Blog: Week 1

Welcome, students, to 6th grade English Language Arts for the 2012-13 school year! I am so happy you are here! We have a busy and exciting year ahead of us. I have been planning and planning! So, let's get started!


First off, I want to tell you a little bit about myself. This is my 8th year teaching 6th grade ELA. It is my 3rd year as a Mackenzie Raider (Go Raiders!!!). Prior to coming to Mackenzie, I completed 5 years of teaching at Dunbar Middle School. I am a Lubbock native, born and raised here. My husband and I will celebrate our 10th anniversary on November 23. We have two children, Keely and Cannon. Keely is 3, and Cannon is 18 months. I attended Lubbock Christian University, where I received my Bachelor of Arts in Humanities. After that, I stayed at LCU to attend graduate school. I received my Master of Education in Secondary Education in 2005. I've taken a few graduate courses in English at Texas Tech, and I am currently attending the University of North Texas online to obtain my Master of Science in Library Science degree, as I would eventually like to be a school librarian.


Now that you know a little about me, I would like you to know a little about our class. First off, be sure you read our class syllabus thoroughly. It contains vital information for your success in this class, school, and ultimately in life. Our class rules are basic: 1) Arrive on time with all needed materials, ready to start the day; 2) Keep hands, feet, and objects to yourself; 3) Respect yourself and all others in the room; 4) Follow directions immediately; 5) Stay on task during work times; and 6) Complete all assignments and daily tasks. These rules are absolutes, meaning you are expected to follow them at all times. You should be familiar with the consequences for breaking the rules. Even still, a reminder is probably in order. Mackenzie classes all follow the same discipline procedures. The first time a rule is broken, you will be handed a WARNING card (gold card), which serves as a reminder for you to look at the posted rules and communicate to the teacher which rule you are breaking by showing me the rule number on your fingers. The second offense constitutes a red card, which is a second reminder. Again, you must look at the posted rules and communicate which one you are breaking by showing me the rule number on your fingers. The third infraction warrants a Wormelli form. You will be moved to an isolated area in the class, where you will complete a reflective form on your behavior. This form will then be signed by the teacher, and you will be required to take a copy home to be signed by your parent or guardian. It is expected that you will bring the signed copy back; failure to do so will result in a phone call being made. If behavior is not corrected after the third infraction, an office referral will be made. Office referrals are last results, and I know no one in here will get one!

Long term goals for our class are as follows: 1) Students will learn and implement basic grammar when writing essays; 2) Students will write at length on a given topic, utilizing good grammar and the 6 + 1 traits throughout; 3) Students will read and understand texts at length and be able to respond appropriately to various texts, showing in depth comprehension; 4) Students will work together in cooperative learning groups; 5) Students will participate in class discussions; and 6) Students will utilize technology for various assignments, as appropriate, and show knowledge of what is appropriate and inappropriate in terms of technology usage. These goals will drive our instruction in this classroom. They dictate what I want us to achieve by the end of the school year. I just know we will be successful!

One of the things we will be doing in this class are responses to blog posts. I will post a blog topic every week on Monday. You will have until the following Friday to post a response to the topic. To do so, click on the pencil icon at the bottom of the post. Type only your first initial and full last name followed by a colon ( : ). Then, respond to the question(s) or topic. Your posts MUST be 4 sentences long, reflective, and show an understanding of the topic. Your posts must be approved by the instructor BEFORE they are posted. You will be allowed to respond to blog posts at the computer station, if you finish your work early, during tutorials, or on your own time at home. Blog posts will comprise a daily grade each six weeks.

So, here is your first blog post assignment:
I've told you a lot about me and this class. We've gone over expectations and consequences for breaking the rules. We've set long term goals, and I've explained the expectations for our class blog. Here are the questions: What will you do this year to ensure you are successful? How can you make this year better than last year? What will you do differently and the same here at Mackenzie?