Hello!
My true passion is education, especially through the subject of English. Here are some microlessons I have created. Some have been taught to fellow English Education students at MSU, some were just fun creations of my own, whereas others I have utilized within my internship year! Feel free to read and even use as you see fit :)
Introduction to Poetry Analysis
Standard Category
Instruction
Poetry can be hard, and analyzing it can be even harder. When I was a student, I would get overwhelmed when my teachers first told us we were going to be analyzing poems. After years of analyzing poems, it now feels almost second nature. I love poetry. I also love Taylor Swift. So why not combine the two? This is a fun, Taylor Swift themed introduction to poetry analysis. Music is poetry, so why not combine the two even further?
Collaborative Book Clubs Unit Plan
Standard Category
Planning
Assessment
Student choice is integral to make students feel they are an active part of the learning experience, making the curriculum revolve around them. I believe students should be given a level of free choice in as many class aspects as possible. Similarly, I believe in the importance of self autonomy within a secondary classroom. These students are young adults, and should be given the platform to self regulate and design their learning. By utilizing book clubs, both aspects are incorporated in the unit. Collaborative work is also an incredible instructional strategy to motivate and engage students in the class work. I have seen great successes when collaborative book clubs are present in an English classroom.
Rhetorical Devices
As an English nerd, I love rhetorical devices; however, I understand how many of my students do not feel the same. Vocab quizzes and spelling tests have become so monotonous and outdating, but these terminologies are still important to have a knowledge of. I have taken it upon myself to work to make learning vocab and rhetorical devices fun, rather than tedious. From Jeopardy games, to analyzing song lyrics, here are some examples of how I have taught rhetorical devices vocab thus far.
Standard Category
Assessment
Weekly Warmup Packets
Standard Category
The Learner and Learning
Planning
Students are given a weekly packet, which contains activities related to the lessons for the week, as well as relevant topics to current global events. Each daily activity has some English aspect to it- whether it be annotating a news article or responding to a prompt, so students are refining both their world knowledge and their English skills. Outside of just having English skills, I want my students to develop an understanding of the diverse systems of culture and society that are present around the entire globe. Using relevant materials, especially in these daily, routine tasks, presents students with a window to looking at the word around them. Similarly, it can offer a mirror into their own culture, when learning about cultural practices they align with.
Beloved by Toni Morrison
One of- if not the most, influential authors of all time, Morrison's work is challenging to teach within a high school classroom, but incredibly beneficial. I read Beloved when I was a senior in high school, and it was one of the texts I remember most from the year. I believe in the importance of teaching the themes present within this novel, while focusing on student comprehension of the complex aspects of Morrison's writing style and character development.
Standard Category
Instruction
Gangs, Cliques, and Societal Peer Pressures
Unit Plan
Standard Category
Planning
As students manage their lives in high school, there is always a pressure to fit in, to belong. This overarching unit analyzes both how different texts deal with instances of gang and clique creation and societal pressures, as well as encourages students to look closely into their own experiences with the topic. This unit involves multiple modes of literature, from novels to music. ​
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Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
Standard Category
The Learner and Learning
I love Romeo and Juliet, but I know students normally don't. In order to get students engaged with Shakespeare's plays and other classical texts, interactive and engaging activities are key! I love creative activities, so this activity is rooted in creative engagement and student interaction!
Teaching Absurdist Translated Texts
Translated texts are a great resource to use to help students understand comprehension and other cultures. Not only do works in translation help students better comprehend the story, through the use of simpler grammatical and syntax structures, but also gives students a better description of other cultures. Originally written by members of the culture and in the original language, the story is authentic to the location and culture invwhich it was written. Translating texts allows stories to travel across continents, generations, and people, and allows readers to gain more insight into other cultures. Adding in levels of different philosophies helps students also understand the context in which the authors were writing. With works like The Metamorphosis, The Stranger, and Perfume, Absurdism inspires the entire storyline, so teaching the theories will create an even richer comprehension of the novel.
Standard Category
Instruction
IB Paper One Practice Work
Standard Category
Assessment
Being in an IB curriculum, there are aspects of testing which need to be prepped for before my students take their exams. One of these aspects is the IB English A Paper One- a timed essay writing section where students are given a piece of literature which could be either drama, poetry, prose, or non fiction. In order to prep this, we do continuous Paper One practices. In creating these, I choose media which I have enjoyed in the past, so they can click with it. I steer away from boring readings and into texts I believe they will be able to connect with. We work our way up, starting with outlines and working up to a true in class Paper One exam. For the assignment, I grade on completion, then give one on one feedback about the contents of the essay. As I know this is a stressful assessment, I want it to represent a grade in a way, but not have punitive measures linked to it, as I am more focused on ensuring they are prepared for their exams in May. Linked below are some of the example media I have worked with this year.
Vulnerability, creating community
in the classroom.
Standard Category
The Learner and Learning
Creating a safe space in my classroom is my number one priority as a teacher. I strive to have a classroom environment that inspires students to embrace their personal knowledges and histories, as well feel safe enough to share their ideas in classroom discussions. To do this, I want to express to them that any emotions experienced within my classroom are valid, and that vulnerability is a life skill, not a weakness.​
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The Four Standard Categories
The Learner and Learning
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Implementing norms & routines for classroom discourse & work
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Specifying & reinforcing productive student behavior
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Implementing organizational routines
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Building respectful relationships with students and incorporating what they learn into instruction.
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Communicating information with parents or other caregivers about a student.
Instruction
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Explaining & modeling content, practices, & strategies
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Diagnosing particular common patterns of student thinking & development in a subject-matter domain
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Leading group discussion
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Coordinating & adjusting instruction during a lesson
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Eliciting & interpreting individual students’ thinking
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Checking student understanding during & at the conclusion of lessons
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Setting long- & short-term learning goals for students
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Designing single lessons & lesson sequences
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Analyzing their own instruction using data for the purpose of improving it.
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Setting up & managing small group work
Assessment
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Selecting & designing assessments of student learning
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Interpreting the results of student work including routine assignments, quizzes, tests, projects, and standardized assessments
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Providing oral & written feedback to students
Planning
Contact
If you have any questions about my lesson plans,
please do not hesitate to reach out.