Hot Shots L.A. Course Information
Ms. Taliaferro
EDUCATION
2002 Master of Arts in Elementary Education, Texas A&M Commerce, Commerce, Texas
Email: taliafs@hpisd.org
Ms. Taliaferro's Website: bit.ly/hotshots-la
Hot Shots Team Website: bit.ly/hotshotsteam
School Website: http://mishpms.hpisd.org
School Twitter: taliafsla
(Note: to receive tweets as texts, even without a Twitter account, text to 40404 with the message "follow taliafsla")
School Instagram: taliafsla
(Note: this account is private, so if I do not recognize the username of the person requesting to follow me, I decline the request. If your name is not part of your username, send me an email to let me know you're requesting to follow me. Then, I won't turn down your request!)
*Students who do not use social media can still be entirely successful in language arts class! The use of social media is supplemental. All important information is communicated during class, posted on the board for students to record in their agendas, and posted on my class website (which is linked to Google Calendar). In additional, I send emails to parents via Skyward throughout the year.
Dear Parents (and students),
Welcome to 7th Grade Language Arts and the Hot Shots Team! I look forward to the many opportunities I’ll have in the upcoming year to share experiences in reading and writing with your child. I devote myself to learning all that I can about how children learn to read and write well, what the current research is saying to us about reading and writing teaching strategies, and what the best teachers in the country are doing that works with learners. Coupled with that are the experiences and strengths each child brings to the classroom, so I provide many opportunities for differentiating instruction appropriately for my diverse learners.
7th GRADE L.A. LEARNING TARGETS
The focus of middle school language arts is communication. I believe that the objectives (learning targets) for reading, writing, grammar, spelling, vocabulary, and listening and speaking are for the purpose of developing students into thinkers who can understand and clearly communicate ideas with conviction. Throughout the year we will engage in an ongoing discussion about what this word means and how it impacts students! I will guide them in forming opinions about what we read, write, and discuss in and outside of class. Students will be encouraged to share what they think, but they will need to be ready to explain their own opinions and to listen to what others have to say! Our classroom will be a safe environment because together we will form a community.
READING
To read well, students must read often. I plan many opportunities for independent, group, and class reading with a variety of texts. Some texts will be part of the district’s curriculum, but students will also have opportunities to choose what to read. An exploration of various genres will be part of our reading study this year with both class novels and other texts. Students will process, reflect, and analyze what they read through a variety of activities including discussion and journal writing. Many Mondays class will begin with "Monday Musings", an opportunity for students to write about assigned or independent reading. Fridays will regularly include time (alternating weeks) for students to "free write" or "free read." I will be available to help students by choose books they'll enjoy, and the class will visit the library together at least once a quarter for book talks and checkout.
To assess and evaluate learning and growth that occurs in each student, I look at both personal response (how the student develops informed opinions about what s/he read) and literary responses (how the student communicates about elements of literature and writing mechanics). Lessons will address concepts of genre, author, perspective, comprehension, self-assessment, and other effective reading skills. Students will be asked to respond to what they read in various ways (forums, journals, projects, book groups, discussions, cooperative groupings, book shares, tests, etc.), so that I can measure both how they are learning and whether they have learned the concepts being taught.
NOVEL STUDIES
As a class, students will take part in a number of novel studies including The Outsiders, The Giver, and The Lions of Little Rock. This offers a chance to work on class discussion skills (listening, questioning, and speaking), analyze literature together, and to develop writing abilities in addition to establishing a community of readers.
WRITING
As is the case with reading, students must write often to become effective writers. Writing is a powerful instrument of thought and allows students to learn not only about themselves, but also about other people, cultures, and the world itself. Writing encompasses a process in which the writer develops a purpose, sets goals, builds ideas, drafts, revises, and edits until the piece has met its intended purpose. To that end, our major focus will be on the process of writing. Students will write diverse writing pieces of varying lengths throughout the school year. Teacher-led lessons will be used frequently to teach specific aspects of writing, grammar, and mechanics. Students will then practice these new skills and apply their knowledge in their writing pieces and then reflect and evaluate both the process and their final work to determine strengths, weaknesses, and growth. Reading what others have written, responding to others’ writing, and listening to others’ responses to his/her own writing are important activities in the classroom. In addition, alternating Fridays will regularly include time for students to "free write." I will help students by providing inspiration for writing through prompts, images, current issues, etc.
This year students will continue to develop their online writing portfolio. Reviewing previous writing (including sixth grade pieces) will be an important part of the writing process. Students will publish final writing products and post comments reflecting on the learning and growth that took place during the process. Reflection is a critical component to learning and a life-long skill that will be developed throughout the year. Writing products will continue to be added to this portfolio in eighth grade.
SPELLING & VOCABULARY
Students will use tools and resources to check spelling, study commonly misused words (often homonyms), and review various prefixes and suffixes as well as Greek and Latin roots.
All students will also have vocabulary in context during each novel study. Students will learn the meanings of words as well as part of speech, synonyms, and antonyms. They will be expected to use the words in both their written and spoken vocabulary throughout the year.
RESEARCH
Students will have multiple opportunities to participate in research projects this year. Two major studies will be mythology and social issues. Inquiry and research skills will be taught and practiced during these studies. Other skills regarding the use of reference materials and the ethical use of resources will be practiced throughout the year.
ASSESSMENT
Both formative and summative assessments will be used throughout the year. The purpose of formative assessments is to gauge students' understanding as they learn. Such assessments show me whether students understand the content and enable me to make good instructional decisions based on the students' needs. Summative assessments are used to measure students' growth and their mastery of the learning targets.
The language arts learning targets will be assessed by a variety of methods. I will make every effort to clearly explain the expectations for each assignment. Grading rubrics will be handed out for major projects and papers along with a specific description of the assignment and due dates.
- Work Habits Grades (participation, preparation, behavior) - are displayed in Skyward but not weighted, meaning they are not part of the student's LA average
- Practice Grades (initial work on concepts and skills) - are displayed in Skyward but not weighted, meaning they are not part of the student's LA average
- Minor Grades – make up 40% of the 9-weeks’ average
- Major Grades (tests, long-term writing assignments, major projects) – make up 60% of the 9-weeks’ average
Each assignment in Skyward will include a description of the assignment as well as its connection to specific learning targets. Students are always welcome to see me if they have questions regarding any assessment.
This year Skyward will reflect your student's work habits. The purpose of communicating work habits in Skyward is to separate students' content mastery from their work habits in order to get a clearer understanding of both. Work habits include participation, assignments (punctuality, quality, plagiarism, etc.), and behavior. Like practice assignments, work habits grades do not affect a student's average because the entries have a weight of 0%. Tracking a student's work habits is essential to developing an accurate picture of the student as a learner!
CLASSROOM PROCEDURES
A good classroom is a safe classroom – one that is well-supervised and managed so that EVERYONE has equal opportunities to learn. The following procedures have been established to ensure an effective learning environment:
Students are expected to come to class demonstrating appropriate behavior for learning - take assigned seats, get out materials for Language Arts class, and prepare themselves to learn.
We will take turns talking; (students) be sure to listen to me so that I am also prepared to listen to you when it’s your turn.
We work with partners or in groups quite often. Sometimes students choose who they will work with while other times I assign the groups based on professional decision-making appropriate to the learning objectives. Groups change frequently, so students will get to know their classmates better. All students are expected to work respectfully with each member of the group. (Students) Please let me know if the group is having a problem that you can’t resolve on your own. Each member gets his/her own grade: my observations of participation, cooperation, etc. by each group member will be factored into any grade for the assignment. Students in the same group may not earn the same grade based on members’ choices during group work.
Make-up work will mostly be shared online through Google Drive and Google Classroom. However, there are also folders on wall for each class period. Students who have been absent should check their LA period's folder upon return to see what was missed and can see me if they need clarification on any missed assignments. Requests for work to be sent to the counseling office for pick-up can be made after a student has been absent three days. Students are always encouraged to check the class website for missed assignments as well as Drive and Classroom.
Other procedures may be designed throughout the year to help streamline the classroom working environment.
MATERIALS (from the wrap pack) for Language Arts Class
1 divider tab in the red multi-class binder
1 composition book for writing
1 copy of the novel The Outsiders
COMMUNICATION
My class website will be updated every day to include a summary of class time and to post the homework. Homework is also posted on Google Calendar.
The Hot Shots team will host three Open Team Meetings (OTMs) throughout the year to share information about what the students are learning and any other important information. The Open Team Meeting dates will be posted on the team website.
I often share reminders with students via Twitter. Neither students nor parents need an account to receive my tweets as text messages. If you would like to receive the reminders, simply type "404040" in the "To" box of a text. Then, type "follow taliafsla" in the message box and hit "send." This is called "fast-following" on Twitter! Each time I tweet, fast followers will receive the tweet as a text message.
Finally, I like to send announcements and updates via Skyward because it's a very efficient way to reach parents. I can send an email to an entire class or the whole team at once! Please be sure your email is correct in Skyward so that you receive these messages!
The best way to reach me is by email. I only have a few minutes each day to access the telephone, but email is accessible in my classroom. Some days are especially busy, but you should expect to hear from me within 24 hours. If you haven't, please check to see that I received your email. Sometimes messages get lost in the spam folder!
STUDENTS & SELF-ADVOCACY
Please click here and complete the survey to let me know that you have read the course prospectus. Thank you!