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I started the semester differently with my new crop of kids. I decided that it’s important to give them purpose for being in the Title I Language Arts class–that is, purpose more than: You scored below proficient on the short-cycle tests; You were recommended by your regular Language Arts teacher; You failed your Language Arts class last semester. So, as you can see from the slide in the background of 4th hour’s photo, I asked my readers some questions that forced them to think a little bit about reading. We used those answers to jumpstart a discussion about what reading is, why people read, and the different types of material people read.  The use of the white board to make a list of the ideas was not in my original lesson plan–I love the fact that I’m not using a scripted program and I can change things as I see fit.

Here are the lists my students came up with. I was excited. I don’t have a picture of 1st hour’s list; I erased it before I thought of taking pictures. It’s interesting to weigh the personalities of the students in the class against what their results.