31 May - End of the Month / Bye Seniors!

AP Language

Today was our day to complete our final in-class writing assignment. In this assignment you have a prompt, because you always have a prompt - there's always exigence, but you're encouraged to answer the prompt in a more creative and risky way. It's our hope that part of this assignment finds its way to your future personal writing tasks. Note that you now have two tasks due, the writing and the reading.

Quarter 4 officially closes on Friday (Monday for Grey Day). If you have any final choice board items to review or anything else to submit, it needs to be in and done. After this week our work will focus only on the final final exam task, the story telling assignment. This has been posted for your review. You're only getting an oral communication grade for this assignment. 

If you have any questions about closing out the year, please be in touch. Remember that I start reading for College Board on June 1, so I will be less available than I have been.

AP Research

We're all set! Final exams are done and grades are in. Fun times to end the year and lots of lovely energy. I'm sad I won't be at graduation next week, but I'm happy we had our time to say good bye today. If you find yourself on campus, come and say hello. Drop me a line from time to time and let me know how your life is going. Wishing you nothing but the best to take you forward.

26 May - Into the Weekend

AP Language

Really fantastic day today in AP Language. College essays are one of my favorite things to teach, read, and advise on, so today's lesson hit me in all of my happy places. I hope that you enjoyed. Please submit your Active Reading Task before we see each other next class. Next class we'll be writing about ourselves and taking a foray into personal statements and college essays. This is the second part of your final exam tasks. We'll also look at the instructions for the last part.

AP Research

Hooray for the last day of class. Make sure that any items that you need to submit for Wednesday's presentation are in on Schoology. Your presentation on Wednesday is a pitch of one of your item. Your goal in your presentation is to sell your item to me to be used in next year's class. Remember that you'll have a maximum of five minutes. Bring snacks! I'm excited to see what you do!

24 May - AP Final Examination Tasks

AP Language

Another wonderful day working on our ART (Active Reading Task). We started our class by defining our needs, and then we moved forward to meet those needs. We collaborated with peers to discuss texts and uncover more meaning. I liked that I saw a lot of active engagement and collaboration. This is the key to being successful in these tasks. 

By this point, you should have most of your two texts read/processed. Please use your work from your group discussions to help you do this. Next class we'll be focused on personal writing and personal brainstorming - thus the right side of the document. It's due at the end of next class.

If you need anything else at this time, please make an appointment at Lion Time or After School. The door is closing on the AP Language skills part of the gradebook as we are now working on our final examination tasks.

AP Research

Remember to submit your Final Examination artifacts as well as any last items from Quarter 4 by Friday. I will be finalizing Q4 grades on Friday at the end of the day. Next week I'll see you on the 31st for your Final Exam day. Bring snacks! Each of you will have about five minutes to present your item. Do your presentation as a pitch. Pitch your item for me to use next year. 

Please submit all items on Schoology. I need to be sure to have a record of all final examination artifacts.

Kicking off the Week - 22 May

AP Language

Great day starting our Final Examination working sessions today. Today was a reading day. I loved reading days at UNC Chapel Hill - they were days for studying and resting during final exams. For me, they were studying and preparing days - the joys of being an English and Russian double major. 

The reading assignment we began today will be completed through the week. Be active in your notes and reading. Answer the questions with evidence from the readings and your ideas on that evidence. Complete sentences aren't needed, but complete thoughts are. This will be scored for thoroughness and completion. It's due on Friday (Blue Day) / Tuesday (Grey Day). 

Next class we'll be working to collaborate and discuss these texts and groups. We'll share takeaways and ideas together to complete our own work. We'll really focus in on the reflection questions next class, but you can feel free to start those now. 

If you have any choice board item still to complete (letters or choice tasks) be sure to submit and meet with me as needed. I am still processing letters and other items. Reach out with any questions - the Quarter Gradebook will close on June 1 as that is the day I start grading for College Board.

AP Research

We are now firmly in our final push before Final Examinations for Seniors. Your examination for me is on May 31. We'll meet, have some snacks, and enjoy our final presentations for the year. You've come a long way, let's finish with style and grace.

18 May - Final Exams Approaching!

AP Language

Today was the day for us to begin our Final Examination Unit in earnest. We took the majority of today's class to read, study, analyze, and understand the first chapter of WEB DuBois's The Souls of Black Folk. It's a great approach to ideas such as race and identity, the power of perception, and psychology. We'll use a lot of these understandings to guide us forward - especially ideas about the veil, double consciousness, and the power of society's expectations on us (even when we don't know about it). 

If you were absent, please access the recording and the collaborative slide decks. Today was an important class. We'll take these ideas to our next class when we read and study our choice texts. Remember that you're looking at the voices of others in order to better understand yourself. We'll have some great understandings ahead of us.

AP Research

Next week we have the final three classes to prepare for your Final Exam before the Final Exam. On May 31, you will present ONE of your Choice Board items. Note that you will only have about 3-5 minutes to present your item, so you won't be able to show the whole video or item, for example. Prepare yourself well. Be sure that all of your reflections are submitted, grades for seniors are now due. Any missing assignments will be marked as such next week.

16 May - Happy Tuesday!

AP Language

Today was a great day! We started by looking at our Final Exam Unit and understanding the three tasks that we have ahead of us for our final exam. We're starting on this next class. For tonight, please read and annotate DuBois's article. Focus on ideas like race, identity, and perception of self. What affects how we view ourselves? DuBois was the first Black PhD from Harvard University; his words are going to give us a lot to consider in this final unit.

There is no more class time for Choice Board items. Please submit your letters to end the Choice Board. If you need to meet or complete other tasks, please make an appointment to do that outside of class. I'm looking forward to a great discussion next class on DuBois.

AP Research

We're continuing through our process of completing our final examination items. I've liked what I've seen turned in so far. Please submit a PDF if you can. Videos should be uploaded to YouTube and shared with my djmiller1 @ fcpsschools . net account. I'm looking forward to final presentations on 31 May. Our last day of class!

12 May - The Weekend is Here

AP Language

Good Morning Everyone - Today is your day to take care of your Style Writing reassessment. Open up the assignment posted for you as well as the instructions in the Unit 6 Folder - Reflection Letters. Follow the instructions and the outline for the letter. Remember that when you write a letter you are directly addressing your audience and speaking in a way appropriate for that audience.

Write your letter to Mr. Packer and to me in the same document. When you're done, if you want to complete the Style Writing reassessment, then answer your compare/contrast questions. Use evidence from your letters. Be specific in your answers. This is a forced Choice Board item for everyone since most people do need to improve their SW skill.

I'll review your work and responses next week and update your gradebook accordingly. Remember that the final date for conferences is Tuesday and Wednesday of this week coming up! Your grades should be done for Q4 by May 17.

AP Research

Keep on keepin on, y'all. Make sure that all of your reflections are in and that you've finalized your Quarter 4 grades. I like that I've seen some very creative top ten lists and survival guides. Hooray for completing parts of your final exam! Remember that if you want to work with a small group on the video, that's acceptable to me. See you next week!

10 May - Getting Ahead Since I'm Out

I'll be out the rest of this week for medical appointments and some self-care, so I'm getting ahead on posts for the week.

AP Language

Today's class was about reflecting, settling up some business, and then moving forward to close out the quarter. If you were absent today, be sure that you complete the Reading Inventory before 15 May.

We opened class with the form that's linked on Schoology to note our very raw takes on the AP Examination yesterday. Your honesty and candor in your responses are so helpful for us as we improve this class for next year's students. We'll be asking for a lot of feedback over the next few weeks. 

After that we got into business. The Reading Inventory is the last one of these this year. I asked you to do it at the beginning of the year, and now we're doing it again to track our growth and progress. After that, it's time for conferences and choice board items. Be sure that you are ready to close out your choice board and thus your Q4 grade next week. All items should be in and conferences should be had.

6th Period - I'm out on Thursday. The substitute teacher will give you a document for your to do list and instructions on how to access everything. Please also do the Substitute Form linked on Schoology since I'm out.

I'm also out on Friday. So be sure to check for updates and tasks on Schoology. You do have your Style Writing reassessment on Friday; complete that during class on Friday.

AP Research

We keep on continuing along here in AP Research to get through our final classes to our exam. We had a pretty full class today, so we reviewed the expectations and options for the Final Choice Board. Remember to choose two artifacts to complete, submit on Schoology, and prepare to present ONE on May 31 for our final examination day.

Next class I'll be out. Please complete the Substitute Day Form. It's linked down below. Use time on Friday to complete Choice Board Items. Be respectful of the substitute and the space, as always.

English 10

Today's class is a very easy class to round out the week. You've got a substitute today, since I'm out meeting with my cancer doctors and my care team. Everything is looking good, so we just need to confirm that. Today you've got two things to take care of. Follow the instructions on the TO DO list from the substitute. 

Complete your Final Reading Inventory from the link on Schoology. Log-in with your FCPS ID and your password. Do your best. I'll see the results in my system. Once that's done, get Persepolis and complete your reading and study of the next two chapters.

Don't forget to do the Substitute Form on Schoology.

Getting Ahead - May 8

AP Language

Hello AP Language. I'm away today for some medical appointments. Be respectful of the space and each other, as you always are, and our guest in the classroom.

For those of you taking AP Calculus today - good luck! It was definitely one of my harder AP Exams in high school, but I was well prepared, had a great teacher (shout out to Mr. Smith), studied, and did my best. Remember - just get as many points as you can. Take the derivative and move on!

Tomorrow we have OUR AP Exam! It's our state championship! Today's class is designed for you. Formalize your game plan and complete whatever you need to in order to be ready for tomorrow. If you're studying tone words, great. Working on AP Classroom, great. Working on Choice Board items, great. Please submit your artifacts so that we can conference together later this week and next to finalize quarter four. Be sure to review the earlier recordings posted on the Updates feed and the YouTube channel from College Board also linked below.

Tomorrow morning, come in through Door 1. Get your gift bag from me or Mr. Friedman. Go to your testing location. Slay the beast. Keep me on your shoulder. Just keep writing!

AP Research

Continue to build your AP Research Final Examination Items. Remember that you're stacking up 100 points for this. You should complete two artifacts to do this. Once you have it complete, go ahead and submit it to the space on Schoology. Be sure that you've ordered your cords and taken care of other End of Year Senior Business. Remember that your final examination is on May 31 and I will finalize grades that day.

4 May

AP Language

Today was essentially our last day before the examination. I hope you're feeling ready. We took time to understand the timing rules and regulations, the structure of the exam, and then we made our gameplan. I hope that the plan will take you forward to Tuesday and to your success. I am very proud of the growth that all of you have shown. One test is never the measure of your whole year or whole self, remember that.

Next week, I'll be out for most of the week with medical appointments. We will have a chance to conference when I'm in class, there's also after school opportunities. The Choice Board will close by the 16th/17th of May, so you should have your grade finalized by then. After that, we move on to the final examination. Continue to submit your items to Schoology and we can meet and review as we can.

Check your email and be ready for Tuesday! Come through Door 1 and get your gift bags!

AP Research

We keep on keeping on. Continue to move forward, complete your tasks, turn in reflections, get started with your final examination. I'm looking forward to your final presentations. 

2 May

I hope that those of you taking AP Examinations (APES and Psych) felt ready and prepared. Hopefully as you're taking some of these other exams you can use some of our strategies here in class. Be sure that if you're missing class for any reason that you catch up with the recordings!

AP Language

Today was our day to review FRQs for the last time. I hope that if any of you are doing a revision or a new version of an FRQ that today and last class have been especially helpful for you. If you've missed class, then you need to be sure to review the recordings. Next class we'll make our plan for the exam and then have time for the choice board and conferences.

We will be closing out and moving toward our final examination period starting around May 16. You should have all of your choice board activities completed by that date and your class grades finished. The final doesn't relate to these skills, so that's why we're moving on to the final and finalizing grades.

Please submit your artifacts and plan your conferences. I'm here Wednesday and Thursday after school, and you can come in to Lion Time as well!

AP Research

Easy peasy in AP Research since we're over the hump and past the submission date. I'm very happy that everyone submitted their drafts and met final goals. Now it's time for us to close our year together. Be sure that you complete your grades for Quarter 4. Submit your final reflections and your final tasks here as they are completed. Everything should be done by May 16 so that we can move firmly into our final examination tasks.

Remember that your final examination tasks are due on May 31. That is the date of our final. Be sure that you have reviewed your options and planned your course ahead. All of our days are working days in the month of May with the exception of the final when you'll present one of your artifacts.

28 April

AP Language

Great days are continuing in AP Language. Today was a day focused on skill development and especially ROW, RSW, RSR, and CEW - the skills of rhetorical analysis. If you were missing from class for whatever reason, be sure to check the recording and review. We had a bit of time for choice board activities and completed a few conferences. Please keep working on your own to review your feedback, complete your new or revision task, and submit your work. There are spaces on AP Classroom as well as here to submit. Remember to meet with me during Lion Time, After School, or in class.

Next class will be mostly a working day and conferencing day. We'll be starting AP Examinations next week, so most of our days will be geared to be working days. Note that we will have some focused review on the essential tasks, so keep up with the recordings.

AP Research

Today was submission day for our AP Research academic papers. Congratulations on finishing the course. Today is effectively the end of Quarter 4. From here on out we're completing our Final Examination and other finishing touches. Be sure that you've completed all of your tasks to end out Quarter 4: PREP Reflections, Academic Paper PDF, and Final Reflection Question.

For the final exam we've got nothing but working time to get us through most of May. A lot of you have a lot of AP Examinations, so I understand that you'll need a lot of time in class to prepare. Be sure to review the requirements for the Choice Board and make your plan for completion. I'm excited to see your final presentations on May 31.

26 April - SOL Reading Day

AP Language

Good luck on the SOL Reading today everyone! Take deep breaths, take your time, and understand what the question is asking you - no worries at all! We'll have another choice board working day for our next class. Try to put some time into finishing your first task if it's not already complete. I see a lot of in progress assignments on AP Classroom, so get those wrapped up. 

Next time I see you, your goal should be to conference and take me through your improvements and evident growth. You may find it helpful to annotate your work with this in mind. Don't forget to reference the skill descriptors as you are working in particular skills. I'm after school today (Wednesday) and Thursday to offer any help you may need!

AP Research

Great day in AP Research land as we are moving toward our submission date. We took time today to do some our best work, peer review. I loved seeing you all working together for this class and offering such wonderful feedback to each other. We also reviewed the instructions for DigitalPortfolio and how to navigate what the Originality Report means and how to use it. If you were absent, please check this very important recording from today.

Next class is Submission Day! Bring snacks! Bring drinks! Bring a celebratory mood. Let's kill it!

24 April

AP Language

Great day in AP Language land as we kicked off Unit 6 - Our Choice Board! This unit is designed to give you ample time to improve your skills in preparation for the AP Examination. Next time I see you, you'll be taking me through your work, showing and explaining your changes, and seeing the development of your skills in real time. Remember that I'm here to support you through all of this. If you get writer's block, let me know. I'm pretty handy with a sledgehammer.

For sake of ease, please submit an artifact of your task here on Schoology. It could be a note, a link to a doc, or whatever. This will help our revision conferences. You can also come in at Lion Time on Tuesday or after school on Wednesday/Thursday if you need me or more time with me. Remember, we have very little time left before the AP Exam.

Next class - Wednesday the 26th - you'll have the Reading SOL in the Aux Gym. Check your email for your seating assignment. Have your charged laptop, your computer charger, and your brains turned on. If you'd like a practice test - you can find one easily on Google. Just look for VA SOL Reading for 11th Grade. There are a few PDF tests out there to get comfortable with questions.

AP Research

We keep on rolling through our presentations with just two left for Thursday's Lion Time. As I'm looking at your work, the only thing I see that needs to be done is some final steps to close out the unit. Please be sure to submit your reflections for Quarter 3/4 to the assignment space. You should answer all of the remaining questions. 

Next class, Wednesday the 26th, we'll be doing some final peer review, turning in a PDF to Digital Portfolio, and using some of the online tools. Please have a draft submitted to DigitalPortfolio before I see you next time. DO NOT SUBMIT UNLESS YOU ARE CONFIDENT THAT YOU ARE DONE! I've submitted all scores for presentations completed. I'm very happy with what you've been doing. Let's finish strong!

19 April - Almost End of Week

AP Language

Today was our day to get into FRQs and the final round of Rules for Good Writing. I hope that you all were able to find spaces to develop your writing further and find more spaces to lock in with your Line of Reasoning and show the assessor that you are meeting the goal of the prompt. Remember, sometimes it's better to be more simple and direct than get lost in the words.

See the recording for our various lists. Memorize the thesis structures if you need to. There are plenty of Progress Checks on AP Classroom to practice with all of your skills.

Next class we'll be completing our first choice assignment - this should be focused on developing your first key focus skill. I'll have letter grades for you on Monday, so you'll be able to chart your course forward.

AP Research

Congratulations to our first POD being done! Hooray! We'll keep working through PODs tomorrow, Friday, and into next week. Be ready by having your slides submitted, your abstract submitted, and have your reflection questions prepped, even if they're not turned in yet.

Remember our process over the next few days. Come to class, check in, and then off to a separate space to prepare while others are presenting. 

At the end of class we reviewed the process of submitting and checking on Digital Portfolio. Have a draft uploaded by the end of next week - and follow the guidelines - so we can run our final checks.

17 April - Back in the Building

AP Language

Today we started the process of reviewing feedback from our final practice examination. I'll have grades finalized pretty soon, it does take me a good amount of time to process eight grades for all of you. So, hopefully today's class helped you get started on the process of reflecting and making a plan to improve before the end.

Tonight, review the choice board for Unit 6 and reflect on your process this year. What will be your path to finish this course in Unit 6? What are going to be your key skills for focus? I'm here to help you figure this out, be sure to meet with me and conference as you need to!

If you were finishing your exam in the hallway today, then please use the recording to review our classwork today on ROR and difficult questions.

AP Research

We are in examination season in this classroom, so it's time for us to finalize our work and move toward the finish. I've scheduled your PODs for the next few days, be sure to check your email and accept the invitation. You'll have observers at your POD, and it'll be recorded for College Board. Be sure that you submit your slides so that I can access them easily. Your paper is also due at the end of the month.

Once we finish PODs we'll have a lesson to finalize our paper and do all of our checks with Digital Portfolio. Be sure that as you are finishing this part of the course you are submitting all of the needed assignments for your exam: Academic Paper, POD Slides, Abstract, Final Reflections.

I am very excited to see the end of your work this year. Let's enjoy the final!

13 April - Still Gone, End of the Week/Quarter

I'm very sorry to be away from you all on the last day of the quarter. I appreciate that I have seen a lot of things get turned in. I'm grading and giving feedback as you complete items. Here are a few quick reminders for the long weekend.

AP Language

Be sure to submit your final assignment for this unit. Your grades will be resetting pretty soon once we finish the scoring of the practice AP Examination. If you have missed any or part of the practice exam, please see me next week to get that settled. The best times would be Wednesday after school or Thursday at Lion Time. Juniors won't have Lion Time on Tuesday because of required programming.

AP Research

We'll have one final working day and then begin our presentations. I'll schedule those with you on Monday. Use this last weekend well! You'll be getting your first AP Exam out of the way, and then we'll move on to reflecting on the year and having some fun before graduation.

English 10

Today is our first day of Quarter 4 and our unit on graphic novels and Middle Eastern literature. We're going to start by diving in with our country of focus and our type of literature to focus on. If you didn't finish the assignment today in class, please do so by the next time I see you. Go to EdPuzzle, log in with your FCPSSchools account, and find your assignment. You can always redo this if you'd like. We'll start reading our book from Iran next class, so knowing this information about the country will help you to better understand the book.

12 April - Out of the Building

AP Language

Good morning all. I very much regret that I had to be away today during your MCQ. I hope that it went well and that you navigated the challenge. I should have everything scored and back to you next week to take us to our final unit of the year to prepare for the AP Examination. 

If you have part of the exam to finish, please email me or see me to schedule a time to get that settled. It is very important that you have your scores and feedback next week as soon as possible. You'll need it to make your plan for the unit and review for the exam.

Please work to submit your vocabulary assignment as soon as you can. It's the final grade of the third quarter. The main thing that I'm looking for is your analysis of the passage and your analysis of the synonyms and the word itself. In your analysis of the grammar in the passage and in the words you should focus on why this word/this structure is appropriate for the style and purpose of the text. That should be your line of reasoning for this assignment - go back to the example and notice how I focused on criminal language throughout all of my analysis.

AP Research

Sorry to be away from you this morning, but a family emergency has called my attention. I should be back with you all next week and am available over email if you need me. Today should be a day for you to be finalizing some of your key tasks and planning for your presentations, which begin next week.

I will schedule presentations with you on Monday in class. Note that we will begin presenting on Wednesday, so I will need a few people to go first. We'll try to run three presentations on Wednesday during class. Remember that while people present, you will have time to finalize your paper, your own presentation, or other tasks as needed.

In the last week of April we will have our final peer review of the paper and review the process for submitting it and checking it on TurnItIn for plagiarism and AI writing. 

If there's anything I can do for you, please let me know.

10 April - Welcome Back!

AP Language

Double Timed Writing Day! Double Timed Writing Day!

Whoo! Sorry to get back to it right away, but we had to follow the schedule given. Today was our FINAL double timed write. The next time that you do this, it'll be times three and for all the marbles on examination day. Next class we'll be completing the MCQ. Remember that this is your final reset of grades to go into Quarter 4. We'll be preparing for the examination by polishing our skills and focusing on our essentials where we need. I'll work hard to get your essays scored and returned next week for feedback.

Remember that you have an assignment due - your vocabulary assignment on jargon. If you need assistance in completing this assignment, please see me during Lion Time or after school.

AP Research

It's the final countdown my lovelies. The paper and presentation are due at the end of this month. You'll have the next two classes to prepare, and then we'll begin the process of POD presentations on Wednesday of next week. I'll be able to host you for presentations on Wednesday during class, after school, Thursday during Lion Time or after school, or possibly during the Friday teacher workday. We'll also have the following week to complete presentations. 

Throughout this month it is imperative that you use your time and each other to the best of your abilities. We can do anything when we're focused and determined. Let's pick ourselves up and push ourselves forward. I'm so excited to get you to the finish. Remember to submit your final reflections this week! There's no question this week so that you can complete your earlier questions.

30 March - End of the Unit

AP Language

Great final working day for Quarter 3. Remember that we will be returning to class after Spring Break to our double timed writing - you'll be writing on Question 2 and 3 followed by the MCQ. This is a total reset on your grades for the beginning of the Fourth Quarter - so be prepared in the best way that you can.

If you would like to/need to submit a revision of your Annotated Bibliography, please do so. I'll accept these until April 13 to be reviewed. Submit your assignment that's due before you begin your break, you won't have time after we return.

I'm very excited to take you all into the end of the course, let's finish with style!

AP Research

Today was a fantastic day to end the unit in AP Research since we're doing another round of peer review. We've got access to revision guides, sample papers, each other, the rubric, and earlier lessons so that we can put together an accurate and high scoring representation of our work this year. 

The final reflection questions have been posted. These are due on April 13 to Schoology to end the quarter. You will have nothing but time to work, revise, and prepare for presentations when we return. Note, there are just two classes before we begin PODs on April 17. Work hard, be ready. Remember, we're basically done by May 1.