Author Archives

Chesley KelleyAfter completing my Bachelor's Degree in middle school education from LeTourneau University, I got my first teaching job at Pine Tree where I taught 5th grade science and social studies for 4 years. During that time I earned a Master's in Educational Leadership from The University of Texas at Tyler. My 5th and 6th years of teaching were at The University of Texas at Tyler Innovation Academy where I taught English, language Arts and reading to 3rd through 7th graders using project based learning. I now teach 6th grade English, language arts and reading at White Oak. My husband, Terrence Kelley, is a mechanical engineer. We have been married 12 years and have a sweet 2 year old daughter, a son on the way and 7 year old bearded dragon.

Guest Blogger: Meet Jai’Anthoni Young

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Congratulations to Jai’ for being this week’s guest blogger!

We can all think of one thing we would like to change about school; here is what Jai’ had to say:

If I could change one thing about school…

I would make a water slide around the whole middle school so that way nobody is late to class. Because I mean riding through the cafeteria getting lunch and then zooming past the stairs and into the classroom before you are late would be great. And we will not be so late to p.e. Instead of walking, why not slide to p.e.!

We Appreciate Our Volunteers!

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I’d like to thank Elaine Kohl and Ashley Dusek for volunteering to help get our NaNoWriMo workbooks together! I really appreciate them taking time out of their busy schedules to create something great for our kids. These workbooks are walking them through the development of unique characters and interesting plots. They also break down novel writing into very manageable and easy to understand steps. There is no way I could have gotten it all done on time without the help of these two amazing volunteers! Thank you, Elaine and Ashley!

 

Addison McClanahan: Our First Guest Blogger!

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Congratulations to Addison McClanahan for being our very first Guest Blogger!

On the evening of October 17, YouTube unexpectedly went down, completing disrupting life for many of our middle schoolers. We used this “tragic” event as a writing prompt, and it generated some great pieces. Be sure to read Addison’s heartfelt cry to YouTube posted below.

Don’t Leave Me YouTube

By: Addison McClanahan

 

Oh youtube, how you please my needs of watching funny dog videos,

How you always lift my soul,

                         Don’t leave me youtube.

Oh youtube, you always let me watch good music videos,  

Oh, how you let me watch what I need on DIY hacks,

                         Don’t leave me youtube.

Oh, please youtube, I love how organized you are from your recommendations to Cole and Sav videos,  

I love you youtube.

                          Don’t leave me youtube.

November Lesson Plans: It’s National Novel Writing Month!

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NaNoWriMo Workbook Link

November Lesson Plans Link

Did you know it is National Novel Writing Month? The entire month of November will be devoted to novel writing, and we will use the NaNoWriMo workbook to generate ideas, establish focus, and develop writing skills. Students will be given a workbook, and the due dates for each section are listed on the lesson plan calendar. If a student loses their workbook, they will be responsible for accessing the extra copy via the link. They can either print it or complete the task on notebook paper using the digital copy as a guide.

As students work through the strategies designed to help them create a novel, students will then spend the majority of class time writing their novels. Depending on how the editing and revision process goes, we will have a showcase at the end of December or early January inviting parents to see and hear their creations!

Coming Soon: Guest Bloggers!

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This may look like a messy shelf to many, but to me, this is a shelf full of the beginnings of masterpieces: humorous narratives, tear-jerking memories, emotional poems, and thoughtful reflections. These works need a platform to be heard, so I opened up a Guest Blogging opportunity on Google Classroom. Any student who would like to complete a piece they started during Write Time or anytime, can submit it and could be chosen as a guest blogger. I look forward to posting my first Guest Blogger soon! Prepare to be amazed.

RACE Paragraph, Melody’s POV Grade Explanation

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Parents,

You may be concerned to see a “0” in the grade book for “RACE Paragraph, Melody’s POV.” Do not be alarmed! I am waiting on corrections in Googe Classroom before I post the grade on Skyward.

Your child has a grade for this assignment in Google Classroom, they can show it to you. Yesterday, we went over their grades, how it was scored and how to make a 100. Today I gave them instructions in class and on Google Classroom for how to correct this if they want to improve their grade. ALL kids have this option! If a student failed, they can get up to a 100 on their corrections. If a child made a 99, they can get up to a 100 with the corrections. These corrections must be resubmitted by Wednesday.

Since this is a heavily weighted assignment this 9 weeks, I strongly encourage students to make the corrections a priority. I will put the corrected grade in Skyward no later than Thursday!

Thank you,

Chesley Kelley

6 Word Memoirs

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This is the first year I’ve included 6-word memoirs, and your kids have made this one of my favorite projects! In order to write about a meaningful memory in such a concise manner, students had to participate in the brainstorming and drafting process. They learned how to quickly generate ideas and identify the ideas that were most significant to them. After doing a quick free write about the topic they chose, they had to find the heart of what they were trying to express and consolidate it into 6 words. They got to learn a bit about water colors to create the perfect backdrop for their final products. As you can see from the pictures, the experiences expressed in these memoirs range in emotion; some are light-hearted, while others are heartbreaking. I am so proud of what your kids have created and wanted to share them with you. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!