Gladly Would I Teach

Mention the word "research" to most teachers, and we all think of research papers. We know we need to require our students to complete more research activities, but there is a limit to how many research papers we can actually grade. (Can you tell I spent the majority of my weekend grading research papers?)

I designed an extensive group research project several years ago that is one of my favorite assignments for students. Working in groups of 3 or 4, students must research both sides of a controversial issue and then create a portfolio of the research that they find and deliver a 20-minute presentation to the class. The purpose of the assignment is for students to complete extensive research, to annotate at least 20 sources, and to deliver an interesting and informative presentation over the information they learned.

Although I designed the assignment for accelerated high school seniors, the project could be altered and used with younger students or maybe even used as is so long as the teacher prepares students for each facet of the project.

The portfolio contains

• Printed copy of the PowerPoint for the presentation
• Printed copy of a brochure that students create for distribution
• Copy and analysis of a survey that students must administer online
• Copy of all sources students find
• Annotated bibliography of at least 20 sources
• One case study
• One editorial cartoon about the topic
• One photograph related to the topic
• A work log for members of the group
• Self-evaluation of each group member
• For AP courses students are also required to create an AP synthesis question on their topic.

While this group project requires hours and hours of work from students, most students enjoy working on the project because they are allowed to select their own topics and read and discuss the research with their peers. In essence, they do their best to become experts on their topic so they can teach the class. The assignment is valuable because it requires students to read critically, research, prepare an oral presentation, annotate sources, integrate technology, create visual aids (PowerPoint and brochure), work together as a group, and field questions from members of the class.

If you are interested in assigning a similar assignment, my course website includes the handouts and rubrics I use:

Panel Presentation Group Assignment

A few weeks ago, I posted information about an exciting class discussion procedure called World Cafe. I used the approach yesterday for the first time, and the group discussions proceeded much better than other forms of discussions that I have used in the past. If you are looking for a new or perhaps more productive way to place kids in groups and have them discuss a work of literature or a topic, take a look at World Cafe.

My Original Post on World Cafe

Yesterday I used a modified World Cafe approach when I had my students discuss the essay “Best In Class” by Margaret Talbot. Since the essay analyzes the problems many schools now face when designating a class valedictorian, I knew the essay would spark a wonderful discussion for seniors. Since I have more than 25 students in each of my classes, it is difficult for all students to participate productively. I knew that students would discuss more if I allowed them to work in small groups, but, as we all know, sometimes those groups are not nearly as productive as we would like, and students don’t have the opportunity to discuss their ideas with students outside their small groups.

I knew this was the perfect opportunity to use the World Cafe approach. I modified the procedure slightly to fit my class situation. I created 5 groups simply by having students count off by 5s. I then gave each group a different question to discuss in their groups. I reduced the time that students had to work in each group to only 10 minutes so all students (except the table leaders who stayed in the same group for the entire discussion) had the opportunity to go to each group and discuss the designated question.

At the end of the period, we all came together as a class, and I asked table leaders to summarize the main points that came up in their groups as well as interesting ideas that students interjected.

Throughout the period, most students were on task and interested in the assignment, and they seemed to like moving from group to group. By the 4th or 5th round, some of the students felt they were repeating themselves in discussions because there was so much overlap in the questions. Next time I will probably need to write better questions that don’t overlap as much or shorten the last couple of rounds.

Most importantly, the process worked so well that I will definitely use it again and keep refining for my students. Whereas I did not include table cloths or paper for students to doodle and write out some of their ideas with this assignment, I definitely want to include that in the future.

If you teach high school and want to give this approach a try, here’s a link to the essay my students read for homework as well as the handout that I distributed to my groups (one handout per group).

Best in Class by Margaret Talbot

Best in Class Group Assignment

I used to hate those days when I had to teach students how to write research papers. I would go over the entire process with students, distribute our research guides that illustrated how to document sources, and then take my classes to the library (yep, we used to call them libraries). Then for the next three days, students wielding heavy reference books would chase me around the library asking, "How do I cite . . . " 

It was maddening, and judging from the moans in the English Department workroom, other teachers shared my frustration.

Then, I met NoodleTools, a true gift from God.

NoodleTools is an online subscription service that allows students to set up source lists according to MLA, APA, or University of Chicago styles. Students begin by selecting the correct format and then start a source list. The program then asks students a series of questions about each source. Assuming that students answer the questions correctly, NoodleTools will create the citation for students and add it to the list of sources. Subsequent sources are then formatted and added to the list in alphabetical order. After students have added all of their sources, NoodleTools produces a perfectly formatted list for students to print or download into their research papers.

In the old days, students came to me and I had to help them create their citations by asking them a questions and helping them navigate through the research guide. Now, I just have to show kids how to use NoodleTools and then NoodleTools asks those same questions and walks students through the process.

In addition to creating citations, NoodleTools will show students how to create parenthetical documentation, provide a space for students to write annotations, and allow students to take notes on online notecards.

The subscription for schools is around $350 annually (if I remember correctly), and schools and students can create unlimited source lists. Students who work in groups can actually create an account together and work on a list collectively.

For those of you who are thinking that this program won't work for your students because students will still bombard you with hundreds of citation questions, NoodleTools provides another aid. Beside each citation on a list, there is a special gift called:

"Have a Question?" 

When students click on it, the program opens an "Ask an Expert" screen where students can then submit their questions through email and someone at NoodleTools, some kind soul with much more patience than I have in the midst of writing research papers, will respond to students within 24 hours!

Subscriptions are also available for individual teachers ($60 annually) and for individual students ($8 annually). Free trials are also available for teachers.

If you teach in a school where you have no money for such a service, NoodleTools also offers a free service to help students create citations. Students will then have to copy and paste the entries into a word processing document.

If you require students to write research papers, you owe it to yourself to investigate NoodleTools.

Now, if I can just figure out how to install a "Have a Question" button in my classroom!

On a recent online discussion forum for my AP English classes, students described teacher traits that frustrated them. Listed in order of most frustrating to frustrating, here are the top characteristics or teacher traits that trouble my high school seniors.

• Negative views of teaching or their jobs
  Students repeatedly expressed the idea that teachers who hate their jobs should find other jobs. (Please see Sunday’s post for more about this student frustration: Teachers Who Hate Teaching

• Busy Work and Lack of Variety in Class Activities
  Students are disturbed by assignments that do not build their skills or knowledge. I wonder if the work they abhor is truly “busy work” or if teachers just need to do a better job of explaining the purpose of assignments to students.

• Arrogance
  Students are exasperated by teachers who belittle, disparage or demean them. Instead of supporting them, students feel that some teachers treat them with condescension.

• Lack of knowledge
  Teachers who teach straight from textbooks frustrate students because they often are unable to answer student questions in greater detail than what is provided in the textbook, nor do they apply lessons to the real world or to examples outside the textbook.

• No Interest in students
  According to students, some teachers make little effort to get to know their students, know little about what students do outside of class, and, unbelievably, some teachers make little effort to even learn the names of their students.

• Reluctance to answer student questions
  In some classes students are rebuked for asking questions. According to students, some teachers belittle students and state they should already know the answer to a question or the teacher cannot answer questions with clarity. This appears to be a by-product of two other frustrations: teacher arrogance and/or teachers’ lack of knowledge.
• Apathy
  Students reported that some teachers do not care about their students, their classes, or the activities within a class. Students very quickly determined that if the teacher didn’t care about the class, they shouldn’t care either.

Also mentioned: frustration over lack of good work ethic in some teachers (slow in grading or teachers make few marks on papers so students don’t know what to do to improve) and frustration with teachers who show favoritism

Even though students had no trouble explaining teacher traits that frustrated them, almost all students prefaced their statements by expressing their respect for teachers and underscoring that most of their teachers have been well-prepared, caring, knowledgeable, and often inspirational.

Please see yesterday’s post for Teacher Traits Students Appreciate

On a recent online discussion forum for my AP English classes, I asked students to describe teacher traits or characteristics that they believe are most important for teachers. Here are the top 6 characteristics they provided, listed in order of importance.

• Compassion / Interest in Students
  Most of us would probably think that older (12th grade) students would not be as concerned with whether or not their teachers really understand them or are interested in them. Students participating in this activity, however, cited that the teacher's interest in students both inside and outside of the classroom was the most important trait that teachers could display. According to these students, good teachers know students well, care about them personally, want all students to learn the material, and encourage students to excel.

• Passion for subject
  Good teachers thoroughly enjoy their subject and display enthusiasm that captures the attention of students. If the teacher is excited, students are much more likely to find the subject interesting.

• Thorough Knowledge of subject
  Knowledgeable teachers apply the subject to many different areas and explain why it's important for students to learn the subject.  They go beyond the lesson in the textbook in order to maintain student interest. Because they love and understand the subject, they welcome student questions and are better able to simplify concepts that students find difficult.

• Inspiration and Encouragement
  Good teachers are personable, happy, cheerful, and optimistic. Students enjoy being in their classrooms and want to learn. Several students mentioned that good teachers push them to learn more than the student ever thought he could accomplish simply because good teachers believe in students and serve as cheerleaders.

• Excellent Work Ethic
  Good students are open to learning new techniques, are available when students need extra help, grade work thoroughly, return graded work promptly, and ensure that students learn the material.

• Humor
  Good teachers like to laugh and maintain cheerful classrooms where students feel comfortable and have fun.

Interestingly, students rarely mentioned anything pertaining to how much work teachers assigned in class or for homework, nor did they mention grades.

Tomorrow I'll list the teacher traits that students find frustrating.

Never before have students been so immersed in nonfiction works. From online newspapers and magazines, to Wikipedia, to even social networking sites, students have greater exposure to nonfiction than fiction. While most schools do a good job of teaching students how to read and analyze fiction, poetry, and drama, most students need much more direction in reading and analyzing nonfiction.

Most English teachers, however, think nonfiction reading is a skill that Social Studies and Science teachers should teach, and most teachers outside of English Departments fail to realize that reading nonfiction is quite different from the reading that most students complete in English courses. Reading and analyzing nonfiction is such an important skill that it should be taught and reinforced in all courses.

One of the best methods for including more analysis of nonfiction is to give students an article  and have them write a one-paragraph annotation for the article. While the difficulty level and length of the article will differ based on the grade level and course, writing an annotation is an assignment that almost all middle school and high school students can and should complete.

Steps for Writing an Annotation

• Give students a copy of an article or essay to read. For their first attempt at an annotation, make sure you provide an article that is short, easy to understand, and of sufficiently high interest. The article may appear in your textbook or it may be a duplicated article from a newspaper or magazine. For English classes, the article most often will be a persuasive essay or an essay that presents an argument. For other areas, the article may be primarily informative.

• Ask students to read the article carefully and to highlight or underline (if not in a textbook) the major points the author makes.

• Teach students to write the proper citation for the article based on the format you require for your class (MLA, APA, University of Chicago, etc.). This should be written at the top of the page. If you do not normally require students to write formal citations in your class or if you have younger students, you can require students to write only the title, copyright, and the author of the article.

• Next, have students write a one-paragraph summary of the main points the author makes in the article. Limit students to approximately one-half of a page, depending on penmanship.This is a difficult step for many students, even our best students, because they want to list each piece of information they find instead of summarizing the main points succinctly.

• At the end of the summary, tell students to write 2-3 sentences that state the usefulness of the article and note possible bias that the student might have located. For example, students might write that the article gives a good explanation of a new procedure, or it presents the author's beliefs about a complicated issue, or the article is not sufficiently informative because the author tells only one side of an issue, or the article is not a good source because it includes out-of-date information. The final sentences where students evaluate an article will be the most difficult sentences for most students to write initially.

• After writing annotations, allow several students to share their work by reading their paragraphs to the class. Many students who struggle with this assignment initially may learn best by seeing or hearing sample annotations.

• Finally, students will benefit from discussing the article in class.

Reading and annotating articles improves reading and writing skills while also improving students' ability to work with complex subject matter. With repeated practice in reading and writing annotations, students will become much faster and more proficient in reading nonfiction texts of all types.

If you want an article to try an annotation with your students, try one of these:

Growing Up Scripted

If Anne Frank Only Knew

Pat Conroy's Letter Against Censorship

To All the Girls I've Rejected 

I always enjoy giving students treats or small gifts at opportune times during the semester. Sometimes I just distribute candy when we need a little excitement or fun Sometimes I bring in a cake and congratulate my seniors at the beginning of the school year. As the year progresses, I love to give individual students books that I have inscribed for a specific occasion because I think it's fun to surprise kids with small gifts to commemorate their accomplishments.

I suspect most teachers would like to reward students like this, but who has the money?

I absolutely love TEACHERS pay TEACHERS because I am able to earn money that I can turn around and use for classroom items, curriculum materials, and gifts and treats for my students. If you are not using TpT, you are really missing a great opportunity.

Paul Edelman, a former New York City teacher, established TpT in 2006 as an open marketplace for teachers to sell their original assignments to other teachers. I first heard of TpT in July of 2006 and started uploading assignments that I had created through the years. In the beginning, I wasn't so interested in making money. Instead, since I was nearing retirement, I loved the idea that I could pass along my assignments to other teachers for a nominal fee, and I didn't have to do anything extra to send the files to individual teachers. In the first few months, I earned little money, but my earnings have grown steadily since then. Today, I have roughly 60 assignments on TpT that sell from $2 to $9, and I earn between $200-$400 each month, a nice stash of money that I can use to buy items for my students and for my classroom.

In addition to providing a great place for teachers to sell materials, TpT is also a wonderful and inexpensive place for teachers to purchase materials from other teachers. It can be a tremendous time saver, particularly for teachers who may be teaching a unit for the first time. For example, if you need a test, search for one on TpT and you may be surprised that you can find exactly what you want for under $5 and then download it immediately. What I would have given for such a service 30 years ago when my only option to obtain materials was to pay $25 or more for published materials when I may have only used one or two assignments from the book.

If you are looking for a place where you can buy and sell teaching materials, take a look at TEACHERS pay TEACHERS. Whether you use the site to help you acquire new teaching materials, sell items to make money for your students, or sell materials to make a little extra cash for yourself, I don't think you will be disappointed.

In the past few months, I have painted my classroom, purchased new rugs and bean bag chairs for students, and bought and distributed books for individual students, all paid for through my earnings from TpT.

Don't miss this opportunity!

Because I am always looking for new ways to conduct class discussions, I was excited when I recently learned of World Cafe', a discussion technique for holding productive discussions among large groups of people.

The technique entails splitting a large group into  smaller groups of 4-5 people who sit at a table together. Each table is given one question to discuss for roughly 20 minutes and members are encouraged to take notes and doodle on paper tablecloths.

At the end of the first round, one person designated as the "host" remains at the table for another round. The other table members move to other tables for the second round of discussion over a similar question. The second round begins with the "host" at each table discussing the findings of the first round and asking new table members to add to the findings.

Most discussions should have at least 3 rounds, and time must be reserved for a concluding discussion for the entire class. 

Although World Cafe' was designed originally for discussions of social problems, I think the procedure can be modified for classroom discussions of literature. In the next week, I plan to look at the discussion questions I already have for upcoming reading selections and select the questions that I think will work best in a World Cafe' discussion that I can implement the following week.

Please see the following websites for more information

Welcome to the World Cafe'

Cafe' to Go Quick Reference

How do teachers with decades of experience remain productive and vibrant in the classroom? Find a new and exciting approach to something they have always taught!

Creating a classroom atmosphere where students feel accepted is important in most subject areas, but  it is absolutely essential in English classrooms. If students are afraid that the teacher’s red ink pen will zap every error they make, they will  continue to write the same boring essays repeatedly, refusing to ever take any risks in their writing. If they are afraid that their peers will belittle them or laugh at them, teenagers,  whose lives so often are ruled by the views of their peers, will refuse to share their writing with their classmates or participate in classroom discussions of challenging literature. Teachers who want to create and maintain a cheerful classroom where students work productively, laugh frequently, and support each other automatically must establish that environment from the opening day of the school year or semester.

We all know the routine of the first day of class where we go around the room and ask students to introduce themselves so we can learn names. This activity has been part of my opening day activities for decades. Some shy students squirm a little, but most students enjoy the activity as they start to learn the names of their new classmates.

A couple of years ago, I stumbled upon a new activity that was so successful it has become a staple of my introduction to my class. I only wish I had discovered it years ago. The activity is quite simple.

1. I begin by emphasizing the importance of getting to know each person in the class.
2. I then give students one week to write a letter to their classmates where they tell a little about themselves and things they want people to know. I distribute a handout that outlines ideas of what they can include in the paper. I insist that the letter can be only one typed page, and it must include a photo. I also give students a copy of the letter about myself that I write to students.

Letter to Classmates for blog

I am often amazed at how seriously students take this assignment and how much time they spend writing good letters. Some letters are particularly poignant as they tell about a significant event in their lives while others are funny and illustrate students’ enthusiasm. Students who are shy often tell their classmates that they aren’t unfriendly; they just don’t like to speak in front of groups. Students who have recently experienced the deaths of family members will usually include that information because they think it is important for their classmates to know. Students who have health problems that may require them to miss school often convey that information.

Student letters allow me to get to know students better, but, just as importantly, the letters allow students to get to know each other and start bonding as a class.

Sample Letters

A couple of days ago I explained why I think timed writings
are so important for students, and I promised to explain later how I grade
timed writings quickly. I certainly do not believe that my way of grading is
the fastest or the best method, but it’s the way I have found most productive
for me. I attended a conference a couple of years ago where the speaker
insisted that he had not written anything on a student paper for years; he only
assigns a grade. That approach apparently works for him, but it wouldn’t work
for my students or for me. I know an outstanding teacher who spends hours over
the course of several days grading a stack of papers because she marks every
error the students make. It works for her, but that approach would not work for
me. We all have our own methods for grading, and over time we take a few ideas
from others and blend them with our own ideas to create our own effective
grading procedure.

My main objectives when I grade timed writings are to grade
the papers quickly so I can return them the following day, to provide enough
information so students can improve in their writing, and, sometimes above all
else, to maintain my sanity. The approach I’m outlining is only my grading
procedure for timed writings. I teach on a block schedule (90 minutes daily,
one semester only) and have 3 classes of AP English Language students (total of
84 students). As I mentioned in a previous post, I require students to complete
a timed writing every Monday. The information below is specific to timed
writings required for AP English. Next week I’ll post ideas for grading timed
writings for courses other than AP.

Here's how I grade.

1. I teach students how I will grade
   timed writings.
   I spend a full hour after the first timed writing early in the semester explaining
   how readers grade essays on the AP test in May and how the AP 1-9 rubric
   works. I then explain how I will use the rubric and benchmark papers in
   class and how I will mark their papers (information below). This step is
   crucial. If I teach this part successfully, I will have few grading
   problems or grading disputes all semester. I also emphasize that I can
   only spend approximately 2 minutes per paper; therefore, students won't
   get many comments.

2. After students finish timed writings,
   I require them to grade themselves and reflect on their papers immediately.
   At the end of timed writings, I have students turn their papers over and
   give themselves a score of 1-9 on the back of the essay. This is hard for
   them the first half of the semester, but they get much better with practice.
   I also have them write me a note to tell me how they think they did on the
   assignment and specifically what they want me to comment on or what
   questions they want me to answer when I grade their papers.

3. I grade the papers.

   1) I put a check mark in the
   margins next to cogent points that students advance, good use of examples,
   superior vocabulary, excellent use of rhetorical devices and strategies,
   etc. Good papers have lots of check marks.

   2) I circle or underline distracting grammatical or mechanical errors. I
   don't correct anything, nor do I mark all errors since the papers are rough
   drafts. I always mark comma splices, run-ons, and fragments because I
   consider these errors so egregious that I fear overlooking them may lead
   to revocation of my teaching certificate.

   3) I write very short comments in margins:  “off topic,” “love this,”
   “you lost me,” or I put a question mark in the margin.

   4) I put a score of 1-9 (according to the rubric) at the top of the page
   and write very brief suggestions which I actually abbreviate as the
   semester goes on:  “Need More Analysis,” “Need Examples,” “Work on
   Vocabulary,” “Read prompt carefully,” etc. I would love to write “BS” for
   “Be Specific,” but I rarely have the nerve.

   5) After assigning a grade, I flip
   the paper over and make a brief comment or answer the questions that students
   pose on the back of the paper. As the semester continues, students become
   remarkably adept at assigning their own grades. Halfway through the semester,
   most students will score themselves within one point of the score I assign. If
   there is a large variance in our scores, I know I need to offer a couple of
   sentences to explain why the score isn’t higher or lower. Often students will
   simply write questions such as: “I worked harder on my introduction. Did it
   work?” “I used only two examples. Is that enough or should I have gone into more
   detail, or do I need to include more examples.” “I was lost on this assignment.
   I just started writing something because time was running out.” If students
   feel comfortable in the class and comfortable with me as a grader, they will be
   painfully honest in their self-assessment. In fact, when I respond to student
   comments on the back of the timed writings, I often feel my role changes. When
   I grade the paper, I’m the English teacher assessing their performance. On the
   back of the paper, however, I’m the cheerleader encouraging them to keep
   writing and improving.

   6) As I grade papers, I compile a
   list of problems that many students have in common and/or points I want to emphasize. I also compile a
   list of what students did well. I will use these lists when I discuss the timed
   writings the following day.

   7) I put a star in the top left-hand
   corner of exemplary papers that I would like students to read aloud.

4. I review papers in class the following
   day.
   We look at the prompt together before we discuss the papers. I then review
   the College Board scoring reports with students so they will understand
   what the readers were looking for. We read aloud one or two papers. At the
   beginning of the semester, I usually read one or two exemplary sample
   papers provided by College Board, but by the middle of the semester, I
   allow students in the class who received stars on their papers to read
   their own papers to the class. Afterward, students discuss what they could
   do next time to make their papers better. I also use this time to review
   two to three common problems that I saw in the papers.

Organization

Since I have three 90-minute AP classes, I review the
College Board grading criteria and sample papers during first period while my
students are writing. I then grade first period papers during second period and
grade second period papers during 3rd period. I usually have 26-30 students in
each class and can grade a class set of papers in about one hour. By grading during
class, I usually only have to work an additional 1-2 hours after school or
before school the following day, but that is just on Mondays when I assign
timed writings.

One of the greatest benefits of grading timed writings
quickly and returning them the following day is that I have the grading down to
a routine and can grade the papers quickly without fraying my nerves, carrying
around a stack of un-graded papers for days, or getting bored with the
assignment or the papers. My grading method may not be the fastest or the best
method, but it’s the best approach I have been able to devise after decades of
teaching and thousands upon thousands of essays to grade.