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PARKER'S
CORNER
English Class Basics
This is an incredibly simple list that details what I feel is most important to know in order to be successful in this class. Pay attention to this list, and you should do fine.
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Beginning of Class
Walk in, get seated, and read the daily agenda on the interactive TV. Immediately begin working on the journal/reading/grammar practice activity for that day. Bell ringers will be voluntarily shared.
Bell Ringers
Students are assigned a specific bell ringer task each day. Bell-ringers will be provided to students at the beginning of the week. I frequently select topics that provoke critical thinking and/or personal insight, and at times they are also controversial. I expect students to treat one another with respect and be active listeners when students are sharing one another’s views. This is excellent preparation for the real world when you will encounter people with very different ideas and beliefs as you. Students are required to participate each day, but they do have the ability to opt out of a topic they feel uncomfortable writing about it.
Lesson
You can expect an introduction to the overall unit, mini-units/authors, and discussion over key parts. The majority of the reading will be completed outside of class to prepare you for discussion and/or quizzes. You can expect to collaborate on writing and communicate with your peers as well as the teacher, the occasional timed write, and lengthy writing assignments will be provided in advance since we will be working on these throughout reading units.
End of Class
The bell DOES NOT dismiss you; I dismiss you. In other words, ignore the clock and do not start packing up before I give you the instructions to do so—that is incredibly disrespectful. I plan to have an alarm/song or something to signal to me when it’s two minutes until the end of the hour. Seriously. It is rude, and chances are you will miss something valuable about the day’s lesson or plans for tomorrow. Don’t be that kid . . . it will not end well.
Homework
TURN YOUR WORK IN ON TIME. I will usually give explicit instructions on what to do with your work. However, if I do not ask for your work, put it in your class’ tray regardless. This will prevent your assignment from being counted as late.
Absences
If possible, let me know of absences (either in advance or the day(s) you are actually absent), and I will provide you with detailed instructions via email. If you forget or are unable to do that, check your Course Outline. This will provide you with at least the assigned readings, planned quizzes, or exams. You can also find detailed assignment info on the Daily Assignment Log, located on Classroom as well as the class website. I will update this at the end of each day. You can also check the Absent Bin upon your return. If there were handouts, you will find them there. You can also check with your classmates. Your last resort is checking with me on the day of class . . . this is not recommended since chances are I’m getting ready for what we’re going to be doing that day.
*If you are going to have a planned absence (vacation, school trip, athletic event, etc.) you need to retrieve your assignment prior to your absence. This is your responsibility, and I will hold you accountable for having all necessary readings, preparation, work, etc. ready to go upon your return. If you do not have your work ready, you will receive a zero for the assignments. I will at least hold you accountable for what is stated in the Course Outline for that day. In other words, if the Course Outline says read p. 91-107 in The Grapes of Wrath, and we have a quiz over those pages upon your return, you will still be responsible for taking the quiz at the same time as the rest of your class.
ASSESSMENTS
Literary Analysis
After the culmination of a unit of reading, I will provide you several essay topics for which you will write a detailed response using textual evidence and proper citations (generally 250-500 words). You will also be required to use important content and academic vocabulary to demonstrate your understanding.
Quick Writes
These are short writing responses usually in between a reading unit where you will reflect on a specific question. I provide a specific time limit to complete (anywhere from 10-30 minutes), and you will be expected to have a well-written response with references to the text.
Traditional Exams/Quizzes
I will also assign traditional exams/quizzes which feature a variety of question types. We will spend a day reviewing in which I will cover the topics that will be on the exam as well as the different question types you will encounter. I would highly suggest you take good notes during reviews. There will also be planned as well as pop quizzes as needed - especially if I get the feeling that students are not completing assigned readings.
Projects/Presenations
Extended projects are another assessment I like to do as a way to break up the monotony that can be high school English. These could include group projects, re-enactments, speeches, digital presentations, or artistic representations of what we are reading in class.
Extended Essays
These would be anything beyond analysis literature. These tend to have longer periods to complete, lengthier word requirements (500-1500 words), require multiple outside sources, peer review/workshop, and will be held to a higher grading standard.You will also be required to use important content and academic vocabulary to demonstrate your understanding.
Essay Format
We will do quite a bit of writing throughout the year, and we will stick to MLA Format…
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Proper header and heading
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Double-space the text or skip lines for handwritten essays
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Legible font (Times New Roman) or neat handwriting
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12 pt. font size or normal handwriting
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One space following end punctuation marks or adequate spacing for handwriting
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1-inch margins on all sides, tab to indent paragraphs or attention to paper margins
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Parenthetical citations as well as a Work Cited page
Book Love Reading Journey
What I have set up for you all this year is a project that entails you keeping track of what you read throughout the school year, both in and out of class. That's it! You will present your journey in a creative way with a small amount of required information on each book you read.* This will, hopefully, provide a way to encourage reading for pleasure and focus on our journey rather than individual projects for each book.
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You will be provided at least 30 minutes of in-class reading time each week as well several days throughoutthe year to work on prepping the notes for your journey. Please pay attention to deadlines, and make sure you understand the requirements. When in doubt . . . ASK QUESTIONS!
COUPONS
Coupon Corner - USE THEM OR LOSE THEM!
At the beginning of the school year you will receive a sheet with several coupons: Redo, Extension, Free Points, Late Pass, and 5% Bonus. Use these as needed.
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1. To use: Write your name, date, and assignment (if needed) on the back of the coupon you plan to use.
2. If you do not follow the directions/stipulations listed on the coupon, you will not receive the perk.
3. Read them over carefully AND make sure you understand what you need to do to take advantage of these opportunities.
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WARNING!!! If you are caught attempting to forge or copy these coupons in any way shape or form and try to pass them off as originals, you will lose the privilege of using them for the rest of the school year.
*I reserve the right to deny your request.
*If you lose these coupons, you lose the ability to use them.
EXTRA CREDIT
While I’m a true believer in just doing the work you’re assigned, I also know extra credit can be a big help to getting students off a bubble. Because of this, I have worked in several different opportunities for students to obtain extra credit:
Web Activities
Occasionally I will post a picture or a video or an article for you to view/read and to respond. These will be posted randomly and will not be on the assignment log. The idea is for you to interact with online materials and venues, like this website, regularly. If you respond to the post by the due date, you will receive the designated extra credit points (points will vary per post). I highly recommend signing up for Google Classroom notifications so you will know immediately if extra credit is assigned.
Tutoring
Each time you provide supervised tutoring to a student in need, you can receive up to 10 points as long as you obtain a brief evaluation from a supervising teacher.
Google Classroom Questions
Occasionally I will post a question (written response, visual response, etc.) for you to respond to. These will be posted randomly and will not be on the assignment log. The idea is for you to interact with Google Classroom regularly. If you respond to the post by the due date, you will receive the designated extra credit points (points vary per post). I highly recommend signing up for Google Classroom notifications so you will know immediately if extra credit is assigned.
Coupons
Each student is given various coupons at the start of each semester that provide extra credit towards daily work, quizzes, projects, or assessments (read carefully . . . they are specific). Coupons are due at the time of usage and must be used before the expiration date.
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*These will be the only opportunities for extra credit unless otherwise notified by the teacher.