Office Hours Library — The Pelican Society

Office Hours: Reading Journals

Whether it's journaling, commonplacing, or copybooks, keeping notes on what you read can be a great way engage with the material and make sure it stays with you after you turn the last page. It can most certainly offer a more human alternative to the worksheet or comprehension question for a student.

But why is that true? What is the purpose of a reading journal, and what kinds of things should we encourage our students to journal about? How do we make sure that even in our journaling we are not "using" literature or disrespecting the author? And where do we start?

2017Pelican SocietyNovember 3, 2017reading journals

Office Hours: Achieving Diligence in the Classroom

We've all been there before. We begin the year with such enthusiasm, but just a few weeks (days?) in finds us behind schedule, overbooked, and overwhelmed. And yes, we know that grace is sufficient and our identity is not hanging on our failure or success...but still, some things would certainly be a lot easier if we could cultivate a little diligence in our classroom. How can we do that? Where does diligence come from and how can we ensure its survival?

2017Pelican SocietySeptember 25, 2017Diligence

Office Hours: Balance and Finding Rest in the Middle of Summer School Prep

Summer is here! And while you are hauling out the pool toys and planning your family's next great adventure, somewhere in the back of your mind you know that fall will be here sooner than you would like. You're exhausted and ready to burn the homeschooling books, but you're also a little afraid of entering the upcoming academic year unprepared. How can we both get the rest we need and ready ourselves for the next go around? Are you allowed to take a little "me" time, or is there no rest for the weary?

2017Pelican SocietyJuly 17, 2017Education, Rest, Balance, Literature

Office Hours: What is Education?

You know you need one. That's why you set out to give it to your students in the first place. But the goal of "education" can be vague and daunting if you don't quite know what it is you're after and you only have 12 years to figure it out. What is the purpose of an education and why should we seek after it? Is it training for real life? Is it mastery? Is it for virtue? And once you know what it is, what tools do you need for the journey? It's a big, juicy topic, and we think the great Western literary heritage has some good perspective to offer.

Pelican SocietyJune 14, 2017Education, Literature, Philosophy of Education

Office Hours: Historical Fiction

As busy parents and teachers, any opportunity we can find to combine subjects and "kill two birds with one stone" is a boone and a blessing. And it isn't a stretch to say that literature and history are a natural pairing. History is itself a narrative of the past, and literature in the same way is a product of its historical context. But what are the differences between these two studies? And what do we do when we encounter the marriage of these studies in a work of historical fiction? How do we receive from historical fiction without doing violence to either the art of literature or the art of history? You've been asking for this one, and we just happen to have a history Ph.D. candidate on staff to help us think through these issues!

Pelican SocietyApril 27, 2017History, Literature, Fiction, historical fiction

Office Hours: Vocab and Grammar in Literature Study

Here at CenterForLit, we are historically known for not being huge fans of the worksheet. We want to listen quietly to what the author has to say instead of using their work in a way they did not intend. However it is true that our students need to develop their vocabulary and grammar skills, and like it or not this is usually one of the main goals of a literature workbook. What, then, are we to do?? There's no denying that the arts of vocabulary and grammar are strongly related, and even necessary predecessors, to the art of literature. So how do we make sure all of these areas get covered without sacrificing our literary philosophy? After all, as much as we'd like to, we can't add more hours to the day.

2017Pelican SocietyMarch 27, 2017vocabulary, grammar

Office Hours: Shouldn't There Be Homework? A Discussion Concerning Worksheets and Book Reports

Worksheets and book reports. Ah, you remember them well. In fact, they may be the reason your love of reading burned out as a child. Here at CenterForLit, we are sworn enemies of the comprehension question. And yet, you may wonder how else you are to know whether or not your student completed their reading-- not to mention whether or not they understood it! How do we as teachers cultivate a love of reading while also tracking our students' progress? And what is the proper balance between assignments and free reading?

2017Adam AndrewsMarch 13, 2017Homework

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