Biggest question of the year...

For those of you that kept on asking.....It's a boy.

Extra Credit "Bad Characters"

You will receive 15 points extra credit if you define all of the following vocabulary words from the story "Bad Characters". The definitions must be dictionary-style. The definitions must fit the context of the story. I prefer that your list be typed but it is not required.

The last day to turn in this list is January 6, 2010. You may email your list to me.

1. Ardent (88)
2. Indignation (88)
3. Vilely (88)
4. Pious (88)
5. Prim (88)
6. Irrevocable (88)
7. Slander (88)
8. Invective (88)
9. Alienated (89)
10. Glaze (89)
11. Famine (89)
12. Loathed (89)
13. Bullwhack (89)
14. Scabbards (89)
15. Chloroform (89)
16. Polecat (89)
17. Mania (89)
18. Foolhardy (90)
19. Bootlegger (90)
20. Euphemism (90)
21. Aghast (90)
22. Sanitariums (91)
23. Conspicuous (91)
24. Pasty (91)
25. Terrarium (91)
26. Contrary (91)
27. Geraniums (91)
28. Confronted (91)
29. Prodigious (89)
30. Sidelong (92)
31. Flagrance (92)
32. Consoled (92)
33. Towhead (92)
34. Parcheesi (92)
35. Bureau (93)
36. Lavender (93)
37. Gauze (93)
38. Chamois (93)
39. Linen (93)
40. Filmy (93)
41. Fascinator (93)
42. Bygone (93)
43. Mosaic (93)
44. Camisoles (93)
45. Transformation (93)
46. Racily (93)
47. Bobbed (93)
48. Cloisonné (93)
49. Flask (93)
50. Perplexed (93)
51. Parlor (93)
52. Pier (93)
53. Jackstones (93)
54. Ramshackle (94)
55. Pathos (94)
56. Boastfulness (94)
57. Patronized (94)
58. Dago red (94)
59. Tapioca (95)
60. Gaudy (95)
61. Cynical (95)
62. Lank (96)
63. Nits (96)
64. Amiable (96)
65. Hootnanny (96)
66. Appraising (96)
67. Alter (96)
68. Severe (96)
69. Contempt (97)
70. Agitation (97)
71. Misconduct (98)
72. Vary (98)
73. Monotony (98)
74. Aspen (98)
75. Garters (98)
76. Trolley (98)
77. Whirled (98)
78. Snappish (99)
79. Weltschmerzlich (99)
80. Proposition (100)
81. Monomania (100)
82. Conscience (100)
83. Trinket (100)
84. Sentimental (100)
85. Pinochle (101)
86. Intimidating (101)
87. Haberdashery (101)
88. Piping (101)
89. Bespoke (101)
90. Aura (101)
91. Infamous (101)
92. Ransack (101)
93. Protruded (102)
94. Hotfooted (102)
95. Pilfers (102)
96. Cross-stitch (102)
97. Runner (102)
98. Interminable (102)
99. Shaming (102)
100. Legend (102)
101. Mite (102)
102. Middy (102)
103. Abortive (103)
104. Hullabaloo (103)
105. Subsided (103)
106. Hemorrhage (103)
107. Boudoir (104)
108. Mesmerized (105)
109. Lily-livered (105)
110. Galoshes (105)
111. Waistcoat (105)
112. Appliqued (106)
113. Cowcatcher (106)
114. Stucco (106)
115. Gazebo (106)
116. Aborigines (106)
117. Insouciant (107)
118. Repository (107)
119. Unsettling (107)
120. Larceny (108)
121. Emboldened (109)
122. Swaggering (109)
123. Tinsel (109)
124. Poinsettias (109)
125. Deliberative (110)
126. Asbestos (110)
127. Floorwalker (110)
128. Harried (110)
129. Mottled (110)
130. Vexation (110)
131. Pandemonium (110)
132. Gaiety (110)
133. Baffled (110)
134. Vermilion (110)
135. Bedlam (110)
136. Giddy (110)
137. Seedy (111)
138. Mucilage (111)
139. Vaguely (111)
140. Condescending (111)
141. Accomplice (112)
142. Cornucopia (112)
143. Idiosyncrasy (112)
144. Preliminaries (112)
145. Crucial (112)
146. Astonished (113)
147. Clamor (113)
148. Crockery (113)
149. Array (113)
150. Bewilderment (113)
151. Scurvy (113)
152. Dumb (113)
153. Decamped (114)
154. Afflicted (114)
155. Fraudulent (114)
156. Curmudgeon (115)
157. Nurtured (115)
158. Prig (115)
159. Stigma (115)
160. Arose (115)
161. Hemlocks (116)
162. Grandiloquent (88)

Habit #5 Video

Habit #5 Homework

Apply Habit #5 (Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood) to your life.

Practice Genuine Listening Try it with your parents!!

Homework assigned 11/4 and 11/5

Work on one of your Relationship Bank Accounts.


Questions from the Exit Sheet:
1. What cool stuff have you learned in this habit?
2. Who will you share this with?
3. How can you apply this habit in your life (short term)?
4. How can you apply this habit in your life (long term)?


Don't forget to continue planning.

Quadrant 2 Commercial

This is the much requested commercial we watched in class while talking about Habit #3 - Put First Things First.

Ongoing Homework

Keep up your planning in your agenda.....Prioritize.....Put First Things First

Homework and Thank you

Remember if I don't post anything, you probably don't have any homework you will need to turn in. (If I give you an assignment in class and don't post it on my blog, you are still responsible for completing it.)

Your ongoing homework assignment is to keep up your planning in your agenda. Remember your "big rocks" and your "small rocks".



THANK YOU to all of my classes for being so well-behaved for the substitute teachers. You made me proud.

Habit #3 Homework 10/8 and 10/9

Habit #3 - Continue planning in your agenda. Be sure to include your "big rocks" and some of your "small rocks".

Personal Mission Statement

I'm giving everybody more time to finish their personal mission statements. They will be checked on Tuesday (10/6) and Wednesday (10/7).

Homework assigned 9/30 and 10/1

Refine/Write your Personal Mission Statement. There is no set format, write it however you want.

I am purposely not giving you any guidelines on this assignment. If you need some help you can try this site.

9/24 & 9/25

No Homework but remember that your story or essay is due by the end of the day Friday. It is your responsibility to turn it in.

Progress Reports

There was a problem with the original progress reports. The grades for Critical Thinking probably did not appear on the progress reports. The school will issue new progress reports this afternoon. Today, I will start giving progress reports to all of my students listing all of their grades in my class.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Homework for 9/21, 9/22 and 9/23

Continue practicing Pause, Think, Do.....

We are going to start a new story on Tuesday and Wednesday. You will also get some time to finish your story. (If you don't finish your story in class you may take it home to finish it. You must turn it in no later than Friday 9/25.)

=o) B-day students.

I appreciate that the vast majority of you were very well behaved for the substitute on Thursday. If the majority of students need time to finish the writing assignment, I will give you some time on Wednesday to finish it.

Homework assigned 9/16 and 9/17

Continue practicing Pause, Think, Do


B-Day classes,
Unfortunately I have to attend a training on Thursday (9/17). I found out about my training right after Open House was over. So, we won't be able to have our Shared Inquiry Discussion until Monday. Remember to be leaders while I'm not here.

Homework assigned 9/14 and 9/15

All Classes!
Practice Pause, Think, Do


Class 1A only!
Don't forget to answer the following questions:
1. What cool stuff have you learned in this habit?
2. Who will you share this with?
3. How will you apply it to your life?
4. What can you do in the next week to make this habit part of your life?

Cool fortune cookie quotes

“The road to knowledge begins with the turn of the page”

“I would rather attempt something great and fail than attempt to do nothing and succeed.”

Homework due 9/14 A-day and 9/15 B-day

Write two paragraphs detailing what you do over the weekend to replace your bad habit with a good habit. (We might share these in class, so be prepared.)

Homework for 9/1 A-Day and 9/2 B-Day

No Homework


Sorry for being out for a couple of days. Thank you for behaving for the substitute.

Homework for 8/28 A-day and 8/31 B-day

No Homework!!! (Everybody say Woo Hoo!!)

Thank you to my A-day classes for being so well-behaved for the substitute on Friday. B-Day classes, I'll be out on Monday as well so the substitute will have your assignments for you.

Remember to be good leaders!!!

Homework for 8/26 and 8/27

This is not a written assignment so I didn't put a due date in the title of the post.
Your homework is to think about all of the good habits you already have. Focus on the good habits, don't worry about the bad habits now (we'll talk about those later).

Supplies

Here is a list of the supplies the students need to bring to class each day:

Paper
Pencil or pen (not green)
Folder (it doesn't matter what type of folder as long as it has prongs and pockets)
Planner
Student ID
Independent reading book

Homework due 8/26 A-day and 8/27 B-day

Answer this question: What's a habit?

I don't expect a long answer. If you can answer the question in one or two sentences, that will be fine.

Junior Great Books

If you are interested in finding out more about the Junior Great Books and Shared Inquiry you should look at the Great Books Foundation website. Click Here

Mr. Beckstrom Critical Thinking Curriculum Paper

Beckstrom Critical Thinking Curriculum Paper

Sean Covey

This is a link to a video interview with Sean Covey about his book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens. Cick Here

Welcome to JLCP!

This is Mr. Beckstrom's blog for Critical Thinking. In this class we are going to learn about the seven habits of highly effective teens and learn about critical thinking through the Junior Great Books. We are going to have a great year!!