A wise principal once told her faculty, "Be sure you know now the big things you want them to really know at the end of the year." Now, of course there are much more sophisticated words for this, (essential questions, key concepts, etc.,) but when I start to feel overwhelmed looking at the list of standards, or considering the additions to the crowded list of authors and works, I think about that principal and the beautiful school she created using the simple concepts of trust, respect, and excellence, and I trim the list of what I'd like to impart. So here's my rough draft.
I want my students to:
- appreciate literature in a personal way, to engage and connect with texts in a way that honors their own interpretation.
- feel comfortable with the conventions of academic discourse, from questions of style to basic rules of the MLA, APA, etc. but also be able to write for a variety of readers.
- to write with fluency and eagerness, to feel the pressure of having something to say and a desire to say it in writing both clearly and beautifully.
- to develop and enjoy our innate love of language--I'd put this one first, because it's why I do what I do, but I'd rather it be my strong finish.
All the blah, blah, blah I have on my "Course Information" sheet like preparing them for the IB program and beyond, and increasing their competency in reading, writing, speaking and listening are true, but written for a parental audience. I might share this list in class and on Blackboard, but it's mostly for me.
2 comments:
Those are so perfect. They are all things I've been lucky enough to learn over the years and I'd love for students to ahve the same tools.
have
An ability to proofread might need to go on my list as well. (haha)
Post a Comment