The Princeton Prize

Here's a link to the Princeton Prize I mentioned in class.  If you're interested, check it out.  And remember, capitalize on the APATHY of your peers.

Tomorrow be ready to present Stuff About Stuff, and just to see who's reading the blog, make sure your presentation falls under the theme of gratitude/gratefulness.  Also, please have your info written on an index card or small sheet of paper for collection.

As you present, I will look through your flashcards on the prowl for those of you who do the age old trick of leaving some blank.

xoxo

180 Hits

Every day that I post, I should see at least 180 hits.  I'm seeing on average 80.  No bueno.  Get on it.  And as a result, I will now be posting more and more specific things here that will be necessary for class discussions and assignments.  I'll make sure to post by advisory so you can use lunchtime in the library if you don't have access to internet at home.

So to begin, HERE is a doozy of a list that will be a mindnumbing assignment.  You guessed it...flashcards.  Due Friday in class for a check.  And the flashcards don't have to be fancy as in on index cards - the homemade variety of cut up notebook paper will do.  I'll be making my own as well so no hypocrisy here.

Have the excerpt of Blink read by tomorrow for a class chat and assignment.  And on Friday we are going to have a little game time in addition to SAS.

Oh, and if you haven't been reading the blog, I guess you'll have to go back and find the post about Blink that has the hyperlink to the text 'cause I'm not linking it again.

In Class Work - Wednesday:

Just a fun read HERE.  After reading it, submit a 3-4 paragraph response (written please) that simply addresses the following:  Your thoughts? You can turn your work in tomorrow if you don't have time in class.

And YAY!  So excited for the tweets.  Due Friday, January 9, 2015, in class.

xoxo

Simon Sinek

Simon Sinek's How Great Leaders Inspire Action hopefully inspires you to be one who leads instead of a leader.  I'll see you tomorrow for some multiple choice work.  No stress.

Be sure to have the intro of Blink  read by Thursday. And just so you know, you are NOT REQUIRED to purchase any of the books for the class reading.  All are available either in our library or at the public library.  Some are even available online.  Just saying in case you were confused.

xoxo

Books Were Chosen

Below you'll find the different books you are expected to read over the next 5 months.  And can I please stress that you have 5 months to read 6 books.  You can definitely do this.  See me with questions please.

Period 2:
Blink - Dec. 12th
To Kill a Mockingbird - Jan. 5th
Hunger of Memory - Jan. 26th
East of Eden - Feb. 17th
The Picture of Dorian Gray - March 17th
Lone Survivor - April 17th

Period 3:
Blink - Dec. 1st
To Kill a Mockingbird - Jan. 2nd
Hunger of Memory - Jan. 23rd
The Picture of Dorian Gray - Feb. 20th
Bossypants - March 13th
East of Eden - April 17th

Period 4:
Blink - Dec. 12th
East of Eden - Jan.11th
Hunger of Memory - Jan. 30th 
To Kill a Mockingbird - Feb. 27th
The Picture of Dorian Gray - March 20th
Devil in the White City - April 17th

Period 6:
Blink - Dec. 5th
East of Eden - Jan. 5th
To Kill A Mockingbird - Jan. 26th
Hunger of Memory - Feb. 16th
The Picture of Dorian Gray - March 9th
A Short History of Nearly Everything - April 17th

Period 7:
To Kill A Mockingbird  - Dec. 15th
East of Eden - Jan. 5th
Bossypants - Jan. 28th
Hunger of Memory - Feb. 25th
The Picture of Dorian Gray - March 23rd
Blink - April 17th



I'll post more later.  xoxo

Multiple Choice with Stems

Thanks for your effort today with the practice multiple choice.  I'm wondering if the stems helped?  Did you find it useful?  Comment below and let me know.  I'll publish comments tonight.

SAS tomorrow will be on a "I Call On You" basis so be ready.

See you then.

xoxo

p.s. - ZR if you read this still, sending you mad, mad love.

Blink by Malcolm Gladwell

So, by next Thursday (the 20th) please read the excerpt from Blink.  Read to the sentence that says, "Blink is a book about those first two seconds."

You will need to read the whole book so get yourself a copy - used bookstore, Barnes & Noble, library.  It's a great book.

TED Talk was Amanda Palmer.  Check it out!!!

Tomorrow we are working with Multiple Choice.  Friday is SAS by the numbers.  That means I will assign each of you a number and randomly choose presenters.

xoxo

It's Getting Personal

Here's the link to the work we did today in class - just trying to find a voice, ya know?  If you were absent, just access the link and answer all the questions.  Trust me.  Doing it now will help you later...
Enjoy the day off tomorrow and thank you to all those who serve or who have served and the families whose sacrifices allow me to be free.

xoxo

Stuff About Stuff is Tomorrow

Show up tomorrow. Like really.  Show.  Up.  Have something of value to share with people who are willing to receive it.  You're a part of an awesome class that is having an awesome experience, so don't squander it.  And for any of you interested in something simply delicious, read this.  We'll be using it sometime soon.

xoxo

John Barry Model Essays

***Updates made.  Please read.***

Please access the link below to READ the packet of model essays.   We will be working with them in class. Print only if you want to.

John Barry Barry Bo Berry Banana Bama Bo Berry

xoxo

Reminder:  Tomorrow at lunch in Room 300, Mrs. Kwayana will be hosting a meeting to discuss the recent events toward her.  Join in if interested.

And also, I just read this online from a favorite blog of mine.  It's an excerpt from a letter a mom gives to her son the night before 3rd grade, but I think it's a letter that every parent should give their kid.  It also says some of things I would want to say to you if you were my children too.  Read and ruminate.

"We do not care if you are the smartest or fastest or coolest or funniest. There will be lots of contests at school, and we don’t care if you win a single one of them. We don’t care if you get straight As. We don’t care if the girls think you’re cute or whether you’re picked first or last for kickball at recess. We don’t care if you are your teacher’s favorite or not. We don’t care if you have the best clothes or most Pokemon cards or coolest gadgets. We just don’t care.

We don’t send you to school to become the best at anything at all. We already love you as much as we possibly could. You do not have to earn our love or pride and you can’t lose it. That’s done.

We send you to school to practice being brave and kind.

Kind people are brave people. Brave is not a feeling that you should wait for. It is a decision. It is a decision that compassion is more important than fear, than fitting in, than following the crowd.

Trust me, baby, it is. It is more important.

Don’t try to be the best this year, honey.

Just be grateful and kind and brave. That’s all you ever need to be.

Take care of those classmates of yours, and your teacher, too. You Belong to Each Other. You are one lucky boy . . . with all of these new gifts to unwrap this year.

I love you so much that my heart might explode.

Enjoy and cherish your gifts.

And thank you for being my favorite gift of all time.

Love,
Mama"

TED Talk Tuesday

Sarah Kay's stellar TED Talk can be found here.  Enjoy again and again and again.  It's lovely.

Thanks to you all for listening today and for considering what I shared.  It's a true shame that we live in a world where important issues are sometimes ignored.  We are all connected and thus only as strong as our weakest link.

I'll see you tomorrow for some work on the Barry prompt.  If you were absent, check out Monday's blog.

xoxo

p.s. - I just read this:  "Unkind and bitter words will do little to affect change in our culture, but our love- our love will make all the difference."  Thought it was just about perfect.  

Monday Work

Sorry I was out.

Life.

If any of you need it, or were absent, HERE is the link to the prompt.  Q2 - John Barry question.  If you weren't here, follow the 7 steps and have your work tomorrow.  NO need to write the essay.

Our 7 Rules

1. Draw a blank rhetorical triangle.
2. Read and annotate the prompt.  Circle the "to" and the verb that follows.
3. Draw the arch.
4. Read the text with the arch question in mind.
5. Annotate!  Chunking.
6. Fill in the rhetorical triangle.
7. Draw your roadmap.

xoxo