The goal of Shurley English

It’s that time of year again, and most teachers are trying their best to enjoy their final days of summer break. It’s hard to believe that some schools have already started professional development opportunities for their staff members.  Before you know it, your own classroom will be filled with a new group of young learners. 

Some teachers are looking forward to teaching a new curriculum this year.  Even though that can be exciting and motivating, it can also cause feelings of nervousness.  Some teachers have a curriculum in place with nothing new to add.  For these teachers, feelings of confidence about the content are more likely to occur. Either way, it’s helpful to be reminded of curriculum goals and to be re-motivated to teach certain subjects. 

If Shurley English training is not on your professional development schedule this year, I’m here to remind you of your goal when you teach the curriculum…

First, I highly recommend for you to read my previous blog post titled, The Perfect Shurley Teacher; it will help to relieve any unnecessary pressure you might have placed upon yourself when teaching the curriculum.

Next, I’d like to expand on a paragraph in that post that reads:

“Your goal is to complete one lesson per day (if possible), and if you finish the book…GREAT! But, that’s not the goal!  The long term goal is to teach your students how to make the grammar-writing connection so they can be successful communicators for the rest of their lives.”

When teachers receive their new teacher’s manuals and student textbooks, many look at the size of the book(s) and automatically decide whether or not they’ll be able to finish the book(s) by the end of the school year.  When I show my trainees the size of their Shurley English books, their faces say, “How will I ever finish those books?”  Remember that finishing the book is not your goal!  Let that go.

Your goal is to build a competent, confident communicator using the Shurley English curriculum! 

All you have to do is follow the lessons step-by-step.  The features are set up so that your students receive the knowledge, skill, and practice they need to help them understand how grammar connects to writing and ultimately leave your classroom feeling like they own the English language.  Each unique feature in the curriculum is purposeful and prepares your students to become successful communicators for life; therefore, every grade level plays a vital role in this development. (If you need a bit more motivation, here’s another insightful blog post on Trusting the Process of Shurley English.)

This new school year is going to be an impactful one because you have all the tools you need to build competent, confident communicators! BEST of LUCK in 2019-2020