Many students did not turn in their Book Jacket Reports today. Also, many Book Jackets that were turned in were incomplete or of mediocre or poor quality, which is unacceptable. I would say only a handful of students submitted “good” or “acceptable” projects.
The students were assigned this project and parents were notified in December before Winter Break. Five weeks were given so that students could do their very best on it or ask for help if needed. Students were shown a sample, were taught how to write opinion pieces, pictures of the sample are on this blog, there have been numerous written, oral, and blog reminders and many chances to ask a question. Needless to say, it was very disappointing.
I expected high or even good quality work = typed or neatly handwritten pages, illustrations done in marker/colored pencils/crayons (hide or erase pencil marks), edited to show correct capitalization/punctuation/spelling and on time. If it is written in pencil, it should be neat, dark, legible, organized, no stains, not wrinkled or torn, no visible erasure marks, best printing or cursive. I spoke with students how in the real world, they must be ready for presentations in their job or career and they must strive for excellence!
I have returned students’ Book Jackets for further work. They have until Friday to complete. They may complete at home, at recess, lunch recess, etc. Please let me know of any assistance or materials I can provide on top of what parents are providing. I have high expectations for this class, and I know you have high expectations for your child. They are a good group, very hard workers, and usually do their best. I am reflecting on my own teaching to see what else I could have done and what I can do in the future to help students improve on long-term projects. Please feel free to give me any feedback or suggestions. Thank you for your help at home.
Room 502 News 