29 April - Meeting Tomas Rivera

English 11

I hope that all of you enjoyed reading Tomas Rivera today. One of the things that I try to do as an English teacher is make sure that we hear from all types of voices in our classroom. Also, I try to read new things each year. Tomas Rivera helps us to accomplish both aims. I appreciate that as a Mexican-American, he shares his very personal story about his relationship with his mother, his family, and his G-d. I appreciated the way in which you saw the parallel conflicts and some of the symbolism that he was weaving into this text.

I've done my best to codify our work on our answer document together. Remember I'll be looking closely at your themes, topics, and devices. You should have ALL of them covered when it's submitted. This will be a great formative assignment leading up to your Reading SOL because it helps with active studying and preparing. At the end of class, we took some time to prepare for the upcoming vocabulary quiz, check in on our Drama Projects, and complete any missing work (still need some vocabulary turned in...).

On Thursday we'll have a mostly workshop class. Be ready for a productive day. I hope to hear a lot of speeches and do some writing work for us to process our independent reading choices. As always, be in touch with any questions you might have. If you haven't finished the MAP test yet, be sure to schedule time for Thursday's Lion Time to get that settled!

23 April - Wacky Wednesday Yet Again!

English 11

Solid work today, everyone! I hope that you enjoyed Flannery O'Connor and her spin on life in the Southern United States. Today we read "The Life You Save May Be Your Own" and explored the grotesque, Southern Gothic, irony, and the idea of a ruined Christ figure. It was a heavy reading day, but these are the days that steel us for future testing.

We read the story in order to discover our devices and to explore the darker side of human society. This is definitely one of those stories that will stick with you for a while. Is Lucynell still sitting in that cafe?! We didn't have as much time at the end to discuss some of the meaning from the story, so we'll have to hold that to the end of the unit when we pull together some loose threads.

For tonight, focus on finishing your vocabulary work and your play reading. Friday's class will be focused on our Drama Projects, so having a good chunk of the reading done will help to facilitate that. Remember to use your resources to help you read. They're posted in the Unit Folder. I've posted the common version of our SOL Reading Review Bank, so be sure that your version is updated. If you haven't yet finished your MAP test, be sure to schedule time for Lion Time to get that complete. Looking forward to Friday!

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!

17 March - Happy Friday

English 10

Really good day in English 10 as we started our reading of "Tuesday Siesta". I liked our conversation around the setting, the characters, and the conflict. We'll finish the story on Monday and discuss some of the themes and outcomes. At the end of class we had some choice time. Remember that there is a vocabulary test and a grammar test coming up soon. Use Membean and NoRedInk to prepare. 

We're also getting close to the end of the quarter. If you are missing assignments, it is important to get them in now. Please see me next week for Lion Time, get them done this weekend, or see me after school. Check your progress report with any questions.

2 March - Happy Long Weekend

English 10

Great day in English 10! I love "The Night Face Up". It's a perfect example of great imagery, mood, and the way that a great ending can really make a story complete. I hope you liked this first reading about the doppelganger, and our second text focused on the concept. We have one more story to look at which will happen on Tuesday; it's probably our strangest one, but it's also super short. 

If you are missing your letter, be sure that you make an appointment to get that done next week at at Lion Time or after school. We'll be doing a major assignment next week to cap off our first part of the unit. Be ready for some arts and crafts to display your knowledge!

28 February - The End of the Month!

English 10

Today we started working through our first story in our Latin American literature unit - "The Night Face Up". It's an interesting look at the concept of the doppelganger, and it's a pretty great story too. Next class we'll be taking a vocabulary test and looking at the next part of "The Night Face Up". Be ready for a quick class on Thursday - remember that it's an Early Release Day!

If you've got a missing assignment, be sure to make an appointment next week to complete your work! That first letter is an important assignment!

15 and 16 November - Blue and Grey Updates

Happy Tuesday/Wednesday Everyone - I'm going ahead and posting this today for everyone since I'll be out tomorrow doing some follow-up from last week's appointments.

AP Language

Class is focused on Chapter 7. Everything comes to a head in Chapter 7 and we have several turning points in the text. Remember that we're reading this novel not just as a story about these characters, but also as an argument about ideas related to America. The thinking and questioning of the text in today's slides should help you to see how these ideas are moving to resolution and to see the statements that Fitzgerald is forming. Considering who "wins" and "loses" in this text and why is a great way to formalize arguments. 

Next class is your double timed writing. There are tips in the Weekly Exigence for how to prepare. The best thing to do is review your feedback from your most recent writing assessment and the feedback to the class. Focus on a few points (remember you can't fix everything at once) and consider how you'll do that differently on Thursday/Friday when you write. Bring a charged laptop - you'll be typing since the exam has gone digital. 

Outside of class, focus on finishing The Great Gatsby. Before Thanksgiving Break we'll work through Chapters 8 and 9. You should also be wrapping up your motif tracker and vocabulary. You'll have summatives coming due after Thanksgiving Break - so adequate preparation now will lead to great outcomes then. I'll be after school on Thursday if you need anything. As always, feel free to reach out.

AP Research

Today we kicked off our working week focused on our IRB Proposal and the tools related to completing our inquiry project for the year. The deadline for IRB submission is December 6. This is a firm deadline. By this date I need your completed proposal form as well as every tool related to your study including consent forms and surveys. The team will give you feedback to prompt revisions and then you will be free to move forward.

All of the work that we've done up to this point has been designed to create the structures you need to complete this work. Pull together your various threads. Formalize your ideas. Show your process. 

As a secondary task, be sure that you are also writing your introduction and literature review - slay many beasts at once in order to be successful. Next week we'll be taking a few checks to help us keep moving forward.

English 10

Today's class is a day with a substitute since I'm out dealing with some personal medical things. During class you're completing the assignment on Anton Chekhov's "A Problem". Open the assignment and the slides and work through them. The story is posted as a PDF and there's a recording of me reading the story with pause points. Be sure to submit your slides as your grade by the end of class - the work won't be accepted late since today is a substitute day. I hope that you enjoy the story about Sasha and the idea of what it means to be a "criminal".

Once you've finished the story, take time with Membean. Remember that you need to do TWO, fifteen minute sessions each week. Once you've met your goal, you're set. Enjoy the day, and I'll be back with you on Friday!

13 and 14 April

AP Language

Wowza! What a day! Great conversation and analysis as we worked through our novels and some really important concepts at the heart of our work this unit. I am so impressed by your professionalism and attention as we work and talk together. Continue to think about necropolitics as you are reading and working through your books. This may be part of your thinking as you consider your reflections as well.

Remember that your reading plan is due. Turn in your dates and either chapter sets or page number sets. Your reflections are due next week. You should turn in at least one, but you can turn in more if you so choose to. Keep an eye out for vocabulary as you're reading. Cards are due at the end of the unit.

Keep reading and enjoying! I'll see you next time!

English 10

Great work today everyone with our finishing of "Tuesday Siesta" by Marquez. I was glad to see the engagement that you all had with the end of the story and the amazing read of the symbolism you saw in the actions of the mother, the priest, and the sun. Excellent job. This is the last story in our Latin American unit. Next class we'll do our test review session and have time to work on our projects. Keep in mind that next week will be the final week of the unit. Your project will be due next week, you'll have a final test, and your vocabulary is due. Don't miss these milestones - get off to a good start for Q4!

25 and 28 February

If you're looking for ways to support Ukraine during this time, let me know. I can give you leads to Ukrainian organizations and NGOs who are working to support Ukraine and Ukrainians during this time.

AP Language

Today was the beginning of our writing days. Over the next three classes you'll have ample time to work in class to complete your research paper. Use the time and resources that I've given you wisely and you'll find a lot of success. As you're working through the process, you have a partner to check in with. Work with that person to complete your checks and develop your drafts. 

Don't forget that you have a writing conference over the next two weeks with me for a grade. Share your draft in advance of your conference, come and ask questions, get an A - it's really simple. I'll be opening a lot more conference spots next week - so don't worry if you haven't signed up yet.

English 10

Today we dipped our feet into the land of absurdism as we read "The Guillotine" by Teffi. Teffi was a female Russian humorist who escaped Russia after the revolution and eventually settled in France. The story is chock full of irony and presents an interesting message to us about apathy and what that can do to us as a society. This story is the last thing that we will read as a class - next time we'll have some choices for what to read as we close the unit.

Your quizzes have been released to you on Google Forms - check your email. We'll do test corrections next class, finish our reading, and begin to take a look at our final project. There won't be a final test in the unit, just the final project. If you were absent, be sure to see the recording and get a copy of the story next time you're on campus.

4 and 7 February

English 10

Good times today in English 10. We took our class time to finish our work on Anton Chekhov's "A Problem" by reimagining the story in a more modern context - we changed the setting and the parameters, but we kept the story the same. This allows us to really understand the themes and the conflicts in a very real way.

Next class we'll be taking a brief quiz on the first section of Russian literature. Be sure to review your notes, slides, and previous lessons so far in the unit. The quiz will be a mix of multiple choice, true or false, short answer, and matching. This also gives you a great chance to pull your vocabulary together, too! 

AP English Language

Today's class was all about moving forward to our next steps - the outline! First, you have to revise your question. We discussed today in class the importance of reasons. As you do research, you'll probably find more reasons to support your argument, but it's important to have an idea of what you're looking for. Also it's important to define your concepts clearly. What does "effective" mean in the scope of your investigation? Pin down your terms so that your argument is clear.

We'll be back in the library next class to complete revisions and work toward our outlines. Use the rubric posted as you create your outline. 

2 and 3 February

AP Language

Wow! What a day! We did a lot of great work today as we really collaborated to make each other better researchers. We reflected on our questions, found some of their glitches, and then began the process of revision with our cohorts. Now - it's time to put the pedal to the metal and revise!

Your next step is to submit your revised research question (version 2.0). Use the same document, it's returned to you, make a copy and put it in your folder for this assignment. When you have finished your revision and written your argument, resubmit the document at the Step 2 assignment space. 

We'll be in the library next class, and we'll discuss the next steps of the project which involve the source pack and the outline.

English 10

It was a wonderful Wednesday for Anton Chekhov. We read "A Problem" today and discussed characterization, irony, symbols, and themes. I really love this story and the ending, especially. Seeing what Sasha does at the end to Ivan is a great example of an ending that works on a lot of levels. If you enjoyed today's reading, then you'll want to take a look at some of Chekhov's plays - I think they're even better.

Tonight is a great night to pull together vocabulary if you haven't already done so. Between our poems and our story, you can probably find ten words. Next class we'll be doing an activity with today's story and next week we'll have our quiz on the first part of our unit. Be sure that you're reviewing regularly so that you're prepared!

Homework for A Day - Monday, September 23

AP Research

Today's class focused on moving from our development of our QUEST and question into writing and working on our annotated bibliography - the first key assignment in which we will start to build our research papers. Be sure to reference the slides as you begin to work. Use the templates and language that we are seeing to write with academic purpose and gravitas.

In this unit we will have several major assignments - the first is the Annotated Bibliography. There will also be a poster presentation and pitch for your research question, and some writing goals for our paper. Keep working hard and it will be done!

Russian I

Today in class we did some great work. Remember that if you didn't submit the project that you have until the end of the week to turn it in. On Friday we'll be having a quiz on the new vocabulary and cultural knowledge. Be sure that you are reviewing your vocabulary daily. Hopefully today's speaking activity helped with your understanding and remembering of the vocabulary. We'll keep having more speaking activities as we keep going through the week!

Also be working through your exercise packet - it'll be very helpful for the quiz on Friday!

Advanced Russian

Today in class we wrote, we listened, and we spoke. All great practice for ourselves as students of Russian. By the end of this week you have a small story due. It can be about you, your building, the characters in Ну, Погоди! As long as you use all three tenses in Russian, we're good.

Next class we'll interact with more stimulus and write more - then it's on to work on cases to review those things too. Remember that by the end of the week you need to complete your resubmission for the verb quiz if you choose to do so.

Homework for Day 1 (Part 2) - B Day - 27 August

Be sure to use the first post of the year to join our Google Classroom page. It's an important space for all of the classes to access.

AP English Literature

Today in class we discussed two of the most important literary devices that there are - tone and irony. A lot of the things that we will find ourselves doing this year will be discussing how tone and irony are at play in the texts that we are reading and the purpose behind those elements. Remember the other key idea about class - Everything that authors do is intentional and purposeful. This means that there are no wrong answers, just those with a lot of support and those with little support.

Tonight you have your paperwork to accomplish and some reading to do. Please take the handout and read Hemingway's "Hills Like White Elephants". Pay attention to the tone and irony at use in the story. On Google Classroom I posted today's slides, be sure to check those out too for other ideas. Remember that when you have a reading assignment that means annotating too!

AP Research

Great work just jumping right in today and getting started. Remember that right now we're working on the Dry Run, but this is a mirror of what you should be doing too. We've got to start right away with brushing off our skills from last year and doing some small r research to get to our big R tasks. Tonight spend time in Google Classroom and post TWO sources that we can use to define our Body of Knowledge related to our problem statement. This is crucial for our revision process and the development of our question. Remember to use APA formatting as you work. Give us a brief explanation of the usefulness of the source. That will be the key bit we need moving forward.

Homework for B-Day Students: 15 May 2018

Remember that since school is closed tomorrow the next day that I will see you will be on Friday.

AP English III

Today we had a very solid class working through Graham Greene's "The Destructors" and considering the way in which authors are able to fill their stories with important meaning through the inclusion of small details. This is a key thing for you to consider next week with your rhetorical analysis prompt. I will have your annotations graded later today.

Tonight you will need to complete your character review sheet for our party on Friday. If you need one, print and complete the questions based on your character. Remember that you can't answer all of the questions directly from the text, so use the text as inspiration. Your ticket to enter the party on Friday is the completed sheet. If you were not in class today, please see me to sign up for a character on Thursday.

Next week we have a very hectic week - there's guidance coming in to discuss senior year on Tuesday followed by ruble exchange and exemption announcements. On Wednesday we have our AP Examination - I'll be there in the morning to wish you all the best (my dog will be there too!). Then, on Thursday, you'll have your short story examination. Remember that you'll have ten questions on each of the five stories - O'Connor, Walker, Pushkin, O'Brien, Greene - and one overall short answer question. This is going to be your last grade of the year.

English IV

Many of you were able to get a lot of good work done for me today in order to get yourselves to a very good place. I'll have everything graded and returned for you next class. A lot of you were able to construct your theme books today and even get started on the content. Next class our goal will be to finish these pieces. You'll have access to the computers to print pictures as needed and to do your stencil for the theme statements. Hopefully everything will get finished on this on Friday and you'll be able to go into the last week of class with everything done!

Homework for 9 May 2018 - Victory Day!

Yay for Victory Day! I haven't watched any of this year's parade through Moscow, but I'm definitely looking forward to it! Here are some things for you to do, maybe as you watch the parade too.

AP English III

I think that we had a really productive class today focused on Orwell and his interesting use of compare and contrast to build his arguments around shooting an elephant and imperialism. Remember that in today's class we kept going back to key examples and devices and how they worked in conjunction to build arguments and attitudes. This is key to your rhetorical analysis. Do more with less! Build connections and consider the prompt at all times!

Tonight, you should finish your reading of Tim O'Brien's "Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong". For this story, you will want to think about the idea of truth versus Truth. How can a story be True when it's not really true? Think about what a character like Mary Anne Bell symbolizes on many levels. What about her change through the course of the story? I'm excited to see what you all think of this one.

Don't forget too, 4B has no Get Out Of Jail Free cards remaining. The story is linked in the previous blog post. Read and annotate well!

English IV

I think that everyone has a pretty clear understanding of what needs to be done in order to accomplish project three with the use of the writing outlines. Remember that on Friday we'll have our sample NCFE for grades (effort and accuracy) and then get to the library for time on our novels. Friday should best be spent focused on close reading and writing. Some of you (hopefully many) will be able to submit your Close Reading/Style analysis and vocabulary by the end of class on Friday and just make edits next week.

Homework for B-Day Students: Weekend Edition - 3 May 2018

AP English III

Lots of big things going on in AP English Land my lovelies. Let's go over them one at a time.

1. You have been given your AP Practice exams as well as strategies and suggestions for each of the sections of the test. We are not going to talk about the AP Exam in class from this point forward.
2. Resources - As I said today in class there are several great online resources for you to use as you are preparing for the exam. First, there's appass.com - this gives you a score calculator as well as areas for studying. I would use the calculator to see where you stand right now and to see what you need to get the score you want. There is also this resource which goes over the fifty-five most common rhetorical devices on the AP Exam. You know most of these already!
3. Your test will be held on May 23rd in the morning session. This is a make-up day since school will be closed on May 16th.

If you have individual questions about your essays and your performance, I am more than happy to speak with you outside of class.

Now, on to the actual class information. We did not have a chance to take a look at our source pack today in class around war. If you haven't yet had the chance to look at that, please do so before the weekend. I also have reading for you this weekend - Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin's "The Shot". Read the story with the following questions in mind.

• What is the relationship between the various characters? How do these different characters react to war?
• How does the age of the character affect their psyche and attitude?
• What is interesting about the way in which the story is told, especially in terms of its organization.

English IV

At this point, most of you have worked through week two of our novel projects and you are going on to week three - focused on significant passages which really represent the book as a whole. Over the weekend you should continue reading your novels and decide on your two important passages. Remember that you want to use the resources I gave you today in class in order to determine the author's style and find significant literary devices or main ideas in the passages you have. This is a project focused on close reading - doing this well will make the final project very simple!

Homework for B Day Students - 1 May 2018

Happy Holiday Students! Today is the 1st of May - The Holiday of Spring and Labor in Russia. Make sure that you celebrate this holiday by spending some time outside. Tomorrow I'll be dressed as a Russian peasant to celebrate. Here are your notes and reminders for tonight.

English IV

Keep working on your novel projects kids! Remember that we're cutting project four so that we can focus on project three, which is the most important project to prepare for the final one. Check on PowerSchool for any missing scores or zeroes. I think that after today most everyone is good to go on Week One work, now be sure that we keep our focus on Weeks Two and Three. Keep reading. Keep thinking. Keep working!

AP English III

We've had two really great classes focused around stories that look at family in a very different way. I especially enjoyed the ideas that we saw today that looked at the connection between characters and tone. Remember that tone is a great device to focus on as we prepare for the AP Examination.

For tonight there's no reading for class discussion, but there is reading of documents to prepare for the next part of the unit. Consider this as both a chance to brush up on our synthesizing skills as well as our abilities to "read" various types of texts. Be sure that you watch the video as well which is given on your assignment sheet and at this link. Complete the questions on the cover sheet as sentences or as bullet points.

Also, be sure that you're finishing the AP Practice Exam. I want to have everything back to you on Thursday.

Homework for B-Day Students: 27 April 2018

AP English III

I was really satisfied with the conversations that we had today around Flannery O'Connor's "A Good Man Is Hard to Find". I especially liked our discussions focused on the grotesque and O'Connor's larger points about the society in which she lives. Continue to show this same level of thoroughness as we continue to work through this unit.

For the weekend we will be reading and considering Alice Walker's "Everyday Use". In this story, pay close attention to the idea of family and relationships. You may also find it useful to look at the main symbol of the story. These first two stories are meant to focus on The South as an idea as well as Family as an idea. We'll spend some time at the end of class on Tuesday comparing and contrasting the two authors, so be sure that you are prepared for that.

English IV

Some of you were able to get a lot of things done today in class including revising your essays, author projects, and test corrections. Good work there! Some of you still have missing work that needs to be turned in. Please spend time this weekend to check in with PowerSchool - if you see that an assignment is marked with a zero or with no grade, it needs to be turned in ASAP. We are coming close to our final few classes and things need to be done quickly so that you can get your credit.

Homework for B-Day Students: 25 April 2018

English IV

Today there were many of you who were absent and missed a day to get some of your novel work done in class. As a reminder, our novel projects are the majority of what we have to do from here to the end of the year. It would be a bad decision to not get this work done and then leave yourself with the last few classes to get caught up.

Friday is a bit of a bonus day for us because of the senior meeting tomorrow. It is important that by Friday you have submitted all of your work for week one and moved through most if not all of the work for week two. Your week three and four projects are a bit more time consuming - and all of this leads to the final presentation.

Be sure that you are crossing the finish line with power and authority, not just hobbling over the line.

AP English III

Today we finished our practice exam. I will have all of the essays graded and returned to you next week. All of you know what I'll be doing this weekend! Be sure that you have read and annotated Flannery O'Connor's "A Good Man Is Hard to Find" in advance of our class on Friday. The .pdf file of the story is linked in the previous post. Annotate the story or take notes as you read. It is important that you consider the details around O'Connor's use of language (especially her word choice) as you read.

We'll be spending a lot of time with the story on Friday and we're going back to coin tosses! It's important that you are prepared for Friday's class!

Also, don't forget that Friday is the last day to submit any missing work for this most recent unit. You should also speak to me about making up time for your practice examination if you missed one of the days.

Homework for Monday - B Day - 23 April 2018

AP English III

Today you all received back a lot of graded work - basically everything in PowerSchool up to this point. If you were absent, then vocabulary cards and annotation checks of the whole book are due on your next day in class. If work is not received by the end of the week, it will be put in as zeroes.

Next class we will complete the Practice AP Examination by completing essays two and three - the rhetorical analysis and then the argumentative essay. I will have everything graded and back to you at the start of next week.

For Friday, make sure that you have read and annotated Flannery O'Connor's "A Good Man Is Hard to Find". As you are reading, pay particular attention to the way in which O'Connor uses imagery, diction, and irony. Also notice the way in which she works through the idea of family. There are a lot of interesting elements related to the setting too; though this may be considered under your analysis of imagery.

English IV

Many of you were able to get a lot of great work done today and I applaud you. If you did not become a "Pretty Princess" for the week, make sure that whatever is missing is turned in to me by next class. Please check PowerSchool for any missing grades or assignments.

Next class I'll be giving you all back your essays and building in some time in class for us to revise them toward a new grade. You'll also have time to spend more time with your books. We'll check in on the character project next class and make sure that you are moving toward completing that by the end of the week.