English Class


Grammar. Literature. Essays. Writing devices. Story plots. I am in my own personal Heaven. English class, whether I am diagramming sentences with grade school students or reading complex text with high school students, I am having fun. I told you I’m a grammar geek.

With the elementary grades, I assist the students with creating vivid, exciting sentences for their spelling words or stories. To keep their minds dynamic, I suggest the students think in specifics rather than generals. In a third grade class I substituted for, we did a few spelling words together.

I wrote a general sentence on the board using the spelling word “swoop”:

A bird swoops down to the river to catch a fish.

Then I engaged the students to give me particulars, to paint a vivid image of what they were thinking about.

What kind of bird? Was it an eagle, a falcon , or a terradactyl?

Did it have talons? [This gives me a chance to increase their vocabulary, if they don’t know this word.]

Where was the bird before it took off? Was it on the top of a cliff, a mountain, or a dead tree?

What’s the name of the river? Was the water wild, turbulent, or tranquil? [Possibly new vocabulary here again.]

What kind of fish did it catch? Picture it in your mind, I tell them. Was it a largemouth bass, a trout, maybe a salmon?

Our final sentence for the spelling word “swoop” was:

The eagle swoops down from its nest on the bare cliff ledge to rake its talons through the tranquil water of the Colorado River and snatch a rainbow trout.

At the high school level, I get to expand my mind a little more. There is so much great literature out there that I haven’t read. I’ve learned to look for deeper meaning in literature, be it a novel, poem, or play. And I do so enjoy a story with a profound plot, something to contemplate. No, I don’t find everything. I make discoveries in the text right along with the students most times. I can place the story or poem in its historical context for students, explaining–when the teacher leaves me notes or when I know–the culture and timeframe of the story or poem. I clarify plots and character actions that I notice for the students.

Even in English class, I learn something new, be it a new story or new vocabulary or a new way to present a concept. This is what makes substitute teaching exciting and challenging. I just need to make sure that my insight and information are grade appropriate.

3 thoughts on “English Class”

  1. I want to take your English class! What a richer sentence you created with the class. It's amazing what writers can do with a simple idea.

    You should visit Tiffany's blog "Something About Everything". She subs and loves English/grammar/diagraming sentences.

    Reply
  2. Thank you, Theresa. I think my writing ability, coupled with the theatre bug in me, add to my substituting qualities.

    I will seek out Tiffany's blog. I bet there are a lot of us Grammar Geeks out there. I'd love to connect to some.

    Thank you, so much, Theresa, for reading my blog.

    Reply
  3. High School and Intermediate Education Board The Uttar Pradesh State Government Administered Autonomous Examining Authority for the Standard 10th Examination of Uttar Pradesh is headquartered in Prayagraj, India. UP Highschool Model Paper 2022 The UP Board will be conducting the High School Public Exam 2022 very soon, and the UPMSP 10th Date Sheet 2022 Pdf for Hindi and English Medium is available on the official website. Every year in the month of March, the UP Board conducts the High School Final Exam, which attracts over 28 lakh students. UP Question Paper 2022 for 10th Class is extremely important to know the Pdf Format of the Sample Paper for the upcoming High School Exam 2022.

    Reply

Leave a Comment