The supervisor agrees to provide time at department meetings for teachers to share experiences across grade levels. At this first meeting, the teachers identify by grade level literary terms that will be taught and writing experiences that students will share. In her early lessons, Wells is careful to build a foundation that students can call upon throughout this school year as well as throughout their lives. She uses direct instruction to introduce literary terms. For example, she separates or isolates the terms students will need in order to discuss characterization.
Students record the definitions in their notebooks.
Next, Wells has students identify the antagonist and the protagonist in a short story, a simulated task that will give students practice in using the terms. A discussion follows and students explain and practice their understandings of the terms. But this is not the end of the learning. Wells will weave these terms into lessons throughout the year by integrating them into other experiences until the students understand not just the meanings of the terms, but the complex levels of their use as well. They will form, use, and reform their understandings of these terms throughout the year as they participate in literary discussions.