Ms. A. Blair 

7th grade EELA

Room B5

ablair@htsdnj.org

My philosophy:

I believe all kids can learn, and all kids are smart. It's a teacher's job to figure out how a student learns best and then use that modality as often as possible. When students feel challenged, they stay engaged, they stay curious, and they thrive.

This quote was posted on a teacher's board on Back-to-School Night when I was an elementary school parent years ago. As I read it, I thought, That's exactly how I teach!

"The surest path to positive self-esteem is to succeed at something which one perceived would be difficult. Each time we steal a student's struggle by insisting they do work too easy for them, we steal their opportunity to have an esteem-building experience. " ~ Sylvia Rimm

District Grading Policy:

50% Summative, 40% Formative, 10% Individual Practice

Course description:

The class is designed to meet language arts standards and to develop higher-level thinking skills. The cross-curricular format provides opportunities to address content and skills that would not normally be met in the general language art course.  In this accelerated class, activities promote the development of creative thinking, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.

Grammar:

All parts of speech

Writing:

"Brushstrokes" incorporated into all writing pieces

Reading Units:

Human Rights, A Christmas Carol, Greek mythology, Middle Ages, Mystery

Study skills:

Best approaches to studying because reading the material over isn't studying