Alicia+C.

 I am puzzled by the intricacies that permeate the cultures of each of the buildings I work in.
=== I am puzzled by the parents who e-mail me on a daily basis, asking if their students have turned in their homework, when they haven’t been in class for two weeks. === === I am puzzled by the students who work so hard on their writing folders all year long, only to throw them out when my back is turned on the last day of school. === === I am puzzled by the hiring process. How can I make a personal connection with someone I’ve never met, and may never meet? How can I make myself stand out as an individual when I am thrown into a pile of copies? === === I am puzzled by each piece of the curriculum puzzle. Why should my students read certain texts at certain times? Why are some incredibly powerful books left out of the equation? And why does this change so dramatically from district to district? === === I am puzzled by the idea of making a classroom my own. I have spent five years working in other people’s classrooms. Now that I might have the opportunity to create my own classroom, how would I want it to look? What are some of the elements that I would like to incorporate? How can I work within the four walls of the room to create a safe and enjoyable place for students to interact? === === I am puzzled by the number of miles I have on my car. Leasing a car and being a floating teacher wasn’t the brightest of ideas. === ===I am puzzled by the various aspects of teaching that I never thought of and now will always think of. The puzzle may never be complete, but by working on it one piece at a time, I know I will be making the progress that I strive for. ===

thisibelieve.org

writing, editing, podcasting--the publication aspect of writing

audacity

How to get them to use technology with out copy/paste, using text slang, using symbols, etc. What are some strategies?

How to encourage students to reflect on their workbonus questions on final exam,

Wiki---a way to increase media literacy & media language? To help students in a safe place to create their own online voice

I believe that learning occurs when students feel comfortable expressing their opinions and sharing their work. They must also feel a sense of confidence in their abilities even when they make mistakes. In order for anyone to learn, they must find their voice. Their voice that allows them to speak up, explain their ideas, and feel safe doing so.

**Some Questions I Hope That You Will Ask Yoursel** **f:** -What am I reading this paper to establish? (Grade? Mastery? Next step in revision process?) -What purpose will my response serve? (To improve performance or explain grade?)
 * What do you do with writing that students hand in?
 * Ask yourself the following focus questions about your assignments:
 * How much time should I spend responding to these papers?
 * How do you currently collect data in the classroom?
 * What do you do with the data you collect?
 * What do you want your role to be around assessment of students' writing?
 * Why are you assigning grades to writing?
 * Contract grading
 * What will you do differently?

Write for the sake of writing? More about comments vs. grades Ability to re-write based on comments/grades The person that made you the most effective/ why was that person so effective/why did you choose that person/how did that person assess you/why were they investing time in you/how did they give you feedback/and for what purpose did they give you feedback

My mom is the person that made me the most effective in terms of my learning. I chose her because she was always honest with me. She assessed my skills honestly and without judgment, no matter what kind of skills she was assessing. She invested her time in me because I was her firstborn, but also because of the love and respect that she had for me. She had a desire to help me achieve my goals and she gave me feedback whenever she thought I needed it or when I specifically asked for it. She gave me feedback for everything from how I wanted to cut and style my hair or to the more serious topics of college and career choices. She always wanted a better life for me then the life she had herself, and she would do anything she could in order to make that happen. Her feedback was always so important to me because I knew that it came from her heart and because she was honest. Even when she was too honest, I always knew that she was taking my best interests into account. She helped shaped my career as an educator because I know how important it is to let your students know that you care when you are giving them feedback.

High standards, patience, honesty, energy, enthusiam.

Looked at work, evaluated, reviewed process, re-teaching/modeling

3 FCA's-focused correction areas ex. effective uses of the semi-colon

-being honest and clear about why they failed -taking risks -opportunities to re-do & re-take

how they are doing vs. what they are doing promoting feedback=promotes growth why is their feedback important/valuable--how is that experience valuable towards writing?