Hannah+Strawser

__Hannah R. Strawser __

District: Appoquinimink School District

School: Everett Meredith Middle School

Grade Level: 8th Grade

Experience: Taught one year 7th grade ELA & two years 8th grade ELA at Everett Meredith Middle School. Helped develop the 8th grade CCSS Learning Maps for Appoquinimink School District.

Links and Resources: Daily Reflections

Summer Institute Reflection

Letter to Principal: 

Lesson Plans: 

<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 150%;">Writing Activities: <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">My Best Moment of Teaching || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Today is the day. The day that the whole year has led up to. I get to see what my students' minds have accumulated from having me as a teacher just five days a week for twenty-six weeks. The students are nervous, but probably not as nervous as I am on the inside. I'm releasing my classroom ... releasing it into the hands of its inhabitants. That's right. Eighth graders. The task at hand? The students teach the class. My principal asked the staff, "What is something that you are currently doing that you can release into the hands of your students?" My stupid, adventure-seeking self chose this.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 150%;">Writing Activity #: || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 150%;">My Writing: ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">#1:

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">For the last week, the eight groups have been working on a set standard to teach to their classmates. That part ... piece of cake for my control-freak side. I usually have them work in groups anyway; so allowing them to work with their peers in collaborative groups was nothing. It was this final day that worried me. From the moment I woke up in the morning till now, it has haunted my every step. I don't think it would have racked my nerves quite as much had it not been his group's turn to teach my class. You see, this student didn't particularly give me a run for my money ... not anymore at least. We had come to an understanding. You know, the kind of understanding that you see in movies when the villain realizes his defeat and that his plan isn't going to carry out quite as he expected.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">They were the first to present, and if everything went as my imagination was expecting, they would probably be the last. I decided to take it moment by moment. I grabbed my clipboard, set the timer, joined my new peer group, and ... breathe ... go.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">It so turns out, his group proved every doubt that was within me wrong. He proved my doubts wrong. By the end of class he had me thinking, if I had to choose one student in this class to co-teach with me, it would be him. He did phenomenal, and he did it for himself. Sure, I took my moment of self-praise, because of course I was the one who taught him all he knows. But then I sat back and thought ... what a moment. Not only was this a teachable moment that will always be embedded in my mind because I feel that I taught them something ... but because they ... he ... taught me something. He taught me not to hold the past against my students and to give them a fresh start. He taught me that people, even teenagers, can change. He taught me that I can change. || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">"A Family Photo" || //<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">My sister, Lydia, and I dancing with Joe-Joe the hobo in San Francisco //
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">#2:

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">It was my first time traveling to San Francisco and I had no idea what adventures lay ahead of me. My sister Lydia and I were traveling across the country to appear in our cousin Faith's wedding.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">In the days leading up to the wedding, the bride and groom were adamant on taking time off from prepping for the wedding and, instead, showing us San Francisco. They had remembered that I had always said that I had wanted to ride the trollies up and down the slopes of the city. We spent the morning touring and trying to catch a trolley. I swear, everyone in the world wanted to ride a trolley that day!

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">After a long morning of touring the city and stopping at every overlook possible, we decided to go to lunch. Now, you must know something about my family... A single day doesn't go by where one of us isn't tempted to do something out of the ordinary. After throwing out my lunch, I was awestruck by the view of Alcatraz prison on the bay. I started walking toward it. It seemed like one of those perfect moments where the craziness of world seems to freeze. All I could feel was the warm sun on my skin peeking out from behind the cold San Fransisco mist for the first time that day. The fog started to lift off of the bay for a few moments to reveal the prison and all its mystery. I could hear a band playing on the pier a few feet away, and because of the jolly mood I was in, I wanted to dance.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">I made my way over to the spot where the band was playing, as my sister Lydia joined me. There was a homeless man there, who was also joyous in spirits and enjoying himself. He had his own shopping cart with an honest sign reading, "Why lie? I need a beer!" Now I don't know if by that point Joe-Joe had had one too many or if he was just living life to the fullest ... but as I was walking by he started dancing and talking to me. So I thought ... why not? It wasn't long before my sister and I were dancing with Joe-Joe, sharing in a laugh or two. Now, every time I look back on this picture, I think back on that day with my family and think ... that is SO us! Crazy people who don't care what other think ... we just wanna have fun. || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">3-2-1 || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">3- things you learned last week you want to use this year <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">2- things you already do that were validated by last weeks activities or discussions <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">1- thing you wonder <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Amazon Review || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Being a huge Harry Potter fan, I always thought to myself, why am I still viewed as such a Muggle? I have my own Griffindor scarf, hat, and shirt. I have a years worth supply of Bertie Botts every flavor jelly beans. I have been to Hogwarts, and even visited Diagon Alley where I received my very own broom and wizard wand ... and of course, it chose me. How could life get any more magical? Until ... I found the Harry Potter Quittich Logo Bandz. Nine different colors, five different shapes ... the possibilities are endless! I had to buy them immediately! With this product I have found the magic formula that was preventing me from running through walls at train stations. I guess you could call it a modern day Aspirin. What a headache life was without these bandz. I'm sure that's not the only thing that's changed. I am now certain that Harry and Hermione will accept my friend request on SpellBook. Don't know what that is? You need to buy these to find out! Scoff! Such a Muggle. || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Re-reading Activity || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">In "The Federalist Papers" James Madison is talking about different people having different opinions on matters. He is proposing a new plan for the government, specifically focusing on property ownership. He states that the protection of property is of utmost importance to the government. || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Letter to Principal (draft) || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">TJ,
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">#3:
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">I really like the 5 word memoir. I think I am going to try and use this as a summarizing strategy.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">I am going to use the family photo as a first week assignment for my students to complete. This way I can learn about them while incorporating writing into the first days of school.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">The Reverse Poems are something that I want to try either in my poetry unit or to teach taking a side in argument.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Using different kinds of media to teach.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Using sentence stems to help model writing for the students.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">I'd like to try using something like the wiki space with my 8th grade students. I have Edmodo and I wonder if this is something that could be done on Edmodo instead. ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">#4:
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">#5:
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">#6:
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Reiterate why I wanted to take the course
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">So many ideas to make the material in my classroom more relevant and rigorous for the students
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">The book we used is linked the CCSS
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Multiple ideas for research and incorporating technology (iPad, etc.)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">I've learning more in this class about writing instruction then I did at UD the first time around
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Writing teachers need to model more -- they need to move from assigning five-paragraph analysis papers to assigning writing assignments that are more meaningful and useful for kids
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Students need to be writing more because research shows that kids who write about what they read improve in comprehension
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">This could be something that we could talk about in PLCs
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">I have a sample lesson that I wrote during the institute that I could show to PLC (I could videotape it?)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Close with a thank you for recommending me to the course

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Sincerely, <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Hannah || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Analyze a Painting || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Look at the painting three times and write what you see each time.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">#7:

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">1st Glance:
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">swamp
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">animals --swans ... maybe a cow
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">trees
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">blue sky

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">2nd Glance:
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Hidden animals -- there seem to be elephants in the water (from the reflection of the swans)

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">3rd Glance:
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Tiny boat in the back
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Artist seems to be in the picture -- to the left
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">There appears to be a 4th swan (hidden)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">There may be something going on with the clouds

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Interpretation:

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Things are not always as they seem. You may see yourself as something different then what other people see you as. The swans are looking into the water and they see themselves as these massive, indestructible creatures, when they really are not. ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">#8: Philosophical Chairs || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Philosophical chairs is very similar to the Socratic seminars that we learned about on the first day of the writing course. It is an engaging way to get the kids in your classroom thinking about taking a stand on a set issue. The students are given a topic and a questions and are asked to take a side. They then work with groups to develop reasons for their view, which they will later use in their debate. During the debate some teachers even allow students to make up characters that may get their point across more clearly. This activity allows the students to have fun with the assignment, by being able to add voice and opinion, while being serious about the question at hand.

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">I was thinking that I could use philosophical chairs in my classroom during our argument unit, or even sometime during our class novel study with Lois Lowery's "The Giver". During the argument unit, I have the students take a stand on an issue and meet with groups to discuss the issue, which they will later write about in an essay. I think I want them to actually be able to debate their issues. I just haven't decided if I want them to do this activity before or after they write their papers. I think that if they do it before, they would be more likely to use the activity to find a counter-argument. However, if they do it after, it may make for a more solid debate. || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Found Poem || <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">Go on your iPad and find a news story from any news source -- something/some issue happening today. Use words and phrases from the story to create a 5-10 line "Found Poem" that reflects the most important information in the story.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">#9:

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">[]

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">1- Protesters on both sides ... what a sight to see. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">2- What is right, or what is A right, to you and to me? <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">3- Some people say it's a sin ... it's wrong, <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">4- While others simply marry on. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">5- The first gay couple in Delaware to be wed <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">6- Of course, there is a lot to be said! <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">7- Senator Karen Peterson and her mate <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">8- Finally have equality within this state. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">9- State history was made, as the first same-sex couple embraced <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">10- And the crowd shouted out “God Bless the Gays!” ||