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In my room, we follow the policies in the PHS Handbook, in addition to these:
1. Come to class on time every day, prepared to learn, bringing books, paper, and writing implement. If you are not in your seat at the final bell, I will count you as tardy.
2. Be prepared to exercise your freedom of opinions and allow others to exercise theirs. We respect each other. That includes my request that you not talk while I am addressing the class.
3. If you are absent, it is your responsibility to find out what you missed/need from a friend, then from me if your friend can’t help you. I will discuss your make-up work before or after, not during, class. You have three days from your absence to make up your work. Be prepared to come in the morning to make up quizzes, as I am usually not available after 3:30 due to practice and my own classes.
4. All work is to be printed by you not during class time, unless the class is dedicated to writing a paper that day. Do not come in here the day a paper is due, in a flurry because you “forgot” or “couldn’t” print your assignment at home. That is not my responsibility, and I will not take class time to print your outside work.
5. Except for special occasions and plain water, there is no eating or drinking in my room.
6. Your cell phone will be collected if I see it after the first, and only, warning. You will have to negotiate its return with the office.
7. If you or your parents have an issue with my practices or with something I have said, please talk with me first and the principal second. Usually we can work out an understanding; many of our discussions will not transfer outside our classroom environment without some confusion, most of which can be easily explained.
8. You will have many choices to make in my room, as you work your way through your semester’s English with me. I will allow you as much freedom in these choices as possible, while helping you grow in wisdom and personal responsibility. I will remind you of missing assignments, but not badger you; it is your choice to cooperate or not. I will contact your parents if you persist in making unwise choices in my room.
All of our lessons and activities follow the Georgia Department of Education’s Georgia Performance Standards for 9th Grade Language Arts, found at http://georgiastandards.org/english.aspx
I base your grade on total points, meaning that each assignment carries a certain weight in my grade book. For example, weekly vocabulary quizzes count for 25 points, a book analysis and other papers count 100, a unit test counts 100, and a project may count as much as 300.
You can refer to Power Teacher to see what has been collected and assessed and what each assignment counts. I nearly always provide for a revision option on papers. I also provide several extra credit opportunities throughout the semester.
The students engage in a variety of activities and assessments, many of their own choosing, and I allow for creative flexibility to encourage differentiated learning. Among our activities are study of short stories, poetry, Homer’s Odyssey, Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, several papers and projects designed around student preferences, and reading several novels in addition to the four the students are required to study over the summer for entrance into the class.
English 9 will contain the components listed above at a slightly slower pace and with student levels of readiness taken under careful consideration. Assignments will be modified for student success. There will be the same encouragement of differentiated learning, with students largely responsible for choice they make in novels and projects.
Writer's workshop is a class which targets students for whom writing is a challenge, based on 8th grade CRCT scores. Using real-life activities to support practical learning, we will engage these students in learning based on their own interests and needs. Activities will include producing a variety of writing products, practicing life skills, career investigations, study skills, and other strategies for success at the high school and beyond. The students will also be provided opportunities to read significant and enjoyable books.
This course is largely a lab class, in which students learn the basics of stagecraft, including acting, improvisation, set design and construction, lighting and sound, costuming, make-up, and speaking skills. Working as a team, the students will learn and present two plays for the community, one student-written and directed. Between these productions, the students learn the history of world theater, read several classic plays, and investigate the lives of important contributors to the growth of drama through the ages.
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