English
“It is my belief that everyone has a story to tell, so my goal as their writing teacher is to give them the tools to tell that story.” - Courtney Huth, MS English teacher
Middle School English at St. Michael’s is more than reading and analyzing novels – we experience novels!
Students taste the foods the characters eat (sometimes they even cook them!); they dress up (for example, as Greasers and Socs after we finish The Outsiders); they research cultures and listen to guest speakers. We try to make each book a memorable experience; students might not remember all of the details of the plot but they surely won’t forget what they read in middle school!
English class consists of four main components: literature, grammar, vocabulary, and writing. All four are taught not in isolation, but rather in conjunction. Literature studies are guided by the students. There is not a standard book list for each grade; instead, student interest is taken into account each year to encourage engagement and buy-in. Texts explored range from Shakespeare classics to more modern texts that explore issues of equity, diversity, social justice, and historical events.
Students read challenging works from a variety of voices and viewpoints, gain a deep understanding of these texts by learning how to "read in between the lines," become independent writers who use different forms of writing for specific purposes, and build new vocabulary at their own individualized level.
Most assessments are creative in nature: build an action figure and playset for the main character, turn your book into a Netflix series, create an amusement park based on your novel’s plot, design a prototype of a product that would have helped the protagonist. Through these forms of assessment, students are actively engaged and give a clear picture of their understanding of the novels, all while using their imagination and creativity.
The writing program aims to expose students to as many different forms of writing as possible (creative, persuasive, argumentative, research, literary analysis, poetry, memoir, narrative, reflective) in meaningful ways. Students also examine different cultural perspectives to develop as larger world view. The exposure to a variety of different forms of writing as well as perspectives allow our students to develop a sense of social justice and empathy for others.
Writing tasks are related to what students are reading. For example, in 6th grade, students may read a memoir and study elements of the genre, then zoom in on their own memories and write a memoir of their own. After writing their memoirs, students hone their public speaking skills by presenting an excerpt from what they wrote, thereby learning how to share information in a productive and constructive manner through a classroom discussion. Opportunities such as these to publicly present written pieces and projects further builds confidence and mastery among our students.
Throughout the writing program, students learn to give and take constructive criticism through the peer editing process. They also use critical thinking skills to develop creative ways to demonstrate their deep understanding of the text. They often show what they know in a variety of ways, including projects such as Literary food trucks, Character autopsies, Spotify playlists, Instagram Exit Tickets, One Pager, Eight Word Stories.
Grammar and vocabulary instruction are inquiry-based, rather than focusing on rote memorization, with the aim of helping students create the intended meaning, purpose, and effect from their writing.
There are plenty of opportunities to utilize students’ individual strengths to demonstrate their knowledge, though traditional test-tasking skills are still practiced as part of a well-rounded, high school preparation experience.
