Category: assessment

The Writer’s Guide: One Page to Change the Game!

~ Christina Hughes ~ Leave a comment
  Middle school is a time when students solidify the foundation of skills they received in elementary school in order to be successful at the high school level and beyond.  Understanding how to formulate an organized essay, in my opinion, is one of the most critical skills for students to not just understand, but master upon leaving 8th grade.  
Especially with lower level students, many kids need organization and structure to help them write an essay.  The Writer’s Guide I use in class serves as the structure the students need.
Although I break down all of my essays into tangible notes with models and tons of examples for analysis, sometimes a checklist of expectations helps keep students focused while crafting.  My Writer’s Guide simply lists the components of a basic essay that is expected in my classroom.  Many students use this simply to cross of each piece once it’s completed to help them stay organized.  Some students even return the next year to ask for another copy!
Now the Writer’s Guide gives no notes.  It doesn’t give sentence starters.  It’s not an example.
It is a bookmark of cues for my students to use when writing.
We’ve used it for drafting, revising, peer editing, and even as a checklist for assessment!
It has been an instrumental part of my lower level writing classes!
If you haven’t used a Writer’s Guide or a checklist for writing, I highly recommend trying it! 
Has anyone ever used something like this?  Did you find success?
Note:  Interested in my Writer’s Guide?  Click the image to go to my TeachersPayTeachers store for a copy!

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4 Must-Try Websites for Your Middle School Classroom!

~ Christina Hughes ~ Leave a comment

Our school just went one-to-one this year, and though I’ve been using technology in the classroom for years, I’m finding this year it’s different.

Before, I’d sign out the laptops and have them for a week.  This was just enough time to complete a project for students.  Technology for project creation… that I was rocking.

But technology for everyday use in the classroom?  That’s another story. 

Thankfully, these four tools have played a crucial role in my classroom.  Instead of letting technology take over my classroom, I’ve been using it as a way to assess student learned daily!

Socrative:  Using a unique class code, students can join your virtual class.  They can take quizzes, play games like Space Race, and even use an Exit Ticket.  My go-to is the Quick Question.  As I’m lecturing, giving notes, or reviewing a model, I can pose a question verbally to the class, and click “Quick Question”.  The students’ screen will change, allowing them to type in a response using any device.  All student responses come up on the board, and I can select whether or not I want to display student names.  This is great for creating those teachable moments!  Assess right away and address right away!

Padlet:  Formerly known as Wallwisher, Padlet is a virtual corkboard.  As a teacher, you can create a “board” and send the link to your students.  Students simply double click and can create virtual post-it notes with text, hyperlinks, images, and even videos!  I’ve used this to help build background knowledge on a topic – it has been great!

Blendspace:  I’ve been using this for independent station work or reviews of certain topics.  Teachers can create their own “spaces” – a webpage with multiple tiles.  Tiles can be text, websites, videos, powerpoints, PDF files, questions for assessments… and more!  Teachers can easily find resources for the tiles within Blendspace and students can easily navigate through the teacher’s resources to complete the given task!

Formative:  Formative is a tool I just found recently and it’s completely revolutionized classwork.  Again, I have a classcode I give to the students.  When they log into my class, they can find my assignments and get to work.  I can upload PDFs or Word Documents and then annotate them with text, videos, and most importantly, questions.  As the students go through the document and answer questions, the teacher screen changes.  I can watch every student type their answer to each question in real time  – and message them to have a conversation about their work without changing screens!  Think of it like watching mini Google Docs on one screen. IT IS AMAZING!

Are there any Must-Try websites you use in your classroom?

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Introduction Paragraphs: Make em HOT!

~ Christina Hughes ~ Leave a comment

Many students, especially at the middle school level, find writing difficult.  Instead of pushing through, some shut down completely, spending an entire period, maybe more, staring at a blank page.  This is not because they don’t want to try – but simply because they don’t know how to begin.

Every writing teacher has heard the infamous words…

“I can’t start it.”  
“How should I start?”  
“What word should go first?”

Students need guidance and structure in their writing, and that’s what the HOT format provides, a clear, logical structure for composing introduction paragraphs.

First, you’ve gotta get the kids excited about writing!!!!!

They have to be engaged in what you’re presenting in order to be receptive to the format, which will hopefully result in more confidence in your writing.

Keep in mind:  I have the BEST in-class support teacher who goes along with whatever idea I pitch.  Here’s what we do.

As per the usual in my classroom, this has a theme song!  We, the co-teacher and I, meet in the back of the classroom and play the song from the video below.  We start clapping, singing, and chanting to take out their notebooks and get ready for some WRITING!

You’ve gotta sell it.  I mean really sell it!

We cha-cha our way to the front of the room, conga-line style, clapping the whole time and circling the kids desks to make sure they’re ready for notes.

Once we get to the front of the room, the kids may think we’re crazy, but guess what?

WE’VE GOT EM!  They’re hooked, engaged and ready to learn about writing an introduction paragraph!

We break it down:

HOOK
OVERVIEW
THESIS

We explain each, provide examples of each, give suggestions for each, and read TONS of models.

This is followed by collaborative class introduction writing.  Then, we move to small group introduction writing in a CHA CHA competition!  Depending on the class, we’ll move to either leveled partners, more small groups, or individual paragraph writing.

We practice the introduction until the students are comfortable with it!

And every mini lesson on the introduction paragraph begins with this song!

It certainly becomes something the students never forget – the lessons, the dancing, and the format!

Hope you enjoy the resource!

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