Casa de Lindquist - Teaching

For the 2013 Minnesota Reading C

I recently presented at the Minnesota Reading Association Conference in Brainerd, MN. While there, I met lots of other teachers who were interested in my research on graphic novels and wanted to know what kinds of graphic novels they could bring into their classroom. So, I decided to write a post dedicated to them!

I loved A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle growing up. I'm fairly certain I didn't understand several major concepts that wove through the book, but I loved it anyway. The dynamics between Meg and her brother Charles Wallace were enough to hook this reader.

As a teacher, it's hard to get students to write quality essays. You're sure you've been clear about how to do the assignment and gone over the requirements time and time again.

My time on Pinterest has been put to good use. I have discovered and created all kinds of new ways to teach my students. Today's lesson focuses on how to make reading experiences more enjoyable for students by offering them a choice of how they will respond to the literature.

I came across this fun video that would be great for teaching an art class or just for fun. It's just over 9 minutes long and shows step-by-step how to create fun letters with cool patterns in them. I was practicing on my Surface Pro with my stylus so my letter is a little wobblier (is that a word?) than it would have been with pen and paper, but it was SO MUCH FUN!!!  Check it out:

Taylor Mali is quite delightful is his poetic ways. With this installment he talks about "The The Impotence of Proofreading." Love it! This would be a great video to share at an in-service, especially among English teachers. Enjoy!

After delving into the Graphic Classics world with Edgar Allan Poe, we started exploring more graphic novels as a group. Next up: Rapunzel's Revenge by Dean Hale, Shannon Hale, and Nathan Hale. Students in grades 5-8 will love this spunky main character and unique take on Rapunzel.

I was surprised to discover that several of my 7th and 8th grade students were at first hesitant to read a graphic novel. It was new and different.

Do I have to put up bulletin boards?
I hate doing bulletin boards. Is that blasphemy? I'm in trouble, aren't I... But seriously, they're time consuming and I have to get creative. Ugh. The worst! Haha.