End of Week 1

The first week with students and second week with teachers is now complete. I've learned a lot. I'm still sitting at my desk as I write this because I know that traffic is a mess out there right now. And I parked in the front lot, so I won't be able to get out until closer to 5:00 anyway. 

So, I'll sit and reflect and think my week away to move into the weekend ready for Tuesday.

First, I love it here. A friend of mine commented that I sounded really happy when describing my work, and I am. It's great to be back in a place that feels a bit like home. It's wonderful to work with people who are warm, caring, and want to work with me. I've already had so many positive contacts and some of them related to coaching. Heck, I've already been a contributing member to several teams already. I feel like I'm having the opportunity to do what I wanted to do, which is to make a larger impact beyond the walls of my own classroom. 

I'm supporting substitutes. This has been a side of my responsibilities that I didn't really foresee. Some departments and teams are supporting better than others, but it does give me the chance to be a bit more connected to classrooms. I'm looking at three piles of Latin work and three folders of English III and IV work on my desk for my review. That's for next week. I think that the students who saw me appreciate that someone is going to be reviewing their work and giving some feedback. It appears that departments and substitutes are happy for my support. I might have stepped on a few toes in my forthrightness to provide assessments and lessons for students, but I think that I was diplomatic and apologetic enough in my follow-up that those parties understand what my intentions were.

I've also been enjoying this administration team. It's a small team, and they clearly work well together. The meetings with them run a bit long, but I do a good job of finding my way to excuse myself when it feels as though I don't have anything left to contribute. Again, they're happy for my contributions and see me as a partner. I've been getting consistent feedback and answers to my questions. What more can I ask for.

Next week is a quick week for me, but it's going to be packed. Monday - Labor Day. Birthday week kickoff! Friday - Birthday! I'm 41 and going off to gamble and eat steak. Tuesday - Faculty Meeting. I'm delivering testing training. Wednesday - Planning Period PD for the staff. I'm delivering a session on goal setting and supporting the beginning teachers in their tasks. Thursday - Support Day. Working with a teacher through a day of observation, reflection, and personalized learning.

It's going to be a great week! I also got paid! Everything's coming up Milhouse!

13 March - End of the Week

English 11

Solid end of the week today in English 11. We are focused right now on finishing up our independent novel work with our research based presentations and our creative book projects. Today was a day for us to start (and in some cases finish) our reading projects. Remember that the goal of the project is to demonstrate your ability to read and comprehend a text. No matter the choice of project you're focused on demonstrating those key skills. Think about the evidence that you'll use from the book and what you'll say about that evidence. Feel free to use your previous resources and work that you've done to support you with this. Note that projects are due by March 25.

After that we did a review on our most recent poetry quizzes. Next week we'll have more feedback in the form of a lesson and activity. For now, we looked at the idea of the right answer versus the best answer and how to tell the difference. Don't get tricked! After lunch we did some vocabulary and then ended class as we needed with choice working time.

Over the weekend, focus on your book tasks. This is a great time for your projects and presentations. Go ahead and make your appointment pass for your presentation slot (if necessary). I'm so excited to see the outcomes from your learning! Have a great weekend!

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!

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.

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!

11 and 12 May (Also the End of the Week)

I'll be out this week on Thursday and Friday for some medical appointments and personal recuperation. I'll be back on campus on Monday if you need anything.

AP Language

And here we are on the other side of the examination. We are officially OVER the hump. I hope that your letter gave you the opportunity to get your feelings about the examination out of you so that you can move on. You'll have your scores in July and then you can make next steps as you need to.

Time in class is now focused on finishing up our novel tasks. You have six classes remaining and most of them are working days for your novel tasks. Use the templates and the resources provided to help you complete your work. I'm looking forward to a strong finish with all of you!

English 10

Today was our day to finish Spirited Away and our viewing guides on the film. As I watch the movie, I'm struck by how many similarities there are between this and so many other stories throughout time and cultures. You may want to explore some of these similarities as you complete your Demonstration of Learning, but more on that next week.

Next class I will be away recovering from my medical appointments tomorrow. The class will be a catch-up day for you. Remember that you do have vocabulary due for this unit, so next class is a perfect day to pull that together and turn it in. If you have missing work from earlier in the quarter, this is your last catch-up day to get it in. I'll update the gradebook next week and let you know where you stand as we approach the final classes of the year and our last unit - our year end portfolio.

9 and 10 December - The End of the Week!

Just one more week of school until Winter Break! Keep pushing!!!

AP Language

Today's class we kept zooming in in order to strengthen our annotation skills. Today it was all about two lines of dialogue since Chapter Seven is so dialogue heavy. We read, we illustrated, we annotated, we worked! I love what you were able to find and note - especially related to how decisions are being made in the text. Remember, we're nearly done.

Over the weekend I'd recommend re-reading the end of Chapter Seven (Myrtle's death) and consider the slide we didn't get to today. The reading for the weekend is a choice - either Woolf or Petrunkevitch. Both texts are what we call a process analysis so pay attention to the steps in the process in the article. We'll also return to our projects next class - be sure to have an excerpt, Level 2 annotations, and your rationale for the passage's importance.

English 10

Today's class was a day for us to start to transition into our final step of our research process - Step 3. In this step we're focused on ONE creator from our country and an item (or items) that they've created. This is where our research on the culture and history of the country will come into play since so many authors reflect their culture in some way in their texts.

Tonight your country slides are due for Step 2. Please submit your work to Schoology when you're finished. Follow the template for what to do with each slide. From there, we'll move into Step 3 next week. First you'll pick your creator and then you'll move into your reading notes.

Also keep in mind that if you would like to resubmit your soundtrack projects, you now have your feedback to use in that process. If your soundtrack is missing, work to complete that project as soon as you can - get your points because we only have a few weeks left in the quarter.

Friday the Seventh of May

Three weeks left everyone. Three weeks left!

AP Research

Today we hit the essential end of the course. Next week is all about final presentations. It's hard to believe we're actually here and that we've made it this far. 

This weekend you should be focused on your POD and final tasks. Note that all of the reflection questions have been posted as well as all of the materials to prepare you for the end of the year assessments. If you are presenting virtually, I'd recommend coming to class on Wednesday the 12th to practice and prepare - a run through is always a good idea.

After next week, we will only have our final choice assignments left for the year. This will provide us a chance to be fun and creative to wrap up our year. I'm excited to see what you come up with and create for us (me and Ms. Greeves).

AP Language and English 10

Check the post below as well as the reminders on Google Classroom as you're working through the weekend. Keep in mind that the quarter will soon end, be sure that any of your missing assignments are submitted ASAP.

Ending the Week - 6 May 2021

AP Language

Today in class we were focused on analyzing passages in order to deeply understand Chapter 20. This chapter in Invisible Man is one of the most important moments in the novel because of the effect it has on TIM and the clear changes that he undergoes. We did a lot of discussion and analysis today, which I think helps us to all be in good shape for our rhetorical analysis question on our exam.

Over the weekend prepare for your Mini-Exam on Tuesday/Wednesday. Be sure to review the FRQs that are available for you and to complete and submit your MCQ reflection document.

On Thursday/Friday we'll be working through Chapters 22 and 23. The novel is nearly complete. Your final project has been posted, but we'll take some more time later to get started on it.

English 10

Today was a pretty simple day. We talked a lot about how people eat and what that tells us about the person's character. Then we put our interpretation skills to the test as we read and analyzed a section of our novel.

Next week we'll be finishing our book. Over the weekend I want you to read to page 159. Keep tracking your characters, major ideas, and vocabulary as you read.

If you have any missing assignments - now is the time to get them in. We'll be finishing this novel and this unit very soon - I don't want people to have a lot of work at the end of the year. If you're unsure of what to do, please let me know. Check your most recent progress reports.

Friday - 23 April 2021 - The End of the Week

AP Research

Great day today everyone as we met for our final session of peer review. Today we began our day by focusing on some key notes and takeaways from the Chief Reader Report from 2020. This is a great resource to see some of the trends in the performance of students on the academic paper last year. The suggestions are important for us as we are winding up our work and finalizing our papers. Being sure to be explicit about our process, our ethics, and our reflection on our work are all key takeaways for me.

Be sure to submit your document as a record of today's work with your group. We'll meet together next week to go over the plan for Unit 6 (the last unit of the year) and the final assessment tasks for the year. On Wednesday we'll also take a look at another Presentation and Oral Defense and practice with scoring. We're a few weeks out from submission - stay focused on your process and the rewards will flow!

AP Language and English 10

Be sure to follow the reminders and guidelines below as you are reading and working over the weekend. Be sure that any missing assignments that you can turn in are submitted ASAP. This is not the quarter to fall behind since we don't have much time left.

End of the Week - AP Research

AP Research

With the information we reviewed on Wednesday, you should be all set to finish your draft of your academic paper. Given our earlier rounds of peer editing, it's my hope that you feel well prepared, and that you have completed a solid piece of work. Remember that your example AP Research papers as well as papers in your Body of Knowledge are very useful here as models for your work. 

Next week we'll meet on Friday to review our papers as a complete draft. Use these days to write, revise, and create your slides. The reflection document has been updated. If you have trouble writing your abstract, let me know and we can meet to review this task.

End of the Week - Thursday the 15th

AP Language

It's the end of another week here in Room A132. We focused today on the idea of allusions in Chapters 11 and 12 and how they're being used by Ellison to add a lot of meaning to TIM's process of creating and understanding his identity and role in the world. Today we focused on musical allusions, The Odyssey, and the Bible in these chapters.

Over the weekend, be sure to focus on reading in Invisible Man as well as your MCQ 5. Keep in mind that the MCQ is for accuracy, so failure to complete it will result in a missing score. If you have any missing assignments, get those turned in over the weekend so that I can update your grades.

English 10

Today in class we had a bit of a chill day - it was a day to take our End of Year Grammar Diagnostic on No Red Ink and then have some independent time for working as needed. Over the weekend, you should find time to complete and submit your Interpretive Reading assignment (paragraph and recording) as well as reading in your novel to page 80. In this section of the novel you'll want to pay attention to food and the way that Shukhov works and uses his time.

Next week we'll spend more time in the camp with our prisoners as well as discuss some other End of Year assessments. Keep pushing, we've just got 12 more classes left!

End of Week 28 - Friday the 9th

AP Research

Today was our day to meet very quickly and discuss the sections we're focused on creating right now - the Findings and the Analysis of the Data. Keep in mind that the section guide views this as one section, but we should really see it as two. The majority of our day was spent on Peer Review to give feedback and suggestions for improvement moving forward.

Next week we'll look at the conclusion section of the paper as we end Unit 5. By the end of next week, you should find yourself with a full draft of the Academic Paper. It's a beast coming in at 4000-5000 words. I hope you recognize your achievement here - it's a big deal.

Focus now on editing, revising and finalizing your report. Remember that it is a good time to also begin the construction of your slides. Unit Six will focus on the POD and we will also complete our presentations in the next unit to be scored. Mark your calendars for May 10th. This will be our presentation week. Remember that everything is due to Digital Portfolio by May 20 at 11:59 PM. You may want to access your Digital Portfolio now and review the requirements for submission.

AP Language and English 10

See the post below for your reminders over the weekend. Be focused on the reading of your novels as well as turning in assignments from this week. As a reminder, I'll be in BBCU on Monday from 10-11:15 for Office Hours if you need me.

Ending the Week - Thursday the 18th of March

AP Language

Today in class we had an assessment and working day. The main goal was to complete our assessment on the Prologue to Chapter Seven in Invisible Man. I look forward to reading your responses and interpretations of elements of the novel so far. Expect the scores to be entered on Monday.

Beyond that, there was time for a poetry exploration and discussion as well as time for conferencing, reading, or vocabulary. Remember that next week your vocabulary cards will be collected and that you will meet the end of the grading period. Any papers to be reviewed need to be resubmitted by the end of the day on the 26th.

Please reach out during Office Hours on Monday with any questions or needs. I'm here to help!

English 10

Today's class was a bit of everything. We engaged with each other in a discussion board on unwritten rules before taking time to read through a bit more of One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich. We looked at characters, especially the differences between two guards, and thought up some great topics and symbols before some discussions on the book. 

Next week we'll take a break from Solzhenitsyn to write our third SOL essay of the year. The prompt and planner is posted for you to use as you'd like. We'll write the essay in class on Tuesday/Wednesday. The essay will be the last big points of the quarter. Remember that if you're missing something from earlier this quarter, now is the time to turn it in. 

Enjoy the weekend and the beginning of spring. You may want to start reading a bit on your own to keep moving through the novel. Next week I'll start assigning reading on your own.

End of Week 20 - 5 February

AP Language

Today was a day for us to engage in some critical thinking and reading as we explored DuBois's ideas. The concept of "the veil" and "double consciousness" are going to remain with us for some time, so it's important to continue to reflect on these ideas as we keep encountering them in different spheres.

Over the weekend you should aim to complete remaining research paper tasks. Next week we'll shift gears into writing and drafting, so a thorough outline is key to completing the next step easily. See the recording for information on completing and revising where you are.

Sign up for Office Hours on Monday if needed.

English 10

Today was our final working day in Week 20. This week our task has been focused on researching our one choice museum in earnest to create our presentation about the museum. Be sure that you have completed Step 1 and Step 2 in this project by the end of the week.

Further, as part of our research skills, we've been focusing on learning MLA citation style. Remember that there is a lesson on NoRedInk to lead you through this concept. I have a drag and drop activity to test your skills on this, be sure to turn it in by Monday.

AP Research

It's a bit of a broken record in AP Research since so much of the work is on you right now to hunt down and find your data. We've actually come to the close of this unit on Method. As you keep putting your method into practice, be sure to document the ways in which you implement your method. These contacts and steps are important and should become part of your work. 

Next week we'll meet on Wednesday for Elevator Pitch 2.0. Remember to embrace the beginning of your POD by putting information together on multiple slides. Pitch 2.0 really begins to prepare our POD, so let's feed two birds with this work.

Ending the Week - Thursday the 28th

AP Language

Today was our final day for researching and the building of outlines in class. The recording posted on Google Classroom goes over the template documents for the outline and sourcepack assignment as well as the requirements of the rubric for the outline. I hope you find it helpful. I'm available on Monday during Office Hours to review or conference before you submit your outlines.

We will start reading very soon, likely next week. If you need to secure a copy of Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison, let me know via email. If you've not started reading, it's recommended you do so that you can begin to get ahead.

Enjoy the weekend! I'm looking forward to reading and discussing texts with you all again.

English 10

Today was a really exciting day, and I hope that you were able to use this time as a chance to explore and travel to various museums around the world. Remember that our goal is to find a museum which appeals to us first, then we'll find a piece in that museum which really draws our attention and makes us want to dig deeper. This can really be any item in the museum - based on what it is will direct the work that we will do in the rest of the unit. 

One of the main skills we'll be working with through this unit is developing our use of specific examples in our writing. Today we did a mini-lesson on citations to guide our work and practice moving forward. The recording is posted for you to access as you need it.

By the end of this week you should have submitted two tasks - the Semester 1 Reflection and the Perfect Paragraph - Museum Choice. Keep using our class time to produce and focus on your tasks. If you need additional time this weekend to finish anything, take it and submit your work before due dates on Monday.

Off to Thanksgiving Break

Dear Grey Day Students - Thanks for a great last class before our break next week. Keep in mind that we won't be meeting next week because of the holiday break. I'm not assigning anything to be completed over the break; however, if you have missing assignments you should submit them now so that you can be on a good footing when we return. I'll be sending progress reports on Monday.

AP Research

Today we discussed the literature review and its function within the introduction. Keep in mind that each section of the paper has a specific goal/purpose - as we keep moving through, we'll continue to build the plane while we're flying.

Remember that one of our main resources are our other sources - use them as models and exemplars for help to navigate your task. Keep in mind that your paper should, in the end, look like their papers, since you want to be filling the gap in current scholarship. Our AP Rubric and example high scoring paper can also help us here.

Keep writing, working, revising, thinking and reading. When we return from break, we're off to Unit 3 so that we can begin to construct our method and gain approval for our inquiry.

Ending the Week and Quarter - 29 and 30 October

Good Day Students and Families - Today is the final day of the quarter for the classes, and I wanted to post a quick overview for everyone as we move into the Election Day weekend.

All Classes

Note that Dr. Braband has extended the grading window for the first quarter of the year is now November 2nd at 5:00 PM. I will be able to continue accepting late work from quarter one until this date and time. I will also be able to accept resubmissions of work until this time and extra credit cash-in. Note that because of a School Planning Day on Monday, there will be no Office Hours.

Also, I will be participating in the in-person pilot program, so be on the look out for some changes next week! For those of you who are participating as well, I look forward to working with you in-person and welcoming you back to FHS!

AP Language

The only work that I see many people missing from Quarter 1 is the AP Multiple Choice Unit 1 on AP Classroom. Remember that you're getting points for completion of this task. Please log in and submit your work - I've reopened the assignment. All projects should be scored and in the gradebook by the end of the day, today.

Your work from the asynchronous day including reading in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the work with Amy Tan's "Mother Tongue", and vocabulary cards will be scored next week. There is also the lesson posted in NoRedInk on punctuating titles. Please reach out with any questions via email. 

English 10

Be sure to check in on any assignments that are missing, incomplete, or in need of resubmission. As noted above, I can continue to take work for some time. The work from today's asynchronous day will be scored and collected next week. Be sure to complete the reading in Persepolis and the lesson on punctuating titles on NoRedInk - I'll check in on this work next week. I'm glad to see that so many of you are enjoying our study of the book!

AP Research

We'll have quick conferences tomorrow - remember to have a rough draft of an Annotated Bibliography entry. This is an important time to be writing and generating content - remember the two step process in crafting an Annotated Bibliography - first go through the sources and consider their importance (remember our lesson in SMARTER annotating), then on your second pass, notice the connections and explore those. 

I hope you have found some use in the Lesson 6 Takeaways Document - I hope that it will guide some of our discussion tomorrow.

Grey Day - 23 October - End of the Week

Week 7 is now behind us everyone. AP Language and English 10 students should be focused on finalizing Unit 1 projects this weekend. As a reminder they are due at the end of the day on Monday. Keep in mind that the 30th is the end of the grading period. If you are submitting late work, resubmissions of work, or rubles for extra credit, you must have this submitted by the end of the day on Friday 10/30.

AP Research

Happy Friday Researchers! Today should be a day focused, I hope, on writing. Be sure that you've gone through your initial source list and filled or made a plan to fill any gaps. Consider especially method - as this gave some of you some pause as we read the Manzanar paper. What methods are done in the papers you've seen so far? Could those methods be feasible for your investigation? Why or why not? What modifications would you need to make?

Your final source list should be submitted on Monday by the end of the day. Try to have 35+ sources including open sources and peer-reviewed sources. Fill your gaps in your Body of Knowledge!

Use the templates as well as the Manzanar paper to begin writing. Begin with your most important sources and move from there into more tangential ones as you create the Annotated Bibliography. The rubric for the Annotated Bibliography is posted for your use. I've also posted your newest Reflection Question for your PREP.

Blue Day - 22 October - End of the Week

AP Language

Good analysis today with Equiano. I've left the documents there as a great example of tracing tone and active annotating around a shared purpose. This was a great practice toward rhetorical analysis - our writing skill for this unit. In this type of writing our focus is to trace the author's argument through the explanation of their choices. We focus on literary/rhetorical devices to organize ourselves and draw connections.

I've uploaded the recording on rhetorical analysis for you to review as needed. For this weekend, be sure to take fifteen minutes for your Multiple Choice Practice on AP Classroom. The main task is to read! Enjoy Huckleberry's adventures! Don't forget, there's the chance of an assessment based on your reading next class!

English 10

Today we had our guest speaker, Ms. Anne Nolan, who went over some of the nuts and bolts of graphic novels and elements of their construction and style. The notes and recording have all been uploaded. We put a lot of this into practice as we read and studied Chapter One of Persepolis - "The Veil". 

Over the weekend there's nothing to do except to finish and submit your Unit 1 Projects. If you have any other missing work, it should be turned in to be scored. 

Next class we'll be reading more of Persepolis and doing some research into the text. I'm looking forward to it!