A lesson you wish your daughter learned?

amother ↓

Wed, Apr 21 2010, 5:47 pm

I teach high school english and I'm looking for something interesting/informative/challenging to fill up about 4 hours of class time. Any ideas? Is there any topic you wish your daughter would learn in high school?

manhattanmom ↓

Wed, Apr 21 2010, 5:59 pm

Do you have particular books/authors you have to cover as part of your curriculum?
Also, what's the hashkafic background of the girls you teach?

↑ manhattanmom ↓

Thu, Apr 22 2010, 6:48 am

willow wrote:

About real life and coping with it.

That would have to depend greatly on the school. There are unfortunately, some bais yaakov schools that do not allow teaching about "real life."

It would be nice, for girls in High School to be exposed to things like "yes kollel lifestyle is nice but it's not always bliss. Having 6 kids in 8 years does not mean you're fulfilling the r'tzon Hashem. If YOU (not dh, not your mom, etc.) feel you cannot do it to your body, then don't!"
Things like--don't try to be supermom and superwife if you physically and emotionally cannot.

Also teach explicit details about EATING DISORDERS. How to recognize one in a friend, how to get help, where to go for help--not always the girl's parents--often the parents are the "enablers"

Isramom8

Thu, Apr 22 2010, 6:54 am

Ruchoma Shain taught her students health and hygieine, and public speaking. A high school in Chicago I think teaches life skills - how to change a tire, sew on a button, etc.

Any lesson can be used to teach English - just add vocabulary and spelling, and essay writing as a follow up. I did this when I invented an English curriculum for my Israeli daughter. She read Permission to Believe by Lawrence Kelleman and did my work.

Barbara

Thu, Apr 22 2010, 7:01 am

amother wrote:

Business writing. How to write a resume. How to write a letter applying for a job. Proper email etiquette, and care (make sure you don't hit reply all).

Atali

Thu, Apr 22 2010, 11:43 am

Barbara wrote:

amother wrote:

Business writing. How to write a resume. How to write a letter applying for a job. Proper email etiquette, and care (make sure you don't hit reply all).

I like that idea. If the school doesn't approve of internet, then leave out the e-mail part.

↑ amother ↓

Thu, Apr 22 2010, 5:53 pm

manhattanmom wrote:

willow wrote:

About real life and coping with it.

op here:
It would be nice to teach about real life, but I'm an English teacher, not hashkafa teacher. Eating disorders is a great idea- I'll have to check if they didn't learn that yet.

↑ amother

Thu, Apr 22 2010, 6:08 pm

op here:
thank you for all your suggestions.
health & hygiene, public speaking, life skills, business writing, and crocheting & sewing are taught in different classes. Time management - I have to learn that first... Sad

Any more ideas? Iwill have some extra time with the students after I finish everything I had to cover this year. Instead of stories and games, I want to give them some extra knowledge, on a topic which they wouldn't learn in any other class.

OldYoung

Thu, Apr 22 2010, 7:43 pm

BUDGETING! How to write checks, balance checkbooks, read bank statements, etc. We had sample checkbooks that we used in school for that particular unit. It was fun!

sneakermom

Fri, Apr 23 2010, 9:05 am

frank mcourt was an english high school teacher and he found the most innovative ways to get his students involved in writing.

They wrote up cookbooks. They wrote letters to famous people, deceased or alive either telling them off or relating something about their shared interest. He even had them write apology letters for famous people that did awful things and the students got very involved in that.

I personally think memoir writing is really nice. Teach them to find their authentic voice, keep it simple, real and write something about their own life.

Or teach them how to be a journalist. Have them choose a subject they want to find out more about, research it in all possible ways, and then write up on it. Perhaps make a little informative booklet for the class and students can choose to look into subjects that would have beneficial info for them. (For example the history of the bizi skirt, how much it sold for then, where it is sold, best deals, and who goes for them. )

louche

Fri, Apr 23 2010, 11:02 am

Less is more when it comes to makeup.
I wish I had learned organized critical thinking. Not that I think that's an English teacher's job.

OP--how about how to write a thank-you note. How about just TO write a thank-you note?