Hello, everyone. My name is Todd, and I am a logophile.
Now, before you go running off to demand an apology from The Mailbox for allowing such trash to be printed on the Internet (you, in the back, stop laughing), let’s agree to a definition of logophile: logo-, a combining form meaning “word,” from Greeklógos“word,” and-phile, a suffix meaning “lover of; enthusiast for (something specified).” Hence, a logophile is a lover of words.
In fact, were it not for the gentle prodding of this editor’s editor, my blog posts would be rife with multisyllabic words that might have some among you running either to the dictionary or simply away from the Upper Grades Exchange. So you can imagine how much I enjoyed teaching middle school vocabulary classes! (Ask me sometime about the one occasion when I told my eighth graders it was time for them to go masticate in the cafeteria.)
Common Core State Standards have changed the way we look at and teach just about every aspect of math and language arts, and this includes the introduction and study of new vocabulary. So I have a quick question for you. Do you find your vocabulary lessons to have changed dramatically with Common Core? Do you still have separate vocabulary lessons, or is all new vocabulary introduced within the framework of other subject areas? The Mailbox editors are all looking forward to your responses!
FYI: I’m still soliciting your input for What Traits Must a Teacher Have? If you haven’t left a comment with your ideas, please click on the link and share your opinion. Next week, I’ll round up everyone’s ideas and report back.