An irregular daily routine

Select a routine/procedure you plan to utilize. Name the routine. Describe the routine (what does it look like, sound like, etc.). How will you train students to perform the routine?

Well, I don't really like to picture my class as a routine kind of place (as high school students are usually a bit past the state of mind where they need a predictable structure to their days in order for it to be comprehensible), so it's kind of hard to identify anything that will really occur daily. I would really like to think that my class will offer the students something new and different every time they walk through the door. By keeping the kids guessing, and keeping them excited about the possibilities of the class, you have the best chances of keeping them consistently engaged and involved in your class (in my opinion at least), so I would like to stray from the routine-based class structure as much as possible.

There is however one part of it that will be somewhat consistent, and that will be the daily warm-up write, or "bellringer" as it were. This is important as I think it will help kids get their brains off and running for the day as well as brainstorm a lot of ides that may end up being useful in their writing, but also because ithelps them find their narrative voices. From my own personal experience, the best thing a student can do to develop their writing skills is write, write, write...all the time. It may be annoying, you may not know what you're talking about at all times, but the simple act of putting words down on paper is a powerful and a formative experience.

To push the idea of writing as often as possible, I would also like to have the students keep a journal that will be turned in bi-weekly/monthly (haven't really decided how often yet) to ensure that they are not only writingat school, but at home too. The journals will be a mix of reading journal, reflections on class activities or just a place for students to vent their thoughts and frustrations every once and a whiole. The grading will not be on content, just on completion.

Going back to the bellringers for a moment, even though it will be somewhat routine, the kinds of things they will be wrinting about, and the genre/format they will be writing them in, will not be. I think it is important that kids are familiar with the conventions of multiple writing styles/purposes and explore the possibilities and limitations of each accordingly. I want to have them respond to quotes, pictures, movie clips, sound clips, op/eds, student writings, websites, past lessons, metacognition, dreams, paintings, fieldtrips, guest speakers, events, etc. The possibilities are endless! By mixing it up early and often, you are keeping the kids light on their toes, even in the more routine proceedures, and asking them to think critically, and independently....