From the Back of the Book"Zack Delacruz is unnoticed at his middle school - and that's just the way he likes it. But a school assembly, a typhoon of spit, and an uncharacteristic moment of bravery are all it takes to change everything. Suddenly Zack is in charge of the class fund-raiser. Worse, his partner is the school's biggest bully! If they don't sell enough chocolate bars, there will be no dance for the sixth grade. Zack never wanted to be a hero, but with his classmates' hopes on the line, can he save the day?" WeaknessesIn the opening chapter, Anderson makes it clear that Zack is an outcast and constant victim of bullying. He is made fun of because of how he looks, "'Enrique Potter'", and the clothes he wears, "'Did you see his pants? That little boy needs to shop in the toddler's section next time'" (2). Zack's coping mechanism is through is humor, which took me a while to get on board with it. Initially I took it as being pessimistic and negative. For example, after being berated by his classmates for looking for a seat at an assembly, he finds refuge next to the wall and claims it as a respectful ally. "Walls never kick you or insult your clothes, and they always support you. In fact, I could lean on Gym Wall, and I did" (3). Humorous? Yes. A little sad and weak? Yes. (Also a strength. Keep reading!) I also could not relate to Zack being a child of divorced parents. The divorce was still fresh for Zack as he was still coping with the changes."I navigated the crumbling asphalt as I headed across the street to Dad's new AD apartment. (AD was short for 'after-divorce.' It was like BD, 'before divorce.' My entire family life was forever separated by BD and AD)" (36-37). The weekly switching between parents is something that I have not experienced, so that constant change between locations and rules and expectations is not known to me and, therefore, I cannot relate. StrengthsDespite being unable to relate to Zack initially, the character grew on me. I feel that his whininess and lack of self confidence was an important building block to his overall development. Zack blossomed into a leader who put caring thought into his actions and responses. I feel that Anderson also captured moments that every middle or high schooler could relate to, in some capacity, such as: Not wanting to answer a teacher's question. "'Who can pronounce this exquisite word?' Mrs. Darling cooed, ... 'Anyone?' Her green eyes widened, like a low budget horror film" (11). Being volunteered for something by a teacher, parent, or coach. "'I didn't volunteer, I was volun-told," José reminded her" (25). Knowing that friend or classmate constantly quote lines from movies or TV shows. "'Nobody puts Baby in a corner'... Janie stood in the corner and whispered to herself, 'Dirty Dancing, nineteen eighty-seven, starring Mr. Patrick Swayze'" (66-67). Doing something you know you're not supposed to do, and having a "strong" reason why you did it. "I powered up Dad's computer, even though I wasn't supposed to go online when he wasn't there. But it was an emergency. He'd want to help me if I ever told him my problem. But I couldn't let Dad down. I had to fix my problem on my own" (81).
Why Did I Read This Book?I received this book from Jeff Anderson at the National Council of Teachers of English annual conference in November, so it was a must-read from that moment. I also have a copy in my classroom library, and am looking forward to recommending to my students when I return to school from holiday break. I also read this book for the reading challenges I am participating in:
RecommendationsI would recommend Zack Delacruz: Me and My Big Mouth to two groups of people.
The first being middle school readers looking for something new and refreshing rather than, say, a Diary of a Wimpy Kid book. Anderson's writing style and good natured humor brings out the best in his characters and showcases valuable life lessons. I would also recommend this book to middle school teachers looking to diversify their own reading and their classroom libraries. Jeff Anderson's trusted rapport with teachers is now extended into the genres of realistic fiction and young adult literature.
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ReviewIf you are an English educator stuck or tired of your current grammar techniques then you need to check out Mechanically Inclined. Not feeling like you're the best at grammar? Don't worry! Anderson claims he is not the best either. This kind of humility and a touch of tried and true methods are sprinkled throughout the book to provide easy to understand grammar instruction. The first half of the book is a run through of the established tools Anderson uses in his classroom, including the Writer's Notebook, Wall Charts, and the Editor's Checklist. The second half of the book is sectioned off into mini grammar units with simple lessons to get your stuck-grammar-mind out of the maze and onto something great! I gave Mechanically Inclined an Exceptional rating because some of his methods and activities are great for connecting with students with grammar. Anderson is a middle school teacher, so as a high school minded teacher, it would take a bit more thought and creativity on my end to come up with a lesson or activity just as exceptional. I'm not looking for cookie cutter lesson plans to copy and implement immediately, but I do find it difficult to build some of the lessons to a high school lessons. Classroom ImplicationsI first read Mechanically Inclined during an undergraduate course titled "Crafting Teaching Practices" for English education students. We read and reviewed the rationale of the day-to-day practices of Anderson and his middle school classroom. For lesson planning and teaching practice, each of us in the class was assigned a lesson from the back of the book. We were required to modify, as needed, and teach it to our peers. This was a great way for us to plan and implement ideas in a supportive, reflective, low stakes environment. The classroom implications for preservice teachers are endless. My second read of this book was for the Red Cedar Writing Project Summer Institute. We set up our Writer's Notebooks the way Anderson suggests (see below for more information). All of our writing, if done by hand, was written in our Writer's Notebook. By doing this we were able to enact what it would be like to have Jeff Anderson's Writer's Notebook as a student. So What?"What's up with the Writer's Notebook movement? Why should students write only in a notebook? How I am going to collect that and grade it?" Nonbeliever of the Writer's Notebook Nonbelievers of the Writer's Notebook "movement" are often quick to jump to conclusions about the potential of the Writer's Notebook. Like many educational nuances, they are unable to try out and incorporate a new idea into their classroom. I am a believer of the Writer's Notebook. I was first introduced to the idea of the Writer's Notebook upon my first read of Mechanically Inclined. I kept it in my toolbox, and was introduced to another version during my internship in an Oakland County School. This "so what?" section will present these two versions of the Writer's Notebook, along with one of my RCWP colleague's version from her classroom. I will present the ideas that I think will work best in my classroom moving forward. Jeff Anderson's Writer's Notebooks are composition notebooks that need to be meticulously set up prior to use. In addition to this strict set up, rules are established regarding the use of the Writer's Notebook, such as never tear out a page of the notebook to only write on the right-hand pages (30). The sections of the Writer's Notebook are as follows:
Oakland Schools English 9 Writer's Notebook is implemented right off that bat according to the scope and sequence of the traditional English 9 curriculum. The concept of a Writer's Notebook is the be reintroduced to students, as previous grade levels have already used it. The first lesson of using the Writer's Notebook is based off of Ralph Fletcher's quote: "A writer's notebook works just like an incubator: a protective place to keep your infant idea safe and warm, a place for it to grow while it is too young, too new, to survive on its own." The Writer's Notebook is to be a "place to record observations, questions, thoughts, drafts of writing, memories, etc." In addition to this mindset, it is encouraged that teachers write alongside students and share frequently. Students and teachers are encouraged to make the notebook their own by decorating the front cover "with their own values and interests." Jessyca Mathew's Writer's Notebook is divided into five sections. Students are required to have a new notebook each semester they have her. Rather than only writing on the right-hand pages, Jessyca's students are able to write on any of the pages.
My Ideal Writer's Notebook would be divided into sections similar to Anderson's and Mathew's. I like the organization that sections affords students. I like the idea of only writing on the right-hand pages to write, record, take notes, etc. and have the left-hand side be used for edits, revisions, and/or brainstorming. I have found this sandbox space to be helpful towards my writing. Personalizing the Writer's Notebook is a great idea, too, and, if time is allotted in class to decorate, it allows students to build a community of writer's. Reviewing these formats of Writer's Notebooks have given me a solid start to designing my own use for them in the classroom. As the fall approaches and curriculum is planned out, I will look back on these set ups and develop a useful Writer's Notebook for my students and I to use. Continuing the ConversationDo you use Writer's Notebooks in your classroom? If so, what is your format? If not, why? Feel free to comment below!
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The Avalanche of Books
As an educator and avid reader, I am constantly hearing about books. I feel like I am being chased by a giant, rolling avalanche of titles and authors. Rating System
5 books - New fave! Read it now!
4 books - Shelf worthy 3 books - Quality read, but ... 2 books - Borrow it 1 book - Skip it Archives
December 2017
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