My English 405 class was asked to grade papers for a high school English class within our community. We were each assigned two papers and asked to grade them to the best of our ability and to rate them either distinguished, mastered, or not mastered. After grading the two papers that I was assigned, I decided that they were both considered distinguished. I thought that both of the students did an excellent job of organizing their writing and defending their claims by integrating evidence and opinion. Also, I noticed that both students could improve on their academic language.

After the several assignments and projects in ENG 405, it is coming to a close. There are only a couple weeks until finals week, and although I am looking forward to summer, I am grateful for  the learning that I did in this class. There are several projects, such as the unit plan, micro-lessons, and pair share that have required the majority my attention. These three assignments, among others, have strengthen my ability to plan for my future classroom. Although I have spent countless hours working away on them, I feel accomplished after the knowledge and experience I have gained from them.

The unit plan for class took a great deal of my time, if not the most. I worked very hard on it and put a lot of effort into it. After turning it in, it is amazing to see the unit that I have produced and I hope that I will have the opportunity to teach it one day. I am very proud of the theme, social justice, of my unit because it worked very well with the text, To Kill a Mockingbird. The text brings many topics of discussion to the class through the eyes of a young girl, which I think is very moving and effective in a classroom of students who are only a few years older than her. This gives those students the opportunity to find commonalities between each other, as well as Jem, and the other young characters in the text. The events, specifically the trial of Tom Robinson, is an example of the absence of social justice, also known as social injustice, throughout my unit. The text demonstrates one man, Atticus Finch, standing up for what is right and what he believes in, and how he is a model for his children and for me as well. When I read To Kill a Mockingbird in middle school, I learned about a devastating trial and situation, and unfortunately, something that happens in my world. I learned about a tough topic through a classic piece of literature. I hope to recreate and improve my experience of learning about social justice and injustice through To Kill a Mockingbird.


The micro-lesson was definitely a learning experience because I have never been only given 37.5 minutes to teach something. Through my practicum experience, I have become used to teaching for roughly 50 minutes or so. For me, it was tough to plan activities to last that precise amount of time, simply because I am not used to doing that. In my opinion, 37.5 minutes is not nearly enough time to teach a wholesome lesson. It was difficult to tailor the material to that amount of time, but I realize that there may be shortened class periods due to assemblies and school activities, and this practice will help me adjust to shortened class time. 

Planning the literature pair share was an enjoyable experience because the book, The Great Gatsby, that I was able to choose is my favorite book. I have read it so many times that I know parts of it by heart. When I was able to write a unit on The Great Gatsby, ideas immediately flew through my mind and I was determined to type them into my computer. My favorite part of the unit is the very last day, which is a 1920's prohibition party. Although alcohol is not allowed at the party because the students are underage, the party is historically themed. I planned for my students to bring snacks and treats, and while at the party, students would be able to talk about the book, the 1920's era, and listen to 1920's music. It is my way to bring the culture as best as I can to my students, and they will be encouraged to use their knowledge to contribute their own 1920's themed ideas to the party as well. Overall, I think it was a beneficial experience that I hope to be able to use in my classroom one day, of course, if I am teaching 9th grade, because The Great Gatsby may not be completely appropriate or engaging to middle school aged students.

Through my experience in ENG 405, I have gained an abundance of knowledge about teaching English. I am more than excited to student teach and have the chance to implement my ideas into an English classroom. I feel much more prepared to teach English after my experience in ENG 405.