Teacher/Author Conference @ the Marriot

• Met amazing teachers (especially an English teacher from a local High school who spoke about poetry
• publishing doesnt only mean professionals can do it, but students too, and it can first begins in the classroom. Very few teachers read outloud good writing submited by their students.
• Reading outloud is beneficial for students on many levels, the students picture it, imagine it and remember it and its uncommon for students in the secondary level to be read to outloud in their classes. Teachers just need to choose what texts can be read outloud, making a good choice is crucial in order for students to stay alert, focused and contain active hearing.

My favorite session was how to use metaphors and teach it in the classroom.

• Metaphors vs. Similes-- too often when students are taught about metaphors and similes, they are just taught to memorize the definition. Well, okay lets think now, no matter if a student memorizes a definition, they still don't know the concept and how its use properly or even at all and why even use it. Lets start with a similie.

                      Sarah tells her brother Joe, "You eat like a pig!"
                     Joe goes out on his first date to an italian resturant.
                     Joe is terrified and can't believe his date chose a place where food is messy to eat.
                   He is scarred for life every time he eats around people because of what his sister has told him.

The simile here is a pig.
Now have students draw the simile- a pig
Then say the definition that students know of a metaphor. The comparison between the two and have students draw the metaphor combining Joe and eating like a pig.

Metaphor here is combining both things together- Joe being a pig and eating like one. This was a great exercise that the speaker had us do. He really took us step by step through the process of this mini lesson of a metaphor and simile and separating the two, yet combining both when using it as a metaphor. It was also great to see student work examples, from this activity.