English Classes
This week, all English classes worked to cultivate a growth mindset through writing and discussion. Writing prompts like “Would you rather have an easy life or a challenging life?” and “What does it mean to have a ‘successful’ life?” generated meaningful academic discussion and introduced the idea of multiple viewpoints. Students offered me valuable information in an activity centered around what an exceptional English class is like. Many shared ideas about project-based learning, choice reading, and academic writing, among many others. The week ended with an activity called Funds of Knowledge, which promotes the idea that every student has a “fund” of knowledge (often not traditionally academic), which enhances the entire group’s learning experience. Students learned that they and their classmates are dynamic people. They are scouts, gamers, readers, cooks, athletes, etc. They are compassionate, intelligent, witty, and kind. Those interests and personality traits can be harnessed in discussion, book choice, writing, and beyond. In the end, our work in growth mindset paired with Friday’s Leadership Ranch activities to construct the foundation of a classroom community in which all students feel valued, respected, and empowered.
Electives
The scholars of Utopian/Dystopian Literature worked to research and propose books for the semester’s reading list. They drafted mini-arguments in favor of their top picks. Next, we spent time establishing genre frameworks. We discussed the definitions, characteristics, and types of both utopian and dystopian societies. Students practiced skills of close reading and annotation in guided notes analysis. They made impressive genre connections to modern films and contemporary texts. Our discussion highlighted the frequent overlap between the dystopian and sci-fi genres.
Public Speaking students hit the ground running. To date, each has delivered four impromptu speeches. The practice of choosing a random topic and speaking whatever comes to mind helps students become comfortable being “on stage.” The exercise also builds confidence in our future efforts; after all, if students can speak with no time to prepare, prepared speaking should be that much more accessible. After speaking exercises, we viewed communication expert Julian Treasure’s TED talks on speaking and listening. Students learned the Cornell note taking method and debriefed after each talk.
–Ms. Courtney Brown, Upper School English
