitive skills are helpful to all and allow us to gague how much we know on a subject including our strengths and weaknesses. Metacognitive skills are basically self assesement skills. Studies have shown that people with metacognitive skills tend to do better in classes.
Metacognitive strategies in our classrooom
- Reading comprehension worksheets
- Making Posters
- Text annotations
- Short answer exit keys
- Reading Predictions
- Concept Maps
- Read theory bellwork (website in "tool box")
Self Motivation:
Self motivation skills are important in keeping us on track and keeping us from quitting in developing new skills and constantly learning. Developing self-motivation is an important academic and general life skill to have.
Self Motivation Strategies in our classroom
- Set monthly as-a-class goals with strategies for achieving them (will be presented on a poster for the entire month) and reflect on them at the end of the semester
- What I know, what I want to know, what I learned worksheets
- Personal short term and long term goals created at the beginning of the semester and reflected on throughout the semester- will involve personally created strategies to achieve the goals
Engaged Thinking
Engaged thinking skills (Creative thinking, critical thinking, transfer, problem solving) help us to fully engage in what we are learning for a better and deeper understanding of the material and all of it's applications. Engaged thinking skills can also help us to become more interested in the subject because we can relate it to problems that are more relevent or interest us.
Engaged thinking strategies in our classroom
- Comparing and contrasting topics
- STEM and history readings to promote interest in both English and other class subjects
- Read historical texts and brainstorm solutions to promote creative thinking and problem solving skills
- The "probem solving box"- students submit problems they may be having into our problem solving box and the class brainstorms ideas on how to solve them together; this will be an occational class activity to develop community amoungst peers, promote problem solving, and develop empathy
- Personal creative writing- write about a personal issue that is being faced in story form and solve it throughout; will incorporate graphic organizers to organize information and brainstorm solutions; monthly assignment
Resposibility
Responsibility is important in keeping us from falling behind and missing deadlines. Promoting personal responsibility helps us keep good grades in addition to making us reliable and successful learners.
Responsibility strategies in our classroom
- Responsible for following class and school rules as outlined in the syllabus
- Responsible for keeping track of assignments and due dates- planners are provided by the school to help with this
- Responsible for individual learing- getting clarification when needed, coming in before or after school for extra help, and keeping on task during classroom activities