01 The Write Elements

Tuesday 29 January 2019

My Week of... Vocabulary spot tests 1

https://thewriteelements.wordpress.com/2019/01/29/vocabulary-spot-test-1/



https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eHSyQg6P6ativWVg2WdGlTQYGjXWqZvS/view?usp=drivesdk
&
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gmSY0UwwL6cobR3vt_MjIsHbNTTpc6aG/view?usp=drivesdk
&
a class I didn't record


I'm picking words already found in comprehension practices and exercises on literary devices. Plus it can also be in essays. You never know
They include helping sentences
It's passages run through before. So they have no basis for telling me it's evil. Muahahaha.

my next post contains
three folders on words for
secondary, even IB;and primary students
all to aid in essay/composition writing and comprehension passages

https://thewriteelements.wordpress.com/2019/02/08/protected-my-week-of-vocabulary-spot-tests-part-1/

Saturday 19 January 2019

~ continued from class : narrative comprehension post

https://thewriteelements.wordpress.com/2019/01/19/continued-from-class-narrative-comprehension-post/

I've been so disturbed by what one of my students said in class that I once again must vent
It pains me to know how people have no empathy or at least sympathy
What a student of mine said floored me
It went something like, but she already has three children now she can get money since the baby is still not born (I took liberals with the word "not born". It was worse. I think he said parasite...)
Could fellow educators explain please how this is not a problem for parents to help us deal with?
Although I do believe it always starts from young, if the students are old enough there's no reason they aren't held accountable for what they say. It's frightened me.
What is the world coming to?

continued from 

Narrative Comprehension : a mother makes the difficult decision to have an abortion

https://thewriteelements.wordpress.com/2019/01/19/narrative-comprehension-a-mother-makes-the-difficult-decision-to-have-an-abortion/

Wednesday 9 January 2019

A Christmas Carol / Kite Runner mini lesson : signposts

https://thewriteelements.wordpress.com/2019/01/09/a-christmas-carol-haroun-and-the-sea-of-stories-lesson-3/

Scrooge vs Baba
🤣 the contrast is ginormous
In Lit, you can't cover just one text. You need to broaden your mind with works of superior literature
i.e. A Christmas Carol and Kite Runner
Previously I have gone through the six signposts and we're using that to further develop the PEEL structure in our impressions of Scrooge and Baba
Oh!  But he was a tight-fisted hand at the grind- stone, Scrooge! a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner!  Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster.  The cold within him froze his old features, nipped his pointed nose, shriveled his cheek, stiffened his gait; made his eyes red, his thin lips blue and spoke out shrewdly in his grating voice.  A frosty rime was on his head, and on his eyebrows, and his wiry chin.  He carried his own low temperature always about with him; he iced his office in the dogdays; and didn't thaw it one degree at Christmas.
External heat and cold had little influence on Scrooge.  No warmth could warm, no wintry weather chill him.  No wind that blew was bitterer than he, no falling snow was more intent upon its purpose, no pelting rain less open to entreaty.  Foul weather didn't know where to have him.  The heaviest rain, and snow, and hail, and sleet, could boast of the advantage over him in only one respect.  They often "came down" handsomely, and Scrooge never did.
and
an excerpt from The Kite Runner
Chapter 3 starts with a local legend about Baba wrestling a bear with his bare hands. Nicknamed "Mr. Hurricane," Baba is "a force of nature, a towering Pashtun specimen with a thick beard, a wayward crop of curly brown hair as unruly as the man himself, hands that looked capable of uprooting a willow tree." When people tell him that he can't do something Baba goes out and proves them wrong, which he did with an orphanage, his marriage, and four successful businesses.
...
This recording's about halfway through:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bgYOLSqBgSWEpDbrKGTBLk91nHA5Iu35/view?usp=drivesdk

Protected: Writing prompts : when words on page just can’t excite anymore


https://thewriteelements.wordpress.com/2019/01/09/writing-prompts-when-words-on-page-just-cant-excite-anymore/

a password protected post

inspiring through sites like l s , e .com, and even using Star Wars
For primary / elementary school kids

Saturday 5 January 2019

Discursive essay 1 : it is often said that people are too concerned with getting things and spending money. What is your opinion?

https://thewriteelements.wordpress.com/2019/01/05/discursive-essay-1-it-is-often-said-that-people-are-too-concerned-with-getting-things-and-spending-money-what-is-your-opinion/


Teachers won't gripe, they're professional like that.
I, however, need to.
I've become so sick of this topic because of how many times I've had to explain it to each individual. Imagine a class! I'm using one student as my example of how frightening it is when you're too lazy to read a book or practice writing.
Out of your own volition, I want to stress that.
Can someone explain how if you read essays, it doesn't translate to any GK going into your brain?
Simple.
I'm going to answer my own rhetorical question: they don't care.
You skim and it doesn't go into your brain unless you have photographic memory.
You don't practice and it doesn't go into your brain unless you have photographic memory.
  • I know they try and they feel bad if what they found on the internet (initially) doesn't work out. I'm sorry, I have a standard that's higher than blatantly copying everything without thinking
  • (I know this because when I asked how the idea of "gambling" can be used in the body of one of the paragraphs on greed - that word in itself took forever - he didn't realise, "hey, I was writing copying an entire chunk about benefits" of gambling and casinos. UGH)
  • Of course trying to come up with your own words means a whole other can of worms 🙄
  • The initial mindmap and essay with my extensive corrections is on a private post

Research , research , research

Discursive essay 1 : it is often said that people are too concerned with getting things and spending money. What is your opinion?

https://thewriteelements.wordpress.com/2019/01/05/discursive-essay-1-it-is-often-said-that-people-are-too-concerned-with-getting-things-and-spending-money-what-is-your-opinion/

photos of mindmap and research on my work blog

https://thewriteelements.wordpress.com/2019/01/05/discursive-essay-1-it-is-often-said-that-people-are-too-concerned-with-getting-things-and-spending-money-what-is-your-opinion-2/

protected post with essay done




Teachers won’t gripe, they’re professional like that.
I, however, need to.
I’ve become so sick of this topic because of how many times I’ve had to explain it to each individual. Imagine a class! I’m using one student as my example of how frightening it is when you’re too lazy to read a book or practice writing.
Out of your own volition, I want to stress that.
Can someone explain how if you read essays, it doesn’t translate to any GK going into your brain?
Simple.
I’m going to answer my own rhetorical question: they don’t care.
You skim and it doesn’t go into your brain unless you have photographic memory.
You don’t practice and it doesn’t go into your brain unless you have photographic memory.

  • I know they try and they feel bad if what they found on the internet (initially) doesn’t work out. I’m sorry, I have a standard that’s higher than blatantly copying everythingwithout thinking
  • (I know this because when I asked how the idea of “gambling” can be used in the body of one of the paragraphs on greed – that word in itself took forever – he didn’t realise, “hey, I was writing copying an entire chunk about benefits” of gambling and casinos. UGH)
  • Of course trying to come up with your own words means a whole other can of worms ðŸ™„
  • The initial mindmap and essay with my extensive corrections is on a private post
  • Thursday 3 January 2019

    Macbeth Lessons 11-12 Act II Scene II-Act III Scene I


    Lesson 11 has become a transition into his self studying; though he still depended on my translations he’s begun to read the different parts on his own.
    Covering Act II Scenes II-III, you’ll hear less of me this time
    Lesson 12 is what I’d like to call tough love. We’re hitting the books, and he’s got his Cambridge issue where there’re photos, guiding vocabulary but no translations given. I’m happy to say he’s progressed where he can (mostly) understand Shakespeare’s language. Mostly.
    (As usual the Macbeth portion of the lessons don’t last for two hours because I still have to cover different aspects of learning English ðŸ˜”)


    https://thewriteelements.wordpress.com/2019/01/03/macbeth-lessons-11-12-act-ii-scene-ii-act-iii-scene-i/

    Sunday 30 December 2018

    MURRRRRDERRRRR : Macbeth Lesson 10 Act II Scene II



    I only had about forty minutes before class ended to go through the first murder in Macbeth. There’s never enough time ðŸ˜©
    To reinforce Lady Macbeth’s behavior from the previous lesson I did an activity where ...
    Let’s listen 
    For more -

    Saturday 29 December 2018

    Signposts in literature : an excuse to watch videos



    I'll be the first to admit, even to my students, really picking out signposts is quite hard to understand without an example or two in actual books and films to relate to

    And mind you I wasn't taught this in school either. My brain does me proud.

    For the post,I have it on my wordpress but it’s protected by a password, obviously