Vocab Review

Bellringer: How do you feel about Amanda Knox’s murder acquittal being overturned, and her being re-convicted of the crime?

I wanted to give you another current event headline as your bellringer to get you to think more critically, and to give you another nonfiction story to consider.

Recap: Following our class discussion on the Amanda Knox trial, we reviewed the vocabulary terms that were given to you earlier in the week. You will have a test on the words at the end of next week. I will let you know earlier in the week which words the test will be on.

Have a nice weekend. Enjoy the warm weather! Find some inspiration! :-)

Z

Nonfiction Reading

I hope you all enjoyed your two days off, and your delay this morning!

Bellringer: What did you do with your two days off? Tell me in at least 3 sentences? (Please note: saying ‘nothing’ is not an acceptable answer.)

Recap: We read a short story called "The Hero" today, and then held a brief discussion about all of the elements the author had included in such a brief piece of writing.

We then began reading "The Bully," but we will finish it in class tomorrow.

The purpose behind reading both of these stories was to 1.) understand how to compose a brief, nonfiction piece, 2.) gather ideas about a piece you would like to begin writing, and 3.) compare and contrast the two authors' styles of conveying a piece of writing.

Homework: Please begin considering a brief story that you would like to re-tell. We will begin composing ideas in class tomorrow.

If you did not have your vocabulary for me today, please have it finished for tomorrow. You will have a test on the words next week.

Stay safe! Be careful around melting snow that can re-freeze tonight!

Z

Nonfiction Vocabulary

I hope your week is off to a good start!

Bellringer: What do you think the most important aspect of writing is?

Recap: Today we worked on literary definitions for nonfiction. The list has been shared with you in your Google Drive, or you can use the link here to get to it.

I decided to start the nonfiction unit with a vocabulary list so you are familiar with the terms before we begin discussing them in class. I want you to have an accurate idea of what we will be talking about, so you have the clearest understanding of the unit. 

Tomorrow we will begin reading a few short stories so you can see what they will look like, so make sure to have your chromebooks with you! At the end of the week we will begin our first piece of writing. 

Have a good week!

Z

Friday Recap

Bellringer: Should celebrities be held to the same standards as “ordinary” citizens?

Recap: Today we worked on a little exercise to help get to know each other a bit better, and also get to know yourselves a little more. When provided with the sentences beginnings below, each student was asked to complete the statement with an idea or phrase that represented them.

1. I am fond of….

2. I can tolerate….

3. I like……

4. I dislike…..

5. I love…..

6. I hate…..

Additionally, we reviewed the memory recall exercise, and had a class discussion regarding the bellringer. For Friday, I wanted to hold a brief open forum to discuss a news headline. I chose the story about Justin Bieber, and we held a conversation regarding his recent arrest.

Memory Recall

Bellringer: What is your earliest memory?

Recap: Today we completed the memory recall exercise. For some, it worked, others, it didn't. A lot of it depends on how much you are willing to try, and how much you are willing to write. Some of you had great success with it though, and it seemed like most of you enjoyed the activity. The point was to try and help you find inspiration for writing. 

The breakdown is as follows:
                                            This morning
                                            1 Month Ago
                                            2 Years Ago (2012)
                                            When you were 10
                                            When you were 5/6
                                             Earliest Memory
                                            Given Memory --One that is not yours, but someone has told you                                                                                 so many times, you believe it is. 

For those of you who did not enjoy the activity, hopefully we will be doing other things that you enjoy. Hang on to the sheets, though. We will go over them more tomorrow, and they are great to add to a portfolio!

Have a nice night. Thank you for your cooperation during the exercise.

Z

Getting to Know You

I am already having so much fun with these Creative Writing classes, and I hope you are too!

Bellringer: What is your best trait?

Recap: Today we wrote 10 creative questions, and interviewed someone in the class. This was meant to help you get to know someone else in the class. The more comfortable you are with the people around you, the more comfortable you will become with sharing your thoughts and ideas with them. Being able to do this is crucial to writing. You have to be willing and able to provide feedback to others, and getting to know your classmates will help you to be more receptive to this. 

Homework: None for this evening. Class banners were due today. If you were not here, I need the writing and the banner when you return. 

Tomorrow we will complete our memory recall exercise. I think you'll really like this!

Have a great night! Shine on until tomorrow! 

Z

Banner Designing

I hope you all enjoyed your break!


Bellringer 2: If you could go back in time and ask Dr.King any question, what would it be and why?

Recap: We are back to the grind today, and kicked off by working on our class banner! You should have a finished square for class tomorrow, with a quote on it that represents you. When you're finished, please type and share, email, or print your written description that explains how that quote represents you. Writing should be double-spaced, and your name should be in MLA format at the top. (Name, Class, Date). 

Additionally, if you did not sign the syllabus, please be sure to do so by this evening. It is a homework grade.

Have a nice night! We will kick off tomorrow with our memory recall exercise. I think you're going to really enjoy it! 

Z

Day 2

Bellringer: What are you most looking forward to this semester? Least? Explain in complete sentences.

In Summary: Today we finished up Bingo, and were given the squares to work on. You may choose to work on yours over the weekend, or we will have some time Tuesday in class. PLEASE bring supplies to use! (Markers, stickers, printed quotes, etc.)

Homework:

      1. Sign Syllabus

      2. Decorations and quote to use for banner

Enjoy your weekend! I am excited to work with you in class! :-) 

Class Banner

I hope you feel that we're off to a good start so far!

One thing I like to do is allow students to take ownership of the space where they will be learning. In order to do this, I want you to help design the class so you feel represented here. I think this makes the room more inviting to you, but also allows you to take pride in your classroom. 

In order to do this, we will be creating a class banner. It will be made up of individual squares that you design and create to represent you. We will be working on these in class on Friday, so be sure to bring in any supplies you will need (i.e. markers, glitter, stickers, etc.) I have some materials, but nothing that would be specific to you. I will be providing the square.

Since this is a writing class, I want you to choose a quote, poem, or written passage that you feel represents you. This can be from a song, movie, TV show, book, etc. We will then be submitting a brief piece of writing (5-8 sentences) that discusses why you have chosen this quote, and how the design of the square represents you. The assignment is worth 20 points, so this is a good way to start the semester! 

If you have any questions, don't be afraid to reach out! 

Z

Day 1

Welcome to Creative Writing!

I hope you enjoyed your first day of class, and are looking forward to a fun semester!

Click here for a copy of the syllabus that was shared with you today, in case you have trouble locating it on the shared Google Drive. I will be sharing many documents with you through your Google Drive, so be sure you get comfortable with using it. We will be using your chromebooks heavily this semester, so please be sure you get comfortable using it by bringing it to class every day.

Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

Review:

1. Bellringer--Finding your seat

Homework:

1. Sign Syllabus
2. Bring in materials for class banner. (Think about the quote you will use also. Must be school appropriate).

Introduction and Syllabus

Welcome to Creative Writing!

If you enjoy writing or creativity, then you will enjoy this class this semester! It's my desire to help you all develop your creativity, and to hone your writing skills in order to make you all better writers. We'll be taking a variety of approaches in order to tap into different sides of your creativity, and also to ensure that everyone's creative needs are being met. 

I will be posting assignments to this blog, so be sure to check it daily. You can sign up to follow the blog through your email as well, and you will get email notifications anytime I post something here. 

You will also have writing prompts on the blog that you will need to respond to throughout the semester, so bookmark the site.

If you have any questions for me, please do not hesitate to email me, or contact me through the site.

Below is the link to electronically sign your syllabus. 

Link to Signature Page for Syllabus

Have a great spring semester! 

Z