Transcendental Connection

Yesterday, Schmitt's Scholars analyzed how different Transcendentalists (Emerson, Thoreau, McCandless) viewed life--and how those ideas were exemplified in their writing.  Students connected the writers' ideas to address these Learning Targets:

1. Understand Transcendentalists’ main ideas.
2. Analyze how structure has an impact.

We are doing well with the Transcendentalists' main ideas, but taking these ideas to the next level--analyzing Style and Structure--has been a challenging task.  Keep pushing, Schmitt's Scholars!

Check out your students--hard at work:

     

           

    

Transcendentalism & Challenging Texts

Off we go--to the Transcendental Era!  Today we discussed what to do when we encounter a challenging text.  Our classes came up with the following strategies:

1.  Reread
2.  Use context
3.  Look up words we don't know
4.  Read short segments at a time
5. Discuss the reading with others
6.  Annotate!

*note this list does not include Sparknotes....


We discussed the tenets of Transcendentalism.  This discussion included:

1.  Non-conformity
2.  Self-reliance
3.  Free thought
4.  Confidence
5.  Importance of Nature


Food for thought:  which of these 5 ideas do you think Transcendentalists valued the most?

Which of these 5 ideas do you think your classmates valued the most?

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The Transcendentalists' feelings are open to discussion...but based on your responses in class, teenagers valued CONFIDENCE the most.  Does this surprise you?  I'm guessing no.

Do they look confident to you?

Conversation Starters

Do you ask your student "how was school today?' and usually get the response "fine"?  Sometimes it takes a little more finesse to get your student talking.  I find that asking specific questions typically helps.  This is a strategy I learned from my son's 1st grade teacher.  Fun fact: that teacher is his 3rd grade teacher this year.  You can check out her awesome blog at: mrsharadon.blogspot.com. One day during his first grade year, she and her teaching partner posted questions we could ask our student when he/she got home that day.  Having those questions really opened him up and got him talking (and let's admit--at least remembering)  about more parts of his day.  I was inspired to come up with conversation starters for my students' parents.

So, here we go: questions to ask your student today...

JUNIOR HONORS

1.  What questions do you still have about blended learning?
2.  What did you learn about your teacher or another classmate today?


STUDIES IN LITERATURE AND FILM

1.  What did you learn about the film industry? or about Oscar history?
2.  What do you think about Mrs. Schmitt's challenge she posed? (about Honors/College Prep)


I hope you have a great afternoon and enjoy some fruitful discussions with your students!

Back to School 2016-2017!

Welcome Back, Broncos!

I am so excited to start our year together on Monday!  I am really looking forward to seeing former students--and meeting all of the new ones!

Juniors, we are about to embark on a fun Blended Learning adventure!  I hope you are excited!  I am!

Seniors, I can't wait to hear about what films you watched this summer and to watch you grow as writers. 

And, of course, I am looking forward to all of the things we do outside of the classroom too!   #bronconation