It's the beginning of semester two and I'm ready for a challenge! In my ENG 1P1 class I have 11 boys and 1 girl. All the boys have said that they don't enjoy reading but when I questioned them further they told me they subscribe to magazines, they read manuals and they often take a look at the local newspaper. I think my first step is to convince them that they actually are readers and to build on their self confidence.
I took a look at the Grade 9 anthology and instantly put it back on the shelf. I'm frustrated because the content is simply not relevant for my boys. The poetry is very "feminine" and is based around relationships, nature and emotions. Instead of using the poetry in the anthology I brought in current day song lyrics and then I asked my students to bring in some of their own to analyze. I was still able to cover poetic devices-I just used a form that they could connect to. The exercise was fun and I enjoyed sharing with my students the songs I love and I learned a lot about my students by looking at the songs they chose. Their choices were diverse and eclectic-just like them.
Next, I decided that since a number of students in my class are going to be writing the OSSLT next month it would be a good idea to look at analyzing and writing newspaper articles. I meant to make this a one week unit but it has grown because of the interest my students have shown. They really enjoy reading the paper and talking about it. I have taught them how to write a proper newspaper article and currently they are writing one based on a real life personal experience.
Next, we are going to combine poetry and newspapers by asking the students to create poetry by combining phrases they find in the newspaper. I will be posting this assignment and some of the results later on.
I've been with these students now for three weeks and so far I'm thrilled with the results. They are keen, enthusiastic and funny. They let me know what lessons work and they aren't shy about letting me know what doesn't. I think that this semester is going to be a learning experience for us all.
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