I copied you on my response to Denise today. Last week she shared a website with me; it appeared to be a tool to help high school students brainstorm about their interests in preparation for college applications. She said that Ayden wanted me to do it with him (not her!). I am happy to do this but need to know if I should count the time as English 11, Intensive Language Arts, or something else.
Ayden and I co-read the novel, Looking for Alaska. The plot took a tragic and dramatic turn; Ayden was pleased that he predicted the outcome. I was pleased with Ayden's reading fluency and comprehension.
Assignment
none
Session Minutes
60
Minutes Student Attended
60
Lesson Comments
Ayden did not bring up the Lynn visit, so I didn't either. He was in good spirits.
Ayden and I watched two episodes of Looking for Alaska, a mini-series production of the novel. As Ayden noted, the first episode was word-for-word; the director clearly used the book as the script. The second episode veered away from the book and was disappointing. It was interesting to note the casting; some of the characters were as we imagined, but others were not. The director introduced race as an issue, which was not tackled in the book.
Ayden and I co-read the novel. We discussed the author's organization of the novel. Why did he choose to name each chapter "...days before?" How does this strategy help build suspense for the reader?
Ayden and I read the novel. The author has introduced the main characters, Colonel, Pudge, and Alaska. The story is told from the point of view of Pudge; we discussed the use of the first-person perspective why the author made this choice. We highlighted unfamiliar words as we read; tomorrow, we will add them to the vocabulary list.
Assignment
none
Session Minutes
90
Minutes Student Attended
60
Lesson Comments
Ayden's schedule was changed today without my knowledge. While waiting for him to log on, I talked with Nicole about his schedule. We agreed that it would be ideal for him to stay at school until 4:00, and I would teach him in person. It is unclear if that is ok with Denise.
Ayden and I co-read the novel Looking for Alaska. We discussed the author's development of the characters and the setting of boarding school. The novel's organization is interesting; each chapter references a future, unknown event (for example, 240 days before, 238 days before, etc.) We agree that there is a sinister tone. Ayden is reading well and seems to enjoy the book.
After conversation and brainstorming, Ayden and I chose to read Looking for Alaska by John Greene. It is a "coming of age" story about a boy from Florida who leaves home to attend boarding school. We co-read most of chapter one, pausing to discuss the characters and the setting. I am hopeful that this book will resonate with Ayden.
Assignment
none
Session Minutes
90
Minutes Student Attended
90
Lesson Comments
Ayden thanked me for choosing a different book. My over-arching goal is for him to like reading and writing, so I am willing to be flexible on book choice.
