Being Academically Honest - HOMEWORK

Watch the following video, take notes and then answer the following questions. THIS IS FOR A GRADE.

1. What is academic integrity?

2. What is academic dishonesty? 

Define the following terms according to the video: 

~plagiarism
~cheating
~facilitating
~fabrication
~multiple submissions

3. If you are not sure if you are in violation of any of these, what should you do?

4. What are some of the consequences of academic dishonesty?

Please turn in your work by  November 16th.

Your diligence is much appreciated!

Ms. Sanders

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Please purchase a copy of Harper Lee's "To Kill A Mockingbird" by November 12th

To Kill a Mockingbird is Harper Lee’s 1961 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel about a child’s view of race and justice in the Depression-era South. The book sells one million copies per year, and Scout remains one of the most beloved characters in American fiction. (Sparknotes)

Being There..."Developing Your Classroom Presence" from Edutopia

 Believe me. Kids are extremely perceptive and they can pick up when a teacher's heart is not in the teaching. With every lesson I create, especially when I truly believe its out of this world cool and full of the wonder of learning, my students see me giddy and excited and well prepared to deliver. I have been successful at pulling off some amazing lessons. However, I have also had some simply fall flat and fizzle out. Also, I have had student input to turn the assignment on its head and create a whole new moment of learning. That is the best and most rewarding part of teaching.

"Teachers know they have presence when they have a genuine connection with the students that breeds confidence and respect throughout the classroom, allowing for risk taking and increased learning opportunities." (Edutopia)

As you read and enjoy this awesome article, which was shared with me by my amazing principal, consider your classroom presence. Are students walking into an atmosphere of excitement or a den of "let's just get this done"!  (just click the image)

Enjoy your summer!

Pass it on...Teacher Tips to Close out a Great School Year!

My first teaching position consisted of a few days of shadowing a wonderfully gifted teacher, receiving a key with a smile and then left on my own. It was tough, I could barely manage lesson plans let alone a classroom full of second-chance at-risk students, but I LOVED my new career and I was determined to help my students succeed.
I went to every experienced teacher on campus asking question upon question, attending training and finally becoming the kind of teacher I wanted my students to have. I have to thank all of the patient veteran teachers and principals who were willing to help me when things got tough.
With that said, I missed the opportunity to sit with a first-year teacher and offer up a bit of sage advice from my experiences in the past 13 years of teaching. So, to keep my word I created a short informational video that I hope in some small way will help new teachers diving headlong into one of the greatest and toughest professions out there.
Blessings,
Paula

When looking for answers...

3/29/2018 by Paula Sanders

When you have a child with learning difficulties, it seems as if there is either an information overload or nothing out there at all. One website that I have found to be very helpful is Understood.org. Their mission statement is simple:

“Our goal is to help the millions of parents whose children, ages 3–20, are struggling with learning and attention issues. We want to empower them to understand their children’s issues and relate to their experiences. With this knowledge, parents can make effective choices that propel their children from simply coping to truly thriving…We promise well-researched, practical information that’s easy to apply to everyday life.”

The website includes:

Learning and Attention Issues, which provides a better understanding of your child’s learning difference.

School and Learning provide useful tips on how to communicate with your child’s teachers.

Friends and Feelings offer advice of solving social problems such as shyness, coping with change and bullying.

You and Your Family guides parents through planning events and helping other family members to understand the various aspects of behaviors related to children with learning challenges

Community and Events provides a list

of blogs, support groups, and even webinars to learn better ways to help your child through their social and academic journeys.

And finally,

The Parent Toolkit is your go-to area for discovering what your child’s disability “feels” like through simulations, apps to help children learn and even school ratings to find the best education possibilities for your child.

Take a look and learn a lot more at 

www.understood.org

Youngster's Money

2/27/2018 by Paula Sanders

"Money often costs too much." --Ralph Waldo Emerson

I had the pleasure of attending one of my 2018 graduates 18^th birthday celebration. It was a beautiful night for family and friends and heartwarming dedications.

One thing that struck me was how many books on finances the birthday girl was given. I thought to myself, wow, what an amazing gift, that she probably won’t pick up until she is way past college and fighting her way through graduate school and student loan debt while trying to find her rightful place in life. What a gift to pick up at such a crucial time.

It made me wonder about the other pages of financial advice and sage warnings might be out there, so I compiled a little list:

Amazon

BarnesAndNoble

Finally, here is a Time article from 2016 that I still think can be very useful and informative today. Engage and enjoy!

http://time.com/money/4608160/books-money-teen-young-adult/

"...the student in front of me..."

2/10/2018 by Paula Sanders
“Instead of starting with the standards that must be learned, I learned to start with the student in front of me. Through focusing on student strengths, I’m able to build the resiliency and interest in my students that’s necessary to achieve academic objectives. By focusing on the positive, I build up the child in front of me to be the best version of themselves.” Nina Parish –Edutopia

I have always started with the student who is in front of me. I like talking to my students and getting to know who they are and what they enjoy. This inspires me to find articles and videos which appeal to what they like and will drive them to hopefully learn more.

If you are wondering, but what about the other students and their interests. Well, each student will get a turn to share their interest. But not so much by standing up in front of the class and giving a drawn-out presentation. That’s not how it works in my classroom.

First of all, English teachers are privy to many of our student’s thoughts and interests via writing assignments, usually. Also because English teachers have an unusually massive database of bits of information, we can generally converse with our students about their interest or maybe simply comment on a paper that they wrote or even recommend a book or video or article on the subject. That’s the spark, that’s focusing on the student in front of you.

In my class, I may begin the day with a video about a rocket launch because there is a student in my class who is obsessed with space travel. That generates conversation and the student has the opportunity to share what they know and love about space travel.

When students see that you get them or understand their interest, it makes them comfortable enough, not just to share with the teacher but also with their classmates. A discussion can then turn into a learning moment of discovering and sharing and laughter and questions and curiosity and to possibly look further into a topic that they never knew they might be interested in.

This concept is not limited to an English teacher; I believe all students should start with the student in front of them. The math teacher may discover that although the student is not a top performing mathematician, they may be a top-shelf puzzler and that could turn into a whole world of discovery.

Now…go teach!