I completely understand, and this is one of my main complaints to my administrator in our yearly review. My usual request is that we split the class into two - one grammar/ writing class and one literature/spelling/vocabulary class. I have heard of some schools that move the spelling/vocabulary to a study skills class, especially in junior high. Sadly, my pleas have fallen on deaf ears. I tried condensing the grammar to first semester and the literature to second. It was not fun. So to be more practical, here are a couple of lessons I have learned the hard way: 1. Make a plan to invest for long-term results. Consider what students must learn each year, and trim what doesn't fit into this plan. Be intentional about laying the foundation for the next year's learning. A thorough, clear scope and sequence document along with curriculum maps will be worth the time and effort. 2. Consider skipping unnecessary lessons depending on class needs. If a class is more advanced, there may be no need to review parts of speech. On the other hand, if a class is, overall, behind, they may not reach the dependent clauses lessons this year. I hope that helps - and I hope your spring semester ends on a positive note!
RW
Rhonda Wang
Stuarts Draft ,VA
0 Posts
3/11/2024 2:18:47PM
I have the same problem. I feel like I've barely scratched the surface on all three of those because there isn't enough time to do all of them well. I don't think the previous ELA teacher had much success, either. The students don't have the knowledge of Literature and Grammar like they should, although laziness and apathy are also prevalent.