Mrs. Colvis' School Notes site
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Hello, my name is Linda Colvis. I'm the Communication Arts Coordinator & the 8th Grade Home Room Teacher at St. James. Currently, I teach Reading to 6th, 7th, and 8th Graders and Communication Arts to 7th and 8th Graders. In addition, I teach 8th Grade Social Studies and Vocabulary Development classes.
One of my main goals in the classroom is to create inter-disciplinary lessons for students of all ages. I've been afforded the opportunity to do just that at St. James because of the unique combination of classes that I teach. While explaining the intricacies of the Civil War in Social Studies, for example, I simultaneously teach students about the complexities of propaganda and the technical aspects of designing & writing newspapers. I then have the students adopt various personas such as those of soldiers, citizens, and war correspondents so that they can generate Civil War newspapers as an English assignment. Additionally, as students are reading such novels as The Giver, Johnny Tremain, To Kill a Mockingbird, or The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, they are assigned the task of writing speeches, short stories, parodies, Power Point presentations, poems, and various expository pieces to obtain a more comprehensive understanding of the materials covered in their novels.
Although I'm confident the students are gaining valuable knowledge in all of their classes, I don't believe any of their classes is as much fun for them as the countless activities in which they get to participate once they reach the 8th Grade. Eighth Graders are always on the go with one project or another. In addition to the work that select students do as Young Vincentians, the entire class creates all-school Masses, helps prepare & host the Senior Luncheon, sets up/tears down STJ's Mission Carnival, hosts various clothing drives, and assists their Kindergarten Buddies with a wide variety of projects throughout the year.
Throughout my educational career, I've been fortunate enough to train people of all ages because I earned my Masters Degree shortly after I finished college. Although I've had a wide variety of opportunities come my way in the training arena, none has been more unpredictable and fulfilling as my work with teens. I'm one of those quirky people who enjoys teenagers, and I think it's really rewarding to watch them mature as they learn to maneuver in the complex world around them.
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