How to Use the Hyphen Correctly

Knowing how to use punctuation marks correctly is important in any type of writing.  As many of you know, it takes years of practice to apply punctuation rules like an expert.  Recently, the proper use of a hyphen sparked my curiosity, and even though I’ve been using hyphens for years, I decided it was time to revisit the rules for using that “little line.” 

A hyphen is a punctuation mark (-) that is used to form some compound words and adjectives. It is also used to connect the syllables of a word that has been divided at the end of a line. The rules for using a hyphen are straightforward, but a writer can choose to add them for clarity if necessary.  Let’s take a look at the rules!

Whether you’ve tried to use a hyphen in your writing or completely avoided them like so many do, now that you know the rules, you can try adding them once in a while.  The use of hyphens can add voice and personality to your writing! So, go have some fun experimenting with hyphens! 

Back-to-School Planning: Creating Shurley English Centers

As you relax into your summer break and feel the freedom of each day, consider thinking about those learning centers you wanted to create during the school year but never had the time to do.  With a clear mind and more time to tap into your right brain, creating Shurley English Learning Centers might just be a fun little project to work on.  My two-part series called, "Shurley English Centers for Your ELA Classroom," will teach you how to create them step-by-step.   Here’s a quick review:

GET ORGANIZED:

1.     Select the subject materials you would like to develop.

2.     Decide how many learning centers to create. (Computer stations can count as one.)

3.     Plan where each center will be located.

4.     Determine the student objectives for each activity.

5.     Calculate the amount of time to allow at each center.  Decide if learning centers will be open on a weekly basis or a specific day of the week.  How long will the learning center be used?

6.    Name each learning center.  On a sheet of paper, write a description of the center.  Then, write the step-by-step explanatory instructions to complete each task.

7.     Be sure to review the expectations with your class before the centers officially open and close your learning centers with a "Wrap-up Session" or "Take-Away Time."

GET FOCUSED:

M.E.A.P.S. is the acronym used to explain the characteristics included in effective learning centers. The letters stand for:

Multisensory: Activities should appeal to all learning styles!  Students will
"See It, Hear It, Say It, Do It!"

Engaging: Strive for 100% student participation!

Aligned: Content must support your current classroom instruction.

Purposeful: Centers should serve a purpose to support learning. Watch students in action and assess what you need to assess!

Student directed: Students should be able to follow directions without teacher help. They should be responsible and accountable for their own learning.

GET CREATIVE:

Here are some ideas for learning centers that will support Shurley English curriculum:

1.  Listening/Video/Jingles

2.  Question & Answer Flow Practice

3.  Practice & Revised Sentences/Sentence Blueprints

4.  Writing

5.  Silent Station

6.  Teacher Station/Float

Remember to come back next week to see even more information about creating classroom learning centers.  The most important thing is for you to develop centers that will support your curriculum in a fun and creative way.  Your students will thank you!

Why Downtime is Beneficial for Students

If you’ve been following our Shurley English Blog posts you know we’ve been flooding you with creative ideas on how to continue supporting your students’ academic progress throughout the summer.  We are also aware that with the high demands placed upon our children in today’s U.S. classrooms, it’s evident that children (and adults) have fewer opportunities to truly unwind and relax. 

Today, my suggestion is to remember to INCLUDE some “DOWNTIME” into your child’s daily summer schedule…here’s why:

*Research shows time off-task is important for proper brain function & health.

*The brain uses 20% of the body’s energy while on-task.

*Napping 10-30 minutes can increase alertness and improve performance.

*Meditation is a way to give the brain a break from work and refresh our ability to concentrate.

*Resting mental states help us process our experiences, consolidate memories, reinforce learning, regulate our attention & emotions, and keep us productive!

Downtime will give the brain an opportunity to make sense of what has just been learned, and shifting off-task can actually help learners refresh their minds, gain insight, and return to the task with more focus.

Time off-task isn’t always wasted time or a sign of laziness! I encourage you to create the balance between being a “human-being” and a “human-doing” this summer!      

Shurley English Best Practices: Self-Reflection and Evaluation

As you wrap up the semester and give your students their final grades, I invite you to reflect on your own progress and growth as a Shurley English Teacher.  At the beginning of the school year, I always encourage Shurley English teachers to review these tips on how to become the "perfect" Shurley teacher.  Here's a quick recap:

1.  STICK TO THE SCRIPT as closely as possible.

2.  Create an atmosphere in your classroom where YOU & YOUR STUDENTS are willing to TAKE RISKS.

3.  GIVE YOURSELF PERMISSION TO MAKE MISTAKES.

4. HAVE FUN & JUST BE YOU!

Now, I want you to take a few moments to reflect on how well you were able to implement these tips.

Consider these questions to help you get started:

*How well were you able to stick to the teaching script?  What was challenging about it? How was the teaching script helpful?

*Recall a time when you saw a student taking a risk during your lesson.  Also, recall a time when you realized YOU were taking a risk in the classroom!  What might you do differently in your classroom next year to help you and your students feel safe enough to take more academic risks?

*Jot down 10 mistakes you think you made throughout the school year.  (If you didn’t make that many mistakes, maybe consider taking a few more risks.)  ;)  After you jot them down, LAUGH and let them go!

*Describe a moment in your classroom when you felt like you were having honest fun by being your authentic self.  Remember that feeling and repeat again next school year!

Self-reflection is an important part to becoming the best teacher you can be. Take what you have learned and set goals. Do another self-reflection and set new goals. Remember...

“Wisdom is not a product of schooling but of the lifelong attempt to acquire it.” -Einstein

Summer Learning: How to Keep Language Arts Skills Sharp

Slurpees, sunshine, swimming, sunbathing, relaxing, travel, camping, barbecues, bike rides, fireworks, friends, and LANGUAGE ARTS! Of course, summer vacation might include some of these foot-loose and fancy-free things, but it’s also an opportunity to keep parents engaged in their child’s learning over the summer months.

Remember, the key to success in whatever you want to do is setting goals for yourself. Encourage families to set short and long term academic goals for the summer. (I've included a great bonus lesson on Setting Goals at the end of this post!)

Here are three great ways to keep your child's Language Arts skills sharp this summer:

1. Summer Reading

Check out your school’s suggested Reading List or get started with the list below to keep your students reading fluently! (Need more book ideas? Be sure to check out the suggested reading list located in the back of your Shurley English Teacher's Manual.)

2. Question & Answer Flow Practice

Keep the Shurley English Question & Answer Flow fresh in students’ minds! You can create your own summer practice packet from sentences found in your Shurley English workbook, or you can purchase a Sentence Booklet that contains new sentences to classify. Either way, you'll be sure to keep those classification skills sharp and automatic with Q&A Flow practice. 

3. Reflective Journal

Create a reflective journal to document the summer break. Fill this journal with creative drawings, poems, homemade songs/raps, and free writing about unique summer experiences. Journaling gives learners a chance to really tap into their creative side and get outside the rigid box of structured writing. (I encourage you to learn more about the value of journaling here.)

You’ve probably heard the saying, “Out of sight, out of mind.” This summer, I challenge you to keep what your children have learned throughout the school year in sight. Keep their minds sharp and know that you are supporting their growth towards confident, competent communication!

BONUS LESSON: Setting Goals

The Value of Journal Writing (...and how to get started)

Mrs. Riddle, my sixth grade teacher, is one of the reasons I became a teacher.  I’ll never forget the year I was in her class; it was my final year as an elementary student.  I have so many memories, like the day the total solar eclipse happened; it was so dark!  Then, there was the time I cried because I got a “D” on my Social Studies test.  That’s the day I realized I wasn’t perfect.  Another memory I’ll never forget was the day my classmates and I watched the Challenger explode on television during Science class!  All of these were big events and are still vivid scenes in my mind, but there was something else that set Mrs. Riddle’s class apart and that I still hold dear.  Every day after lunch, she would give us time to write in our own personal journals.  She created an opportunity for us to write about something personal, or we could follow a given prompt.  We could even share what we wrote with the class if we liked.  You see, Mrs. Riddle was that teacher who, of course, was dedicated to our academic success.  She cared about our lives outside of her classroom, so she took Journal Time seriously. Believe it or not, I still have my 6th grade journal!

I confess. I didn’t really enjoy writing because I never thought I was very good at it, but in my journal, I always had a lot to say and write.  I don’t remember learning such detailed writing structure as what Shurley English teaches, so I never really knew how to organize my writing.  That’s why I enjoyed journaling-there were no rules! 

I do believe journaling gives learners a chance to really tap into their creative side, and get outside of the rigid box of structured writing.  Journaling secretly gives students a tool to clear their minds and relieve stress.  If we can de-clutter our minds, especially of the negative junk that moves in and takes over, then maybe we can free-up space for more creative thoughts to reside.  What an invaluable tool to teach our young learners. 

In my own classroom, I chose to follow Mrs. Riddle’s lead.  Shurley English was the curriculum that supported my Journal Time.  It supplied specific prompts from which my students could choose, or it allowed for students to create their own interesting prompts with my approval, of course.  Yes, reading 25-30 journals took some time, but the result of doing so allowed me to develop a connection with my students that was unique and rewarding! 

I think journals are special and meant to be a safe way for people to get creative without judgement.  As I reflect 31 years later, I do believe that Mrs. Riddle saw the value in journaling; she knew this was much more than a time-filler.  She knew it was a tool that her students could take into adulthood. I'm so glad I did!

Below are some tools to help you get started with Journal Time in your own classroom.

How to Choose the Best Homeschooling Curriculum

SPOILER ALERT:  I’m going to get personal and invite you to ask yourself some tough questions. Stay with me. I promise you'll be glad you did!

At a recent educator’s convention, I interacted with a parent and teacher who was searching for a Grammar and Writing curriculum.  I gently offered her some verbal information, a flyer about Shurley English, and gave her some space.  I observed her leaf through the pages of an older, black and white version of the curriculum with convincing focus.  Then, a confused look on her face invited me to initiate further conversation, so I asked her if she was looking for anything specific… “Grammar and Writing” was her response.  I assured her she was in the right place and began sharing with her the big picture of how Shurley English makes the Grammar-Writing Connection.  I let her know that our latest edition was in a digital format, she immediately said, “This isn’t for my son; I don’t want him on the computer because he gets too distracted,” and she bolted out of the booth.  A surge of questions rushed through my head as I was choking on the dust her trail left behind.  The question that lingered in my mind most was, “Is this curriculum not a good fit for YOU or YOUR CHILD?"

Learning styles are groups of common ways people learn.  We all have a mix of learning styles that may suit us, and some learners have a dominant style.  We utilize different styles based on the situation we are in, too.  We are able to develop our less dominant learning styles and further develop our preferred style.  This experience really nagged at me because the next question that popped up in my mind was, “I wonder if she even knows what type of learner her son is, and does she know what type of a learner she is?”  Whether you’re teaching one child or 30 children, knowing students’ preferred learning style is vital to being an effective teacher!  As a side-note, as an adult and life-long learner, life can be much simpler if you understand YOUR preferred style of learning.

Get familiar with these different styles of learning:

1. Verbal
2. Visual
3. Auditory
4. Kinesthetic
5. Logical
6. Social
7. Solitary

Source Credit: https://bonniegillespie.com/is-your-learning-style-the-problem/

Sadly, many schools and teachers still use more traditional teaching methods which equates to a limited range of teaching and learning techniques.  Sitting in individual desks (cubicles) and book-based teaching with lectures, reviews, and exams work for some learners, but not all, and many that don’t fit into that box have been labeled with behavior issues, learning disabilities, and even less intelligent.  Hmmm?  That would explain why I struggled in certain subject areas growing up, and why the field of Teaching was so appealing to me; I knew there were multiple ways to learn.  We are all different, so why would anyone think that there is just ONE way to learn? 

If you’re teaching Shurley English, I don’t have to tell you that our method of teaching and the strategies used are for ALL STUDENTS…Shurley students SEE IT, HEAR IT, SAY IT, & DO IT!  As for my convention experience, I respect the parent-teacher’s opinion and decision, but I can’t help but wonder, “What if her child doesn’t learn in the exact same way she does?  What if the child could be engaged in learning and not distracted while on the computer?”  Did this teacher fail to consider the topic of learning style and just miss a huge opportunity for her son/student to become a competent, confident communicator…for life? Being an effective educator is not just about reading from the teacher’s manual in each subject, it’s all about getting below the surface-know your child, know your students, and know the curriculum you teach!

How to Create a Positive Learning Experience

Remember a day when you woke up on the wrong side of the bed, spilled your coffee on your way to work, your students ended up not being the angels you taught the previous day, and it was nowhere close to being Friday.  Can you remember how you approached teaching your students that day?  Were you “on-edge,” grumpy, upset, impatient, irritable, or even lacking compassion towards them?  Don’t forget, YOU’RE HUMAN and this happens because life happens!  My point in bringing this up is to remind you that your students respond to your approach to teaching them; they sense the positivity or negativity you bring to the lesson and will model themselves after their teacher.

Simply put, the KEY ingredients in creating a positive learning experience are...

1. your attitude,
2. your energy,
3. and your vibe.

I believe this information is valuable in teaching, especially when teaching Shurley English, because your attitude/energy/vibe can directly affect student engagement, and by now you know how much student-teacher interaction is incorporated into the curriculum.  Whether you’ve had a sub-par day or you haven’t quite fallen in love with teaching Shurley English yet, your students are still depending on you to deliver the tools they need to become good writers.  If you approach teaching Shurley English with an open mind, some humor, and an intention to have fun while learning, you and your students will be set up to have a positive learning experience.

If you, the teacher, have not been properly trained, have questions or concerns about the curriculum, and have a difficult time trusting the process, your students may be modeling your current viewpoint, which could be resulting in a lack of participation and overall interest in the subject matter.  The K-8th grade Shurley English curriculum is designed for your students to “See It, Hear It, Say It, & Do It!”  All the teacher has to do is approach each lesson with some positive enthusiasm and raise his/her eyebrows every once in a while to get a few smiles and 100% participation.  Don’t hesitate to call our corporate office to get your questions answered, schedule a webinar training, or invest in some on-site training with one of our Certified Consultants; we truly want you to have a successful year teaching Shurley English. 

I previously posted a blog called, The Perfect Shurley Teacher, which might be helpful if you feel like I’m speaking to you.  Also, consider this…when I lead teacher trainings, my goal is to make sure everyone sees and understands the big picture of what Shurley English was created to do while also stressing the importance of consistency and using the curriculum with fidelity to give your students the opportunity to be the best writer they can be.  Shurley English is a treasure chest full of gems waiting for you to bedazzle your classroom, so do what you, personally, need to do to give your students the BEST version of their TEACHER and have an enjoyable Shurley experience!

Shurley English Centers for Your ELA Classroom

(This is part two of a two-part series on Language Arts Centers. If you missed part one, you can find it here.)

Now that you’ve decided to create Shurley English Centers in your classroom and have solidified the details of my  7 Must Dos, let’s brainstorm some topics and activities that you might decide to include in your Shurley Centers!

Here are some possible center/station ideas to get you started:

  1. Listening/Video/Jingles

-Have groups practice some of the Shurley English Jingles that stump them. (Preposition Flow, Transition Words, Eight Parts of Speech)

-Allow groups to record a video of themselves performing their favorite Shurley English Jingle.

-Have the group listen to and view different videos from YouTube that show other classrooms practicing their Shurley English Jingles; see if this helps your class gain some new ideas for “jazzing up” their current jingles.

2. Question & Answer Flow Practice

-Create a sheet with a set of Practice Sentences on it. Place the sheet in a plastic protector. Allow group members to partner up to lead each other through the Q&A Flow; one person uses a dry erase maker to label the sentences as the other person recites the Q&A Flow. (Be sure to create several Practice Sentence sheets for this center.)

3.  Practice & Revised Sentences/Sentence Blueprints

- Have a pre-written sentence or two prepared as the Original Sentence for students to work from.  Ask them to use different Sentence Structure Strategies to revise the Original Sentence.  Be sure to have dictionaries and thesauruses available at the center.  Students can draw a picture of their Revised Sentence and can be expected to share it during the Wrap-Up if they’d like. 

-Vocabulary and Spelling activities can be incorporated into this center, as well.  Have students create a fill-in-the-blank worksheet. Each student can write sentences that use words from the Power Words list.  Students can exchange papers with their group members to become familiar seeing and using these new words.

4.  Writing

–Have a fishbowl of different fun, quick writing prompts ready for students to individually choose and write about.  Include specific writing requirements such as including compound and complex sentences, incorporating Power Words, including inverted word order sentences, using colors to circle different parts of speech or types of sentences, and following the Three-Point Paragraph organizational format, etc.

-Pull in a part of the Writing Process for students to work on.

-Allow students to record themselves reading their rough draft to help them revise a short writing piece.

-Use a Writing Across the Curriculum activity here…just get the materials ready and you’re all set!

5.  Silent Station

-It’s nice to have a quiet group or two. If possible, a Chapter Check-Up or Classroom Practice worksheet can be assigned here to be completed independently and graded.

-Reading and Literature Time are incorporated into the Shurley English curriculum, so don’t hesitate to include a reading passage, poem, or research time into this type of Learning Center.

6.  Teacher Station/Float

-I often placed myself at a center where I reviewed a tricky concept with students to make sure they received more individualized attention and differentiated instruction. 

-Float around and monitor each center from a distance.  This allows the students to experience a sense of freedom that can build autonomy, independence, and self-confidence…you are showing them that you trust them to be active self-managers.             

Remember, all instructions should be typed out at each center in order for each group to follow them independently, along with all necessary materials/supplies for each activity.

The Bottom Line-BE CREATIVE & HAVE FUN!!

How to Implement Successful Language Arts Centers

Anyone up for an out-of-the-box challenge?

When I was a classroom teacher in the 90’s some of us teachers were in the business of creating student-led learning centers or stations for Math, Science, or Language Arts.  I loved creating and hosting centers in my classroom because it gave my students the opportunity to collaborate in small groups, be a leader among their classmates, and learn subject material on a deeper level. 

You might be asking, “What is a Learning Center?” 

A Learning Center is typically a designated area in the classroom that provides students with experiences to practice, reteach, and enhance their learning.  Most Learning Centers are filled with creative, hands-on activities and the necessary materials to carry out those activities independently or in small groups.  Participating in Learning Centers requires students to take responsibility and accountability for their own learning.  Learning Centers give teachers the chance to truly teach to the different learning styles of their students-to differentiate instruction.

Creating centers was a bit time consuming, yes, but if you had all your ducks in a row the payoff felt very satisfying! If you are a multi-tasker with good time management skills, can be organized and prepared in advance, and are an effective classroom manager…you can pull it off!  As far as the classroom expectations or rules go, they don’t change and each center may have additional rules; your students are essentially responsible for themselves. You are the guide-by-the-side in this scenario!

WARNING: If you tend to get frustrated with a little bit of chaos or teach from a more scattered, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants approach, centers could end up being a stressful nightmare and may not be for you.

Characteristics of Effective Centers:

Remember, each center should be purposeful to the growth and academic progress of the student, not just busy work.  And, centers give YOU the opportunity to place yourself at one center to teach a small group, or you may choose to monitor your students by weaving your way through each center. Here are some important characteristics of effective centers, also known as, "M.E.A.P.S."

Multisensory-Create activities that appeal to all learning styles! See It, Hear It, Say It, Do It!

Engaging-Strive for 100% student participation!

Aligned-Content must support your current classroom instruction.

Purposeful-This should not be just a bunch of busy work; see your students in action & assess what you need to assess!

Student directed-Students should be able to follow the given directions without teacher assistance and be responsible and accountable for their own learning.

Let's Create a Center...the logistics!

Now, you're ready to begin creating centers, right?!? Let's consider these seven MUST DOs as you get started. 

1. Decide on which subject material to focus.
2. Decide how many Learning Centers to create. (Computer stations can count as one.)
3. Where will the centers be located?
4. Determine what you want your students to learn or be able to do through the activities.
5. Calculate how much time is allowed at each center and decide if you’d like to keep the centers open on a weekly basis on a specific day for a certain number of weeks.
6. Name each Learning Center.  Write a description of the center, instructions on what to do, and the task to complete.
7. Be sure to review the expectations with your class before the centers officially open and close your Learning Centers with a Wrap-up Session or Take-Away Time.

I found it doable to have 4-6 students per group, depending on the number of centers I had created.  I was also able to devote up to two hours during my instructional time for centers, so my students would be in each center for 20 minutes.  Before the rotation began, I would give the group guidelines and expectations for each center so they could be totally engaged for the full 20 minutes.  At the end of the final rotation, I would bring the whole group back together for a “Wrap-Up” in order to bring the experience to a close.  It also worked to take two days to complete all the rotations in the Learning Center, but as you can imagine, it didn’t flow as well as taking a longer block in one day.  Opening up your Learning Centers on a weekly basis, on a specific day, works too…it will require a bit more organization and prep, but once students understand the process, it works nicely.

So, I invite you to think about it and decide if this, out-of-the-box challenge, is for you? If so, tune in to Part 2 where I’ll share some possible Shurley Learning Centers with you!