20 December - Happy Break!

English 11

Great last day today, everyone! Thank you for your reflections on the year, advice to me about 2025, and your goals. I'm excited for what we have ahead of us next year. For today we went into our notebooks for reflection, then we did some book shopping to prepare for next year. If you weren't here for class, please make sure that you complete the book shopping form. I've also posted the recordings for the pitches on the books, if you'd like to listen.

We did some watching and reading and thinking today. It was a great day! I'm excited to see y'all in the new year. 

18 December - Wacky Wednesday!

English 11

Y'all gave me so many gifts today and that is records of your work and your thinking. Thank you for being so productive during our testing day. If you were absent, you'll want to schedule a Lion Time pass to take your reading test AFTER Winter Break. 

If you have missing major work, try to get that in. Let's make a plan for Lion Time when we return, if necessary. You can complete the vocabulary on your own, but please plan to work with me to do the letter. I'll be updating grades throughout the next few days, and I hope to have them finalized by the time we go out on Friday.

On Friday we'll do some book shopping to prepare for the next unit. If you'll be absent, please complete the Google Form, so I can make some recommendations for you. As always, reach out with any questions or concerns.

16 December - A Manic Monday!

English 11

Pretty good day today to start the week. We were focused on reading and reviewing for our test that we have next class. We focused on elements of reading non-fiction and key skills to demonstrate next class. It's most important that you remember the rhetorical situation: purpose, context, audience, writer, and message. Be sure that you read the text efficiently to identify these elements. Once you have the message, it's easy to see the evidence that is used to support that message. Also keep in mind the way in which these elements work together to support each other. One can help you find the other.

We also played Jeopardy today! You're all winners in my book, so we got some small prizes for participation. I've posted the Jeopardy slides if you want to review them again to help you study. Remember that the best way to study is to read, so it might be a good idea to read a bit more or review one of your research sources as you prepare for next class.

At the very end, we took some time to finish up our main work. The most important items are the letter, research write-up, and vocabulary project. Be sure that you're focused on these. Check your Gradebook in Schoology to keep up with what you have turned in and what's been scored. I'll be updating through the week. You'll have all class next time for the test, so you might have time to finish up tasks in class. Please make an LT pass for Wednesday if you need additional help. I'm also after school on Thursday.

12 December - Writing Day!

English 11

Great day today everyone! I'm so proud of all of you and excited to read what you wrote for me today. The goal of today's class was to complete our Research Write-Up OR the Summative Writing Assignment. I'm so glad to see that I have a good amount of work to grade. I'm planning to score on Sunday. If you have other items to submit like your Vocabulary Project/Test or your formatives (like your outline) try to get those in as soon as possible so that I can update your grades.

Next class we'll be doing a review activity for our reading test and then the test is going to occur on Wednesday. For this test you'll be reading and responding to questions to demonstrate your reading comprehension and interpretation skills.

If you need additional help, please make a LT appointment for Monday or Wednesday. I'm after school on Thursday for additional help. The goal is to complete all of our Unit 2 work before we go out on break so that we can do revisions and resubmissions after. 

6 December - Friday Feels

English 11

Solid end of the week in English 11; the only bad thing was that we were missing so many of you. I hope that all of you are doing well. Today we engaged in our final reading for Unit 2 and looked at Brent Staples and Langston Hughes. We chose our adventure for reading and then dove in. We explored ideas like racism and segregation and the way in which each author used personal experience to convey their argument on the topic. We also looked at some art that engaged in similar ideas. The end of class brought out a fantastic synthesizing conversation. See the recording for all of this.

We didn't quite have the time I wanted for the end of class, so I extended your Research Write-Up to Tuesday. Tuesday will be the last day to collect evidence for your letter. We're writing on Thursday. Complete and submit the Write-Up so that you're as prepared as possible. I'll be grading and providing feedback throughout the next few days. Enjoy your weekend and your time with the substitute on Tuesday. Make it a productive day! 

4 December - Wacky Wednesday

English 11

What a fantastic day today, everyone! You all were so productive during your catch-up day. I've got plenty of assignments to grade, and I'll get through them tomorrow and Friday morning. Everything in SiS will be updated before progress reports are sent out on Friday afternoon. There's no recording today because the slides really do a good job of covering what we did in class.

If you are still completing your reading (the documentary study) or writing (the outline) formative grades, be sure to turn those in as soon as you can. Remember to use the resources posted to help you with your outlining and writing. My goal in giving you those sentence frames is to make the writing a bit faster and easier for you.

On Friday we'll be focused on finishing our Research Write-Ups and discussing our sources. We'll also do a bit of reading on Friday to start to wrap up this unit of study on The Harlem Renaissance. On Tuesday of next week, I'll be out. You'll have your vocabulary assignment to complete. I posted the video with the assignment to help with it. We have a lot of major grades coming up! Thursday we'll be writing our letters and the week after we'll take our unit reading examination. You'll have more than enough time when we come back from Winter Break for revising or retesting.

2 December - Welcome Back!

English 11

Great day today in English 11 as we got back together to do some of the great work that we do. We started our day by listening to some jazz and understanding the power of Bessie Smith's lyrics and language. I loved the ideas that you all brought out connected to isolation and the change of fortunes. We then got into our work focused on James Baldwin and his article "Notes of a Native Son". We discussed the difference in genre from a letter to an essay and how that would lead to differences in Baldwin's approach to the text. We read together and studied in order to understand the text and Baldwin's arguments to Americans about racism and its effects.

When we came back from lunch, we were focused on individual tasks. The main focus right now is the Research Write-Up. You'll need to be focused this week on finalizing your research question, argument, and the evidence for your letter. We'll be writing next week on Thursday. You'll submit the Research Write-Up when it's finished, and I'll provide feedback. The goal is that we will finish all major grades before winter break and transition to a new unit when we return. It's time to lock in for a strong finish to the year!

21 November

English 11

A good end to the week today as we worked in English 11 to review our writing skills. We took a look at grammar and then we dug into outlining an argument. It is so important to remember that all of your paragraphs need to focus on proving your main idea / the thesis is true. You'll use evidence and explain the evidence in order to do this.

One main takeaway from today's class was the idea that assertions should clearly link to your thesis and they should NOT be evidence. Consider this sentence starter for your assertions: A main reason why...is because... Then you can follow with evidence. After the evidence, we have commentary. Sentences that start like This is important because... or This evidence proves... can help to reconnect to your main idea. Remember that key words and phrases from your thesis will be crucial to use throughout your essay.

We completed a quick outlining activity before moving into vocabulary and independent work. Remember to submit your outline assignment by the end of the weekend. Use the example in today's slides to help you out. I look forward to seeing you after Thanksgiving! Enjoy your film study on Monday. 

19 November

English 11

Wowza! Great day today in English 11. We were on total fire. We started out our class today with time for learning conferences and understanding where we are with our research process and letter development. Remember, your letter is going to be written before the end of December. We'll have this unit finished BEFORE Winter Break. If you need to resubmit Part 1 or Part 2 - Please do so! I'll get feedback to you as soon as possible. Thursday's class should have everyone working on Part 3 and beginning to plan the letter. We'll be doing a lot of work on writing next class. Don't forget that there's also a vocabulary quiz.

After lunch we did work with Plato. I loved our discussion! You all got it right off the bat. Take some time to keep reading and thinking about this text. It's all over the place. We'll keep diving in to what it means as we move through the rest of our unit. All the best! Thanks for a great day!

13 November - Middle of the Week

English 11

Today was a great day in English 11 because we were working on speeches and arguments. I loved the way that you were making connections to other authors and texts in this unit and the concept of responding to conflict. We focused on Booker T. Washington and ideas like conformity and appealing to audiences. It's also good that we see that there are two different approaches to the same idea in the same time period. There was a multiple choice review to get us ready for next class (we have a quiz) and we did some work on understanding writing and writing structures.

The end of class looked at preparing for future tasks. We've got a vocabulary quiz coming next week on List Three words, and we'll keep working with our research work as well. Remember that the goal is to find multiple sources that you can use in your letter. We'll be moving into the planning and writing phase soon.

Next class is a substitute day - you'll have time to work on your Research Write-Up, focus on vocabulary development, and then you'll take a quiz on reading non-fiction. Follow the rules of the classroom and support our guest in the classroom. I look forward to a good report. I look forward to seeing you all next week!

8 November - End of the Week

English 11

Really good end to the week today in English 11. We started off with a review of the rhetorical situation to understand that we are now writers and responding to the rhetorical situation in which we find ourselves. This is a great exercise for us to come back to as we keep writing and delving into our research work. We also took time to revise and refocus our research topics. Remember the main takeaway from our class today - the more focused the problem, the easier the writing. There is such a thing as being too focused, but it's easy to take a step back if you think that happens. Over the next few classes we'll be spending time with our Research Write-Up and Redefining the Research Question. Don't be worried if you didn't finish that work today.

At the end of class we did our vocabulary work to finish off List Three. We did an activity focused on context clues and word hunting to review our words and review the skill that we have to do on our upcoming vocabulary quiz. Over the weekend, continue to consider your research questions and the evidence for your letters. We'll take a look at another speech next week in order to review the components of an effective argument.

6 November - Welcome to Quarter 2

English 11

It was really great to see you all today and work with you. On hard days, I really enjoy spending some time with you and hearing your thoughts and ideas. Today we had a class focused on letters and our central idea of American problems and possible solutions. We started the class with a bit of a review - there was the review of MLA structure for citations and the review of the elements of a letter. From there we looked at a letter by a famous American, Helen Keller. From our reading, we located the elements of the letter and discussed Keller's use of imagery, irony, and tone. We also discussed the problem that Keller was exploring in her letter as well as a possible solution.

In the second half of class we had time for conversation. We collaborated, listened, and presented our ideas about the various texts we've been reading so far. I'm sorry that the conversation was short - we'll focus on this for longer next time.

Before I see you on Friday, make sure that your research topic is submitted. I've provided feedback in your document, so you might want to start addressing that feedback. We'll be developing our topics further next class through some revision. Also, we'll take a look at another piece of writing to help us understand constructing an argument.

30 October - Last Grey Day

English 11

Thanks for a great end of the week today in English 11. Today's class was focused on writing and especially on the development of our topics for our research work in this unit. We discussed the importance of specificity when it comes to our research topics. We need to be as specific as possible when it comes to the scope and context of our problem. Remember to ask questions like Where? When? What type or kind? Who? These questions will help you to focus in on a particular part of a larger problem that you can really examine in an assignment like this.

By the end of the weekend, be sure that you've completed your brainstorming assignment. I'll take a look and give feedback to the good of the group next class. We'll revise from there. We'll also take some time next class to have our discussion on our unit and texts so far. There are a few more readings that we have ahead of us, but this is a great time for us to review what we've read so far before moving on. Great work this quarter, everyone! I'm excited to move us forward into Q2.

28 October - Happy Monday and End of Quarter 1

English 11

Ugh! Unfortunately there's no recording of today's great class because of a technical issue. I'm sorry about that. At least we have records and learning artifacts, right? I'm really proud of the way that you all worked through two texts with a similar vibe - Public Enemy's "Fight the Power" and then Frederick Douglass's "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July." We explored the way in which both of these texts use tone to express arguments about topics. We also focused in on understanding how Douglass was crafting an effective argument.

We looked at the speech in three phases - his introduction, body, and conclusion. We remembered the elements of each phase of writing and then saw the way in which Douglass did just that. Remember that everything is an argument - so everything has a thesis, body with assertions, evidence, and commentary, clear connections between paragraphs, and a conclusion. We'll be focused a lot on writing in this unit, so we'll be doing a lot of this work to understand reading as writing.

We ended the day with vocabulary and began List 3. If you have any grades to raise here at the end of the quarter, now is the time. If you have anything missing (reading tasks, vocabulary quiz) please come in and make sure that those tasks are complete. As always, be in touch with any questions or concerns. Next class we'll be focused mostly on writing.

24 October - End of the Week

English 11

Not the most exciting day today in English 11 because we had to take an online reading test. I appreciate all of you working hard to show me your skills and abilities. I'll share results with you once I have them and know what they mean. If you weren't able to finish your test today we can set up a time at Lion Time next week or after school. You do need to finish the test by November 8. This is very important.

As you think about the weekend, there are a few options for you. Remember that you can raise your reading grades by the project (first time submission and revision) OR you can do the retake of the reading test. Let me know what I can do for you as you are working in the last part of the quarter. I've also posted the brainstorming assignment to start our research work. Please do not turn this in until we work on it in class next week, but you can start getting some ideas together now if you'd like.

Have the best weekend! Think of me on Sunday morning - I have my race, and I'm trying to go fast!

22 October - Happy Tuesday

English 11

Happy Tuesday, everyone! Great day in English 11 as we started our day with vocabulary and then got into the process of deep looking and understanding non-print texts. Today we looked at a painting called The Problem We All Live With by Norman Rockwell. This painting was paired with an interview in which Ruby Bridges, the girl in the painting, explained what the day was like. This was a great lesson to help us understand the importance of looking at several texts about the same topic. Keep this in mind as we work through the research and development process for our projects in this unit.

Another part of today's class involved feedback on reading tasks. Remember that the goal by the end of the year is that you can display your skills in all of the ways. Right now, you have two ways to demonstrate your reading skills - the test and the project. At this point you can either retake the test to raise your grade, resubmit the project, or stay where you are if you're happy. I'll have all grades updated by Friday so that you can make the best decision for the last week of the quarter. I would put in a Lion Time pass sooner rather than later if you want to do a retake or revise your project with me.

Next class we'll be testing. You'll have independent working time after you test. Come to class with a charged laptop, please. Be sure to complete any last assignments for the end of the quarter.

18 October - Happy Friday

English 11

Solid day today, everyone! I hope that you enjoyed your reading and study of Zora Neale Hurston's "How It Feels to Be Colored Me." I really like this piece a lot. I like the way that it deals with identity and personal stories. I also appreciate the way that Hurston is able to write her story in a way that she connects to others. I was impressed with how well you were figuring out her tones, focusing on her language, and looking at her messages around identity and pride. The connections that we were able to build back to Nina Simone were really wonderful.

Remember that your Unit 1 Project is due. I appreciate that a lot of people came to Lion Time to work today. I'll be grading projects on Monday and giving you feedback. On Tuesday we'll take our final vocabulary quiz for this quarter. Be sure to study List 2 over the weekend. I gave you exercises to help you study and review. If you go Current Lessons, you can see the space to access the online resources.

As always, reach out with any questions or concerns. I'm always here to help! I look forward to seeing you on Tuesday.

16 October - Harlem Renaissance Artifacts

English 11

Great day today in English 11 everyone. We started off by listening to "Drop Me Off in Harlem" by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong for our jazz journal. One of the main elements that we focused on in the song was tone. I like the fact that we were able to discover that the song had mixed tones based on the target of the tone. Remember that we'll be listening to a lot of different types of music in this unit to explore the culture of the Harlem Renaissance.

From there, we did some station rotations and looked art and poetry. We annotated for surface meaning and then deeper meaning in order to discover topic and theme. We're going to usually get back to topic and theme in the works that we study, so continuing to repeat this skill is important. You all did great work collaborating and critically thinking to discover the messages that these authors were sending and the problems that they were responding to.

At the end of class, we did a review on writing, and then we took time to work as we needed. I like that people were focused on finishing projects or studying vocabulary. You will have a vocabulary test next week on List Two words, so it is a good idea to study and review. Use the resources linked in our folder for today's class. If you need help with your project (or anything else) come to Lion Time on Friday. My goal is to have everything graded and back to you next week so that you can focus on raising your scores at the end of the quarter. 

11 October - Happy Friday

English 11

It felt nice to get a bit back to normal today with class after the strange day that we had on Wednesday. Thanks, as always, for a great session today. We did a bit of a transition today as we went from Unit 1 to Unit 2 - this included some feedback, time for our projects, and then time to work on some new content and ideas.

I loved seeing the dedication that you all brought to our project workshop after the feedback. I hope that you found everything useful in terms of our review. Remember to pay this forward into your projects. When your project is complete you've commented on three excerpts to find all of our unit literary/narrative devices. Turn in your work via Schoology. I am happy to meet with you next week during a Lion Time if you need more help. Remember, we won't have any more time in class to work on this project.

From our project work we began our transition into Unit 2 - The Harlem Renaissance. We talked a bit about the history and context for this moment in history. Over the next few weeks we'll explore by reading, writing, and listening. We'll study a mix of poetry, music, and non-fiction in this unit. We listened and analyzed "Strange Fruit" by Billie Holiday today as a first step. At the end of class, we finished our words for List Two. We'll review a bit next class and take our Vocabulary Quiz on 22 October. This will be one of the last grades of the quarter.

9 October

English 11

Today we had a super short class because of the extension of testing on the PSAT/SAT. We had about thirty minutes together today, so we spent that time on our projects for Unit 1. Remember that your project grade will replace your test grade, so it's a great built in revision for you all. 

Remember the big elements of the project: three excerpts, annotated for all of our devices, note the topic and theme for each excerpt. It's best if you do this work in a Google Doc or Slide show. Next class we'll do some writing to finish the project. If the project is ready, you'll be able to turn it in on Friday. The final due date for the project is October 21.

Next class we'll start Unit 2 - The Harlem Renaissance and Research. It'll be a great unit focused on studying poetry, music, non-fiction, and doing some research on American problems. I'm excited to take you all to an exciting moment of history for our nation. Have a great rest of your day!

7 October

English 11

Simple day today in English 11 - we took our unit reading test. At the end of each unit, you'll see something like what you saw today. I'll ask you to read something and show your knowledge of what you've learned in the unit. I'll have these tests scored and returned to you next week. We'll do some feedback and then open up the options for retesting. If you found today's test difficult, let's meet and discuss that before too long. Remember it's important to put in the work to develop skills, especially when it comes to reading and writing.

Next class is going to be a bit low-key since many of you are taking the PSAT that day. I expect you'll be a bit fried after testing. We're going to watch a video about our next literary period and have some small discussions about Unit 1. We'll also take a bit of time to work on projects. Here's to our next time together!

1 October - New Month, End of the Week

English 11

Great day today in English 11 everyone! I hope that you enjoyed your first day with station rotations. For today's class we spent our time working through review tasks to get ready for Monday's test. We did some reading, some work on our projects, some arts and crafts, and everything was about reviewing and preparing for Monday.

Remember that for your test on Monday you'll have a story to read and then about twenty questions. There will be a question about each of the literary devices in this unit. Be sure that you can identify them and comment on how they help an author to create a theme or message. You'll have the whole class period to work on your test. Projects will be due at the end of next week. Remember that working on your project will help you to be ready for your test.

27 September - End of the Week

English 11

Great day to end the week today as we worked on our reading projects, set up our websites for our English 11 portfolios, and got started with our first few words from list two. We ended our day with Scattegories! It's always fun to build a bit of community through some games.

Remember that in this class, projects are how you can study best for tests. In your project, you're finding and explaining our unit devices. Your goal is to find all of the devices in your project. Follow the same guidelines that we did in our practice assignments. Annotate via comments. Next week we'll have more time to work on our projects and we'll finish preparing for our exams.

Have the best weekend! Keep working on your projects if you have the time. I'm excited to see you on Tuesday, which is your only day with me next week.

25 September - Wacky Wednesday!

English 11

Pretty solid day today in English 11 as we worked on reading and understanding one of my favorite authors, James Baldwin. We'll look at him again throughout the year in a few different moments. We read in order to discover our literary devices, elements of story telling, and to discuss Baldwin's rhetorical situation. We finished class with a brief analysis of Baldwin where you selected a quotation, annotated for devices, and then paraphrased and evaluated it. I'm looking forward to seeing your work. Remember that this is a miniaturized version of the project, which we'll work on more on Friday. 

Friday is all about our project and learning some new vocabulary words from list two. Be ready for a fun day of putting projects together. Remember that working on the project is a way to study for our test. The test is going to happen on October 7.

23 September - Kicking Off the Week

English 11

Today we had time for our first round of feedback and grades. I know that there was a lot of information provided to you today, so here's the basic recap. You get two types of grades - summative (70%) and formative (30%). We generally get grades in three types of skills - reading, writing, and oral communication. Today you got back grades and feedback on reading, writing, and oral communication. We looked at the feedback, understood what it meant about where we are right now, and understood how grades and feedback can help us get to where we want to be. Now what we'll do is start the journey for improvement.. 

The bulk of class after that was focused on our first poem - "The New Colossus" by Emma Lazarus. What we did in this part of class was do a close reading of the poem to identify key literary devices from this unit. We explored how they created tones and added to the character of the Statue of Liberty in the poem. Then, we put it all together to understand the theme for the audience. Keep in mind that this type of thinking and reading is what we'll need to do in our project as well as how to be successful in class. Continue to practice with this as you work with your project.

Next class we'll take time to do our last reading of this unit and also have time to work on our projects. It's time for us to start preparing for our unit assessment, as well. Be ready to move on to Unit 2 in the next few classes.

19 September - End of the Week

English 11

Great end to the week in English 11 as we took our first vocabulary quiz, participated in some review, and got started with our first project to demonstrate our skills and identities as readers. Next class, I'll be giving a lot of feedback based on the work we've done so far. If you have any missing assignments, be sure that they are complete BEFORE Monday's class so that I can get you scores and feedback. If you need to come to Lion Time, use Securly and make an Appointment Pass for Monday. I can also work with you on Wednesday or Friday.

Take time to review the project requirements. The main idea is that you're annotating three excerpts of your choosing for our narrative elements. We'll keep working on this throughout next week. It'll help us to prepare for our unit test. Soon Unit 1 will be over. Our next unit looks at The Harlem Renaissance. Over the weekend, focus on completing any missing work, making a plan for this week's Lion Times, or working on your project. As always, whatever you need, feel free to ask! Enjoy your weekends!

17 September

English 11

Another solid day today in English 11 as we finished studying "Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong" by Tim O'Brien from his novel called The Things They Carried. If you're interested in reading more from this book, let me know if you'd like to check out a copy. It's a fantastic collection!

In class we did some practice SOL problems before our reading time. I loved the engagement, the notes, and the ideas that you all got to when it came to our discussion on American problems reflected in the story. At the end of class, we took time for finishing missing work and preparing for our quiz on Thursday.

Focus on learning your vocabulary for next class. You have a quiz coming! Remember to complete the practice assignment for a grade - I attached it here. We'll get into our first projects next class and some feedback on the first essays. Here's to Thursday!

End of the Week - Homecoming Friday

English 11

It's Friday the 13th and the end of a busy week at Fairfax High School. Solid end to the week today in English 11. We had picture day, and we completed our first timed essay. Remember that in this class, grades replace. This first essay is often the worst of the whole year. As we learn and grow, we'll be rewarded for that. Continue to do your part. Be actively engaged in class, and focus on improvement! I'll have feedback for you next week.

Over the weekend, be sure to complete your syllabus form, your discussion board post, and study for your vocabulary quiz. Be sure to complete your practice assignment. If you were absent or need to get caught up. Make a plan for Lion Time next week. Request a pass on Securly and I'll approve. All the best for a great Homecoming and weekend!

Getting into September - Mid Week Check-ins

English 11

Thank you all for being so good while we had technology problems in class today. Unfortunately, this means that we won't have a recording for today posted over on Schoology. Oh well. 

Today's class started with a quotation response in our notebooks followed by our first graded class discussion. Y'all did a fantastic job reviewing the four authors that we've read so far and discussing some of their major conflicts, resolutions, and perspectives in their texts. We made some great connections between the various authors as well. Some of these connections were a bit ironic, but that makes them even more powerful. As we keep going through this unit and year, consider how more texts combine together to create richer meanings and ideas.

We started reading one of the longest pieces of this unit called "Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong" by Tim O'Brien. This is a war story that blends a bit of fact and fiction. We'll finish the story next week. To end our day, we looked at vocabulary. Remember that you have a quiz next week (Thursday). Be sure to complete your review assignment before Thursday. Don't forget that you also have your discussion board due this week.

On Monday we had a good day as we read and studied "The Gettysburg Address" by Abraham Lincoln to review the ideas of the rhetorical situation as well as the ways in which emotions are created in a text by an author for a purpose. We also closed out our first vocabulary list. We'll have time next class and Friday to prepare for next week's first quiz. Remember to focus on learning the words and their meaning. This will take you into most of the quiz. 

Next class is Picture Day! We'll take pictures at the beginning of class. After that, we'll take lunch and finish our day with writing. I hope you enjoyed today. See you on Friday!

5 September

English 11

Thanks for spending my birthday with me today, y'all!

Fantastic day today to end our week together in English 11. We did a bit of everything today. We started off by discussing genres and sorting them into being generally fiction or nonfiction. I love the way that you all are engaged in reminding and remembering key ideas from earlier English classes. From there, we applied our literary devices and narrative elements to understand that generally reading nonfiction is a bit more straightforward than fiction because fiction has a lot of artistry and details involved in creating message.

The bulk of our class focused on reading and understanding "Go Carolina" by David Sedaris. We were able to see elements of irony, conflict, characterization, and theme in the story as he talked about his experiences in speech therapy. I'm so proud of the fact that we completed a whole article in our class today. We finished with five more vocabulary words to end the day together.

Remember to get your syllabus form signed. It's also important that you study your vocabulary words regularly. You'll need to know the words and their meanings. Check out the recordings and uploaded slide decks to help you with this. We have some graded work coming up soon, be sure to keep up and stay accountable. If you've missed anything, please reach out!

3 September - It's Birthday Week!

English 11

Really great day today everyone! We're crushing it. Today we started off class with our new norms and guiding principles before taking time for our journal and then some time to explore some key ideas. Remember that our word bank of narrative elements are super important - it's important that you're learning this information as we move through the next few classes together. We'll have a test at the end of the unit about these ideas.

The resources to learn about the various narrative elements and the practice assignment will stay open for you through the unit. Keep researching and accessing. We paid the learning forward while we read and studied Gloria Anzaldua and the way she uses different narrative elements to engage the author and create a message. I loved what we discovered through our close reading. We finished class with five vocabulary words. Remember, when we hit fifteen you'll have a quiz.

For tonight, keep reviewing Schoology. Review the recordings and resources that I've posted. If you missed class, be sure to follow up with what you missed. Next class we'll be reading something pretty funny. I'm excited to show it to you. All the best for the afternoon. See you Thursday!

28 August - End of Week 2

English 11

A pretty chill end of the week in English class this week. We started off by having our classroom circle to discuss our values and principles for our norms. I'll work on these this weekend and share them with you next week for approval. It's important to me that everyone has a space and a voice in the classroom. I appreciate everyone's attention to that work today.

From there we did some computer based tasks today. First, there was our getting to know each other form and we shared some facts about ourselves. Then, we got into our reading diagnostic for today's class. This test isn't for a grade, but it does help me to understand what I need to focus on as your teacher. At the end, we discussed the WebQuest and Discussion Board post. This isn't due for a while, so you have time to respond.

Over the weekend, consider the question, "What makes a good story?" Think about some of your favorite stories, and yes, video games do count! So do movies and television shows. A rap song or two could also be a story, I suppose. Next class we'll start getting into reading more intensely to discuss what makes a good story.

26 August

English 11

Really fantastic day today as we worked through three texts and understood the importance of reading closely, determining main ideas, and focusing on key language. We finished our work with Jefferson's "Declaration of Independence" before going on to the Preamble to the US Constitution and Bill of Rights. Our reading work focused on determining main idea, understanding key words, and seeing the tone implicit in the language. I'm really pleased with the work that we put up.

After that, we closed class with some writing and personal reflection where I asked you about the values we should use as we center our class community. I'll take a look at what you wrote in a bit and we'll start with these ideas on Wednesday as we write our classroom norms and guiding principles together.

Other than that work on Wednesday, we will also have a small reading test. This will not be for a grade. It's just a diagnostic to see where you are coming in the door. Come to class with a charged laptop next class. Your test is computer based. It'll be a pretty simple day to end our week together. See you on Wednesday!

22 August - Finishing Week 1

English 11

Great first week together, everyone! I was glad to see so many of you commit to our classroom rules, keep your electronics away, and stay focused for all of the great work that we'll be doing together. Today we had an community builder where we shared some boring facts, then we talked about America and some American problems, before we started our first reading.

We read "The Declaration of Independence" by Thomas Jefferson and discussed his rhetorical situation. Next class, we'll spend a bit more time looking at this text and understanding how Jefferson makes choices and arguments for each of his audiences. We'll also look at some other important documents like the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. 

Over the weekend, complete your DRC Form - I linked it below. Also be sure to review your slides, recordings, and other resources. I'll see you on Monday!

Welcome to the Year! It's time for 2024-2025 School Year

English 11

Happy First Day of English everyone! It was great to get to know you and to start working with you. I hope that you enjoyed your first class with me. Today in class we went over some key information like our names and pronouns, some procedures and policies in class, and information about what we'll be studying and learning together. 

One of the main things that we learned today was the idea of the rhetorical situation. That means that a text is responding to an event or moment, so it's important to consider some of the elements around a text to consider its full effect. We ended class with a brief reading and writing activity to do a bit of fun creative writing.

For tonight, please get your notebook for class. Next class we'll start to set up that notebook. We'll also be reading next class and start studying a text together, so I'm looking forward to that. All the best! The recording is posted on Schoology under Updates. Remember that the slides are posted under Materials - Current Lessons on Schoology.

Blocking Software Strikes Again!

The new filtering software at school has not allowed me to post on here, and I keep forgetting to post when I get home. Apologies. I'm still making my regular updates on Schoology. In the meantime, I plan to continue posting here again soon. Likely as a weekly update. 

17 April - Practice Exam, Day 1

AP Language and Composition

Today we started our final practice examination. Today and over the next three classes, we'll complete an examination task. At the end of that, you'll reflect on your performance, your process, and determine any strategies that you think will be effective for you on the Mock Exam and ultimately, the real AP Examination. This is a process you should complete with all of your AP Examinations. I'd also suggest checking out BlueBook on your computers - there are practice examinations loaded, and you can explore the interface and tools for testing. It's very similar to the PSAT.

The other major task to chip away at right now is your Argument Bank. Keep reading. This mitigates some of the vocabulary issues because you're experiencing and encountering more high-level vocabulary. The final goal is that you process fifteen texts and consider their use for your eventual writing tasks, but they help with reading tasks too. AP Classroom unlocked practices can also be helpful during this time.

Use Lion Time and After School during this unit. Let's review and process and make a plan for success. I should have all of your essays scored and feedback to you by next week. All the best! Let's slay this beast!

Sorry for the Delay - 8 April

FCPS updated its software, and I lost access to the blog. Here's the update for today.

AP Language and Composition

Pretty easy day to start our week this week in AP Language as we focused on setting some loose ends, finishing assignments, and working through our exam preparation tasks. Let's review. We started today by looking at our notebooks, grades, and feedback so far. These documents and artifacts are so helpful for you as you're preparing for the end of the year. I look forward to seeing your reflections. You should get a copy in your email of your answers.

From there we went into our research work and independent tasks. Your sourcepack is due next class, no matter if you're writing on this prompt or the one I choose for you. This is easy. Follow the examples and avoid overthinking! Submit when ready. The space to submit documents related to your presentation is also available. If you're doing the timed write, you'll see that on Monday. 

Reach out with questions! I'm here to help!

1 April - Welcome Back, No Foolin!

AP Language

Welcome back, everyone! I hope that you found some time over the break to rest, recuperate, and relax. The trip to Mexico was a blast. I think my top highlight was seeing whales in the ocean each morning while I was having breakfast. The breakfast was pretty tasty too with all sorts of tropical fruits, juices, and Mexican flavors and products - like cactus (yum, nopales!)

If you have finished with your copy of Invisible Man, please have it ready to return. I'd like to get all the books processed. If you see a stray Gatsby around, be sure to bring him back to me too. If you have any work left to submit, now is the final time to do so. I am still missing a few annotated bibliographies in both classes. Be aware that failure to submit this major reading assignment will negatively affect your grade for the third quarter and could drop you as low as a D. My grades will be finalized and submitted at 3:00 on Tuesday, April 2. If you would like your work scored and reported on this report card, your deadline is clear.

Next class we'll be taking time to understand this final major unit of the year and take time to understand and complete our presentations of research. I'm excited to see you all very soon!

20 March - Working Day and Chapter 24

AP Language

Really productive day in AP Language as we spent a good amount of time completing essential graded tasks for the end of the quarter. We focused primarily on our annotated bibliography assignment in which we process sources and begin to plan out our final presentation of our argument. Keep in mind that you MUST use three sources in your final presentation, so your final annotated bibliography should have at least three entries. 

We also spent some time today discussing Chapter 24 and the discussion board post. Remember that you can complete these at your leisure, read this book over break and finish it when you have the time. Or even into April or May if needed. 

I'll be entering grades for essays today. Then I'll get into your MCQ. The last grade for this quarter is the annotated bibliography. Please reach out with any questions about your grades in the course.

18 March - Sorry for the Delay

AP Language

I guess that FCPS updated the filtering software, so Blogger is blocked again at school. Here's yesterday's update. 

Good day in AP Language as we worked on reading skills and demonstrated those reading skills through a quick MCQ Progress Check. If you did not have time to finish, be sure to submit before the end of the day today when the assessment will lock at 9:00 PM. Everything not submitted will automatically submit at that time.

We had a great discussion today in class around TIM and his quest for identity. It was great to see the way that TIM is finally figuring out the way in which identity can, and should, be fluid. In fluidity there is power. There have been so many characters up to this point who have done this, TIM just didn't see it very clearly. Take this forward with you into Chapter 24. Read and annotate this important chapter to see the way in which TIM starts to act on his newfound knowledge and attempt to destroy the Brotherhood. It's a great conclusion, I hope you enjoy. 

Other significant tasks include submitting any missing essays, writing your Annotated Bibliographies for your sources, and beginning to plan your paper/presentation. Consider what your argument is and then begin to outline that - How will you put sources in conversation to convey your argument? Remember that you have to use three sources in your final "paper" (whatever form that paper takes).

Enjoy the afternoon and the last week of the quarter. I know it's a tough week - but Spring Break is on the horizon! 

14 March - Pi Day and Writing Day!

AP Language and Composition

Really solid day in AP Language today to end our week together. We listened to a great piece of late 1980's hip hop, explored some key passages in Invisible Man, and ended our day with writing. A full and productive day. I'm looking forward to reading and scoring your essays. Be sure that they are all submitted today. Take the extra time (about 10 minutes or so) to read, revise, and finish your arguments. I'll hopefully have feedback for you the next time that I see you, definitely before Spring Break.

Next class we'll be looking at Chapter 23. This is where we get to see the new TIM in action. Watch how he's changed and continuing to change as he moves into the world. He's finally understanding and seeing the world in a more authentic way - it's what we've been waiting for. I completely understand that you may be behind in your reading tasks. Complete your discussion boards as you can. Remember that you should be actively working on your research right now to prepare for presentations after Spring Break.

 

As always, let me know what I can do to help and assist. We have three Lion Times next week available for help with reading, researching, or writing. Have a great weekend!

12 March - Writing, Feedback, and Invisible Man

AP Language and Composition

Pretty simple and straightforward day today in AP Language with a day focused on our research and our writing. We started off class with some time to dig into sources and our research write-up document. This document is super important as you are farming your sources and constructing your final synthesis sourcepack to support your presentation. Remember that part of working with the sources is to write about them in order to determine their possible use in your work. If you think that you can use the source, then put it in your sourcepack. We'll be checking on reading skills soon, this Annotated Bibliography is designed to help you develop those skills.

We also spent time today discussing our writing skills. Some of us are showing some growth, others maybe are still hitting speedbumps. Let's make sure that we're focused on pushing forward and solving problems. Use your class time and Lion Time effectively. A writing conference is key! Let's set a goal and accomplish it together. Remember, we have just nine weeks until the AP Examination!

Don't forget your reading and discussion board posts for Invisible Man. Next class we're looking at Chapters 20-22. This is a really important section of the novel. Trigger Warning: There is police violence in this section. Read, annotate, and think. I'll look forward to seeing you on Thursday. 

8 March - Happy International Women's Day!

AP Language

Great day in AP Language today as we went into and out of Plato's cave in our study of "The Allegory of the Cave." After reading and studying this text, you're not going to see things the same way again. This text helps us to consider ideas like perception, reality, and if what we are seeing or perceiving is really real. I was glad to see the various connections that you all were able to make between this text and our novel, Invisible Man. These connections will be incredibly huge as we work through the final section of the novel and TIM's conclusion on his quest for truth.

Over the weekend, focus on reading and research. You should be working through Chapters 16-19. Don't forget your discussion board post. It's also important that you're taking time daily to review your research. Continue to use the Research Write-Up Document. Collect sources and process them through an Annotated Bibliography - if you can see use in a source, go ahead and write about it and put a key excerpt in your sourcepack. I'll look forward to seeing you on Tuesday for some feedback on our last essay and some more discussion around Invisible Man.

6 March - Bonus Grey Day!

AP Language

Easy day today in AP Language land as we had a bit of a bonus day. I hope that you found it helpful and useful. We had the chance to settle up business related to writing, reading, or our research work. Here are some guidepoints for you to consider where we are at this moment.

1. Researching - Do you have a finalized research question? Have you begun to collect sources in your sourcepack? Are you building an argument? Do you have some annotated bibliography entries written? At this point you should have 2-3 documents in your sourcepack and processed through an annotated bibliography.

2. Reading - Have you completed the reading of Invisible Man - Chapters 13-15? Have you watched the videos and participated in the discussion? Have you read and annotated Plato's "Allegory of the Cave" for next class? Engage in reading to be a better reader!

3. Writing - Have you met for a writing conference? Completed your most recent timed write? Have a plan to do so if it's missing? Remember that writing takes time, so it's important to work diligently and often. I'm available to assist outside of class as needed! We'll have another timed write coming up soon!

Looking forward to seeing everyone on Friday! For those of you participating in the Cultural Celebration - be sure to keep up with the class time that you're missing. We can always use Lion Time next week or after school to get caught up!

4 March - Timed Writing Day!

AP Language and Composition

What a Monday in AP Language land as we had a simulated examination task with another practice FRQ 1. Today we discussed the factors that should be considered when planning a monument. Esoteric, right? Sometimes these synthesis prompts are strange, they can seem hard to argue, but I think that we can all eventually find a way in to the conversation with the sources. I'm looking forward to seeing what you put up today - what you found in the mines.

This task is important because it helps us with our eventual task in this unit and in this class - the synthesis argument. How's your research coming? Have you finalized your research question? Begun to curate sources? Written an Annotated Bibliography entry or two? Keep in mind that these related tasks do help with the skill development to write a solid synthesis essay. Come in to Lion Time or visit after school in March for help with these essential tasks.

For Invisible Man, we're at a bit of a choose your own adventure spot. This section of the novel is pretty straightforward. TIM is in his Brotherhood section of the novel (Chapters 12 to 19). Consider the cycles that we're continuing to see as they assert themselves. I've posted a discussion board for your key takeaway from this chapter. Follow the instructions and complete the post as you read through this section. There will be another discussion board for the next section of chapters.

For tonight, we have a bit of a sidetrack with Greek philosophy and connections to Invisible Man and life in general. Enjoy Plato's "Allegory of the Cave" - the cartoon posted below may be helpful as you read on your own. We'll read it again in class together on Friday, so be ready and annotated!

29 February - Happy Leap Year Day!

AP Language and Composition

Solid day today in AP Language as we investigated allusions in Chapters 11 and 12. Allusions are so important in a text because they are a chance for an author to add deep meaning and connections in their texts. Also, in a complex text like Invisible Man allusions can provide a lot of clarity. Identifying and explaining the purpose of allusions can be a great route to solid analysis on the AP Examination. Today we explored allusions to The Bible, Greek Mythology, and music. These allusions helped us to understand the end of this transition moment in the text and where TIM is in his journey to understand and create his identity.

At the end of class, we looked at two final articles. These articles could be helpful for a lot of you in your research work. Add them to your research write-up. Remember that you should be working on this project daily as it is a big project with lots of pieces. For the weekend, focus on reading Invisible Man and preparing to do another writing task. Some of you have already revised, and that's great, we're going to have another chance to demonstrate our skills soon! Be ready!

27 February - Kicking off Research Projects

AP Language

Wonderful day today opening up our research work and topic development. Mrs. Friedman came down from the library to tell us about our database tools, key word searches, and Boolean terms. We got into coding language and defining ideas and remembering that research questions are usually always in flux. Use your research write-up document to start to collect and analyze your sources. Remember that as you find key sources, you should process them with an Annotated Bibliography entry. As you write these entries, you are displaying your reading comprehension, interpretation, and application. Remember this as you write.

Next class we'll be looking at Invisible Man - Chapters 11 and 12. This is a confusing section with the hospital, the machine, and the idea of a new identity for TIM. Consider how there are some key symbols and cycles at play in this moment. Use your motif tracker to help you understand. 

23 February - Chapter 10 and Explosions!

AP Language and Composition

Such a fun Friday today in AP Language as we got to do some arts and crafts to display our understanding of key passages in Invisible Man. I loved the way that you were all engaged today in the ideas and uncovering the arguments in the text. Keep in mind that this is a fulcrum chapter - it divides the novel in two and serves to really pull together ideas well. Be sure that you're seeing connections and pulling ideas together as we keep going forward. Take some time to use our key passages and your understandings so far to complete your motif tracker for the book - remember that this is a tool to aid your comprehension and your interpretation, not an assignment, but still a great resource. Next week on Thursday, we'll be diving in to Chapter 11 and 12. It's a short bit and provides a bit of a strange look at TIM in the hospital. Read with your symbolism glasses on, it's a wild ride.

The most important thing to complete right now is your research question and argument (at this point). If you don't know your side right now, write two potential arguments. Part of doing the research process is figuring out where you stand. No matter your topic or position, you need a starting point from which to move forward. Lock in, complete the checkpoint, and get ready to move forward. Remember that you have the document AND the discussion board as part of the revision step, there's also the first document on research questions if you need that too.

I'm loving how busy I am at Lion Time with all of you. Remember that you can rewrite this essay or write a new one; if you're satisfied, then in the words of Romeo from Romeo and Juliet, "Be satisfied." As always, keep reading, thinking, writing, communicating, and collaborating. I'm headed to North Carolina this weekend to see some friends and celebrate some good things. I'll look forward to seeing you Tuesday for a research focused day!

21 February - Oratory and Argument

AP Language and Composition

A rollercoaster day in AP Language, but I think we ended on a high and came to some good understandings about finishing out the year. Remember, you need to put in the real work. No more coasting, no more cruise control, it's time to move with purpose and intention. So, let's make that happen. Take the slides, feedback, and thinking to begin to revise your essays from our practice. Don't delete anything. I have some sample papers and other tools that are helpful - let's keep working together to revise and change scores to get to a 1/4/0. The goal is for you to figure out a method to devise an argument so that you can always employ that tool.

We started the day with reading skills and dug into reasoning and organization as well as rhetorical situation. I hope you all saw our connection to the AP Examination and some of the key questions and skills we're asked to demonstrate in our work. Take some time to read Chapter 10 for Friday's class. It's a strange chapter with a lot of symbolism, but I have faith in you. Pay attention to white paint, power, vision, and the connections to the American government. Use the video on Chapter 10 to get a handle on what's happening.

16 February - Three Day Weekend Ahead

AP Language 

Solid work today in AP Language as we worked through Chapter 8 and 9 to look at New York, its impact on TIM, and his job interview with Mr. Emerson in Chapter 9. I was glad to see the way that you're understanding some of the key cycles in this text, the lack of change in TIM, and the way in which key ideas resurface in order to create meaning. Continue to pay attention to the way that TIM interacts with people and what he understands or fails to understand from these interactions.

Next class we'll be doing some feedback on our most recent writing assignments. You'll have the chance to revise these if you'd like - so let's meet together to do that if you'd like to. We'll also look at the two speeches I gave you today in class - read and annotate those this weekend to prepare for next class. We'll be getting into Chapter 10 later next week. Now is a good time to get ahead in reading for Invisible Man since we have some large chunks coming up. Remember to revise and resubmit your research questions as soon as you can!

14 February - Happy Valentine's Day!

AP Language and Composition

Today we spent some time with Brent Staples and his article "Just Walk On By: Black Men and the Public Space". I appreciated the connections that you all were making between this text, Ellison, and all the way back to DuBois. I really like the way that Staples acknowledges alternative perspectives, confronts his audience, and crafts a message for them. Consider this as you write your own arguments.

From there, we looked at our Research Questions and refined them through the lens of the problem statement. Remember that you don't need to be looking at a "problem" per se - you could be looking at the problem of not knowing something and its effect on you or society. No matter what, be sure that you are focusing on being specific in your scope and focus. Use today's slides and assignment to refine and then post in the discussion board. Be sure to get and give feedback in the discussion board.

Next class we're headed back to New York and TIM's adventures. We've got more of the city in Chapter 8 and then a few key conversations in Chapter 9. Enjoy your reading! Try to make sense of what you can. Be sure to refer to your motif charts. See you Friday!

12 February - Chapters 5-7: Saying Goodbye to the South

AP Language and Composition

Fantastic day today in AP Language as we leaned into our reading skills and our presentation skills to work through Chapters 5, 6, and 7. In these chapters, we finish up our time in the South and at the College. TIM won't be returning, but the lessons - or lack thereof - will continue to follow him into New York. I really love the fact that so many of us were contributing to our class learning today. Great work with your new approach to Key Passages. Remember to continue to use these tools as you are working through this novel - especially the motif tracker.

Next class we'll be revising research questions and working through Brent Staples's "Just Walk on By: Black Men and the Public Space." It's a short article, so read deeply and carefully. Consider the connection to stereotypes and invisibility. This is a key connection between Ellison and Staples. We'll have our next set of chapters on Friday. Try to get ahead, we have some large chunks coming later. If you haven't submitted your research work, please do so ASAP so that you can fully participate in our lesson on Wednesday.

8 February - Writing Argument Day

AP Language and Composition

We did something brand new today! We did some team work writing to lean into our skill for the quarter, argumentative writing. In this quarter, you'll be presenting argument based research on America, and on the AP Exam, you'll complete two argumentative FRQs. As I love to say, it takes time and constant effort to develop these skills. So we need to start now and be intentional. I hope that you enjoyed the chance to work with new people today in the room. You'll see them again soon.

For next class - Monday - we have Chapters 5-7 of Invisible Man. In this section, TIM says goodbye to the South and heads to New York. As Ella would say, "Drop me off in Harlem." Watch his scene at the chapel in Chapter 5 and try to understand what you can about The Founder. It's important to note the impact the story has on TIM. In Chapter 6 he says goodbye to Dr. Bledsoe; it's an intense scene. In Chapter 7, we have the return of The Vet. Remember my video channel is available as a guide to help with processing chapters.

All the best for the weekend! Enjoy!

6 February - Chapters 3 and 4

AP Language and Composition

Really fantastic work today everyone digging into the key conversations in Chapters 3 and 4. As we worked through today's class we saw the way in which characters function as symbols of key ideas. Remember, characters aren't real. As we watch characters interact in be in conflict, it's important to ask yourself which characters aka ideas win and why that is. Also consider what TIM understands, what he doesn't and why. He's trapped in a cycle, so we need to follow how he's continuing to repeat mistakes and what helps him to break free. Thanks Arianna Grande...

Remember that you may have some small housekeeping to complete. Log in to AP Classroom and check on your Unit 2 Progress Check. Next class we have an argumentative writing assignment, so you'll want the feedback before writing again in the same way. Please email me when complete since I don't get notifications from AP Classroom. You also have the beginning of the research topic to complete - this is a means to revise and refine, so please submit to show me where you are. Remember you're defining America. If you'd like to come to Lion Time or after school to work with me, please do so.

Looking further ahead, we have Chapters 5, 6, and 7 coming up next week. As you read these chapters, you'll be confused by Chapter 5. It's a story within a story, the story of The Founder. Try to understand what you can about him and then understand how this sits in the same cycle as we've seen today - TIM and older men. Chapter 6 is a great look at Bledsoe, and Chapter 7 will take us to New York and the end of Section 1. 

See you Thursday for writing!

2 February - Substitute Day

AP Language

Friday, February 2 is a substitute day. Sorry to be away, but duty calls. I'm off at Herndon High School today doing some project work for the district on assessments. All of your tasks have been posted today as assignments on Schoology. You should be able to finish everything during class.

First, complete your jazz journal discussion board. If you access the slides, you can watch the music video - please use headphones. The lyrics are posted for you in the discussion board as well. Post a takeaway using the guiding questions. Second, finish your study of James Baldwin's "Notes of a Native Son" using the document posted. If you don't have your paper copy of the article, use the posted PDF on Schoology. Be sure to submit your answers and thoughts to demonstrate your thinking. Lastly, begin your research topic development. Use the guiding questions to refine your idea and topic. We'll continue to develop the research topic as we keep moving through this unit. 

Submit your tasks and I'll be providing feedback as soon as I can. Next class, we'll be looking at Chapters 3 and 4, be read and prepared for class and I'll see you on Tuesday! Please complete the substitute form linked on Schoology at the end of your day.

31 January - Chapter 2 and Jim Trueblood

AP Language

Great day in AP Language today as we dealt with one of the most difficult and complex chapters of the book, Chapter 2. During today's class we focused a lot on characters and their importance in the novel. As we move through this opening section of the book, it's important to see the way in which TIM interacts with different characters and how they affect him. Consider what he understands and what he doesn't understand. We often will understand more than he does because we can see things that he doesn't. 

Remember to use your motif trackers as you are moving through the book. All of the motifs are present in the Prologue, Chapter 1, and Chapter 2. As we move to Chapter 3, you'll start to see some gaps in the motif chart. 

Next class we'll be finishing up our work on James Baldwin. Be sure to read and annotate the second half of the article. If you lost your paper copy, the PDF is posted for you. Next week we'll get into Chapter 3 and 4. Keep reading and getting into this fantastic and challenging novel. I'm excited to help you continue to discover. Next class I'll be out and you'll have a substitute. Be sure to complete all of the tasks by the end of the day.

29 January - Kicking Off Quarter 3 and Semester 2

AP Language and Composition

Fantastic day with James Baldwin today in AP Language. I was glad to see the way in which you were understanding his father on multiple levels and the way in which Baldwin makes a complex relationship very real. The conversations we had around the past, racism, inherited trauma and burdens, and identity are key connection points over to Invisible Man as we see TIM go through many of the same questions and complex relationships with older males in his life. 

For tonight, be sure to read Chapter 2 (Trigger Warning: Rape/Sexual Assault Descriptions). We'll be working through this very important chapter next class. It's a beast, but important for the effect that it has on TIM and on us, the reader. You'll be challenged. Get what you can out of it and come to class with questions. We'll delve into key passages in order to understand what this chapter is telling us. We'll finish Baldwin on Friday. Be on the lookout for assignments posted on Friday since I'll be out working at another school in the district.

See you Wednesday!

24 January - End of Semester 1

AP Language and Composition

Wonderful day to end things in AP Language for the first semester. We started our dive into Invisible Man and worked through the major ideas of the Battle Royale in Chapter One. This scene is so important because it is the major cycle for the text. We used our resources such as our motif chart, our annotations document, and our key passages to unlock meaning and collaborate to understand.

Remember, you are not expected to understand this book as you read. You are expected to read and to try. Failure to do so will not improve your reading skills, which is something that needs to happen.

Over the weekend focus on continuing your reading into Invisible Man; we have Chapter 2 coming up next week. You also have James Baldwin to read for next class. You can read the whole article if you'd like to, but be sure to read the first portion. The stop is highlighted for you. Build connections between Baldwin and TIM as well as the other authors in this unit.

See you in Semester Two!

22 January - Registration Day

AP Language and Composition

Today was registration day for senior year. I hope that you had productive meetings with your counselors to make your plan for next year. Of course, it's not really about next year this year, it's about the year after and after. When you're making your choices for senior year, consider your plans for after graduation. What's going to set you up for the best success? How are you going to achieve some balance for yourself to give yourself the time you need for everything? 

Next class we should meet and have a normal day. Be ready for Chapter 1. We've got the video guide, the motif tracking document, and the annotation anchor document. Use your resources to tackle this difficult text. We'll also start jumping into the research project next class. Chapter 1 is rough for a lot of reasons, but it's also super important because of the cycles that it sets up. Read carefully!

I'm looking forward to a normal class with y'all next time. All the best!

18 January - Langston Hughes and Reflections and Writing Practice

AP Language

Today's class was our day focused on understanding and reflecting on Langston Hughes and what he has to say about the dangers of conformity, especially for African American artists and poets. I enjoyed seeing the way in which you were updating your documents with new ideas, collaborating with each other virtually and in-person, and delving into the text. Wonderful work. Keep reflecting on these authors, their arguments, and the connections between them as we delve into this unit. 

We ended class with AP Classroom and argumentative writing practice. We took a position on the extent to which a truism is true. Keep in mind that with these types of questions, you're explaining nuance and how much something is valid - always, sometimes, or never - the evidence that you use will help to explain that validity and extent. Use key words from your thesis to guide your assertions and your commentary. We'll do some scoring of these next week.

For tonight, keep in mind that we have our first chapter of Invisible Man coming soon. Next class will be our registration meeting, and then we'll be diving into Chapter One and the Battle Royale. Use your motif tracker and resources to get through this text! See you next time!

11 January - Looking at Langston Hughes

AP Language

We had a really lovely day today in AP Language with another fantastic Harlem Renaissance voice - Langston Hughes. Today we got to hear his voice both as a poet and as a social critic; it's interesting to notice how he's saying the same thing (his argument) in various styles. Today's class was a reading, writing, and thinking day -- our essential skills in AP Language! We'll continue to reflect on this essay next class. Be sure that you've completed your discussion board post and submitted your annotations document. Note that the annotations document won't be graded, just the discussion board.

Next class we'll be focused on some writing skills and argumentative writing. There's no reading for next class. Use the time to get into Invisible Man. You'll want to be ahead in the reading so that we can really focus on comprehending and interpreting skills in class.

9 January - Zora Neale Hurston

AP Language

We spent a great class with Ms. Zora Neale Hurston today in AP Lang. She is definitely one of my top ten writers, probably top five if we're just looking at American literature and writers. We didn't quite finish our work at the end looking at Hurston's piece through the frame of an argument, so I'd recommend finishing by reflecting on those questions tonight. How does she use evidence and commentary throughout her essay to support her thesis? In what ways does she create clear organization between sections and ideas using her main argument? How does she develop and employ an engaging voice throughout the essay? All of these are key questions in FRQ 1 and 3 - the argument questions - so it's important to see how authors do this so that we can too.

Next class we're looking at Langston Hughes. His text is pretty difficult, so we'll work through it in class - no reading necessary for next class. Use this time to get into Invisible Man - use the audiobook, YouTube playlist, and other resources. Don't forget to check in with your motif tracker as you read - it's a great tool too. We'll be working through Chapter 1 next week!

5 January - End of the Week

AP Language

We had a really fantastic day to start our work on Invisible Man - it was a packed class, so we didn't finish everything. Be sure to finish reading The Prologue tonight. Use the recording in the slides to access the audio book. As you read, keep following the ideas that we were focused on in class. 

The other major activity in class, other than reading aloud and studying the book together, was our investigation of The Harlem Renaissance. We looked at music, art, and poetry in order to understand the historical and social context of the Harlem Renaissance. Consider how these texts are all a response to the moment and the racism of the society of the time. We're going to keep looking at music, art, and other authors as we keep moving forward. How are all of these texts having the same conversation and each author offering their own opinions? 

Keep reading! Remember that we have Hurston for Monday's class - enjoy the reading. It's a great article. You have Chapter 1 due on January 18. Follow your reading schedule!

Welcome Back and Happy New Year!

AP English Language

Great day to kick off the year in AP Language today as we looked at our midterm results and discussed our reading and writing skills. Remember that most of your grades are going to reset as we begin this next unit. Review the feedback slides and the tools you have available on AP Classroom like the daily videos paired with questions and skills where you struggled. We can always sit together to read and write or review - this is a great strategy as we move into the second semester. This is where the rubber really meets the road and things get difficult. Stay ready!

Next class we'll be starting Invisible Man. This is a great book! It's a challenge, but if it doesn't challenge you, then you don't really grow. We've got resources like the audiobook and my YouTube channel to help provide support to you as you read. Get into the mess and enjoy the journey. We'll start by reading the Prologue together in class next time.