April 16
I’m grading your personal essays this week, and you’ll have them back via email in a few days. If you haven’t sent me your final yet, please do so!
Let’s practice specific detail writing, shall we? Rewrite the following sentences so that your reader can “see” them.
- He was a nervous-looking man.
- The yard looked terrible.
- He was crazy about candy.
- The crowd was getting angry.
- She looked rich.
April 9
I’ll critique your essays and get them back to you through email by Thursday afternoon. Please revise, and send the next draft to me by Monday, April 14.
April 2
After careful thought, I’ve concluded that we need to discuss the meaning of “critique.”
Critique: a method of disciplined, systematic study of a written or oral discourse. Although critique is commonly understood as fault finding and negative judgment, it can also involve merit recognition...
Regarding “Makeup”, I think you assumed you were to “find fault” with it and didn’t realize you were allowed to recognize its merits. As I said in class, that essay was highly praised by Common App evaluators because of its engaging style, use of specific details, and — most importantly — revelation of personality. All that in 650 words!
The point of these personal statement essays is to discuss a topic which reveals your personality/character to strangers. Always the most effective writing is going to appeal to its audience. Narrative essays do that, if written well. So, even if you can’t relate to the subject (love of makeup doesn’t sound like a mature hobby, does it?) you should be able to appreciate this writer’s introspection and ability to move us from her frivolous, girly hobby to a mature realization of her career goal. It’s like discovering that your love of bugs developed into a degree in entomology.
So, with that in mind, I’m revising your assignment:
- Please choose ONE other prompt and write a draft response.
- Email BOTH drafts to me by Monday, April 8.
- In your email, tell me which of the two drafts you prefer to turn into a final draft.
- I’ll critique both. We’ll discuss how to tweak and edit your best one.
Just remember 650 words.
March 26
Today, Abby introduced you to the “personal essay.” Now, it’s time for you to dig in and draft!
Choose ONE prompt this week and write a draft. You’ll choose three by the time we’re finished, but just hammer out one now.
If you need to see them again, they are below:
- Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
- The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
- Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
- Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?
- Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
- Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?
March 19
Well, I’m giving you the week off. How does that sound?
Next time we’ll begin our last writing project — the personal application essay.
Thank you!
March 12
My apologies; I thought I had done this last night…I guess I only drafted it.
Please complete the “Write Like a Pro” handout by writing one of each method (there are six) of adding style to your writing.
Then, for each prompt below, list Reasons, Observations, Studies, or Experiences that would support your hypothetical prompt. Be specific in your answers; don’t just say, “civil war” but say how the civil war example would be used in an essay.
- Is censorship every justified?
- Is honesty always the best policy?
- Do we learn from the past or are we hindered by it?
- What motivates most people?
- Which is more desirable — money or fame?
- Do memories hinder or help people in their effort to learn from the past?
March 5
Today I gave you a rubric for grading timed essays. This rubric, or one similar to this one, is used by SAT and College Board graders. Usually 2 graders will evaluate an essay and score it without knowing how the other grader’s score compares to theirs.
Attached below is a link called “Sample Essays”. Open it, print it, and score each essay on the criteria from the rubric. Add your scores and divide by four to assign one numerical score to each essay — 1, 2, 3, or 4.
Besides the numerical score, please write a short evaluation of each essay. You can praise the writer, or you can critique her. We’ll discuss your results next week, so bring them to class.
This is the prompt for the sample essays you will read:
Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and assignment below:
Tyler Durden, protagonist of the movie Fight Club, postulated, “The things you own end up owning you.” Jennifer Lopez, on the other hand, espouses the theory, “Don’t be fooled by the rocks that I got/ I’m still, I’m still Jenny from the Block.”
Assignment: What is your view on whether your possessions and education define who you are? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, observations, studies, or experience.
To be clear — you are NOT writing an essay. You are evlauating the essays, below, written in response to that prompt.
February 28
Timed writing is good for you, so we’re doing timed writing for the next 3 weeks.
Today you wrote for 20 minutes about your family, and I’m going to fix myself a cup of tea and read those soon.
This week please choose ONE of the three fast essays you drafted last week. Revise it into a final draft. I’m your audience. Thanks.
February 20
Well, today may not have been your favorite day of English class. Was it stressful? Annoying? Did you leave class and wish you had written something better than you did?
It’s all fine. Your future does not depend on how brilliantly you wrote this essay; neither does your final English grade. I will score them as if you had to read, annotate, understand the prompt, outline your ideas and write a coherent essay…all in 45 minutes.
Writing under pressure is a useful skill; one that can be learned. For the next 2-3 weeks we will practice, and you will get better.
This week, you are to write three essays, each in just 45 minutes. Because I don’t want you to think about each essay prompt before you begin, I have linked each one to a document below. Do this:
If you like to type, sit at your computer, and open any of the three documents. Read the essay topic. Set a timer for 45 minutes and write until time is up. Print your draft. If you’d rather write by hand, go right ahead.
Do this for a total of three times. Please don’t write more than one essay on a day – that would be torture.
Bring all three drafts to class. These are ungraded except for completion. See prompts below —
February 13
- Write your final draft of the Ozymandias essay.
- I am happy to comment on your rough draft, but you’ll need to email it to me. Do that by Friday morning, please.
- Next week you will read a very short story in class and write about it, also in class. This is another “writing under pressure” assignment, but also one you don’t need to spend the week sobbing into your pillow about.
February 6
You’re writing about our favorite narcissist, Ozymandias, this week. Here’s that prompt:
Write a 4-5 paragraph essay analyzing the effect of irony upon the reader in “Ozymandias” by Percy Bysshe Shelley. Specifically mention at least two types of irony, along with examples, and how they meet Shelley’s purpose and reinforce his theme.
Note: The TRIAC model will certainly work here; however, you are welcome to deviate from it if your essay follows standard, formal English conventions.
January 30
Irony is often confused with “satire” and “sarcasm”, so let’s learn the differences.
Irony is when a situation results in an unexpected outcome. Bill Hillman, author and journalist for the Chicago Tribune and L.A. Times, was also famous for participating in “running with the bulls” events in Spain. He even wrote a book called Fiesta: How to Survive the Bulls of Pamplona. In 2014, he was gored twice in the thigh by a bull named Bravito, the only white guy to be injured.
Satire is making fun of people by imitating them to showcase their stupidity or flaws. Late night talk shows excel in satire.
Sarcasm is insincere speech. If your mom asks if you’re looking forward to cleaning the toilets and you say, “Yes, ma’am” when you really mean “Yuck, no way”, you’ve engaged in sarcasm. (And I bet it’s evident in your tone…)
Both satire and sarcasm depend upon the listener to be in on the joke. They are expressions made by people; irony just happens.
This week, please reread “The Open Window” and then write a substantial paragraph discussing how the author’s use of irony enhances his theme/agenda. Write in TRIAC style, expanding this format with your analysis sentences to fill the page. See these criteria –
- Your paper must be double-spaced, 1” margins all around, 12-inch font.
- Your header will be on the LEFT, and include your name, my name, and the date (day-month-year — 29 January 2024)
- The first sentence is your thesis. It must include the title of the story and its author.
- The last sentence is your clincher and must reflect the thesis.
- No need to include page numbers to support quotes, since this is a very short story.
- Your paragraph must be complete on ONE page only, but must also be substantial, not skimpy.
And, please annotate the poem “Ozymandias” by Percy Shelley. You’ll find it in your book at the end of the “irony” chapter, but I also gave you a printed copy to annotate so that you can turn it in. Use that one.
January 23
Tone conveys attitude. In our reading, we’ve sensed attitude in the stories; think of the poor-yet-playful depiction of Della and Jim; the horrifying portrayal of Zaroff’s game, the blatant feminism in Jury. Chapter 13 gives us an excellent introduction to tone in literature.
Please read Chapter 13, Tone, and answer these questions in complete sentences.
- What is tone, and how does an author communicate his attitude if he/she can’t rely on pitch and accent?
- How does our previous depiction of first-person narrator-as-character mislead us when discussing tone?
- What’s funny about the Huck Finn passage on pages 162-163?
- How would you describe Mark Twain’s attitude towards the people Huck finds himself with?
- How are tone and mood related?
Also please read “The Open Window” on pages 169-170 and complete Exercise 18, p.168, on your own paper.
January 16
Sorry about the cold barn today, everybody. Turns out something to do with the boiler was frozen…no surprise there. It appears to be fixed, thankfully.
Please read Chapter 12, Point of View. It’s an easy read, and I do appreciate the diagrams of “real world vs story world” and the different points-of-view. You will (second person POV here!) gain awareness of how authors draw us in to Story World and cause us to be influenced by their characters. All this to sharpen your discernment skills.
Your assignment is a pleasant one. Please complete Exercise 15 on your own paper to turn in next week. You are asked to read the fable and then rewrite it from three different POVs. Yours need not be longer than the original.
January 9
Welcome back to English for 2024. We dove back into literature today, discussing “Imagery and Figures of Speech” in Chapter 11. This is what I need you to do this week:
- Read Chapter 11, and also read “A Fight with a Cannon” by Victor Hugo on pages 143-146. Tell me in 3-5 sentences what the story is about (the plot). Include main characters and explain the ending.
- Do Exercise 14 on page 147-148. Since you’ll be turning that one in, type your answers on a separate document rather than completing it in the book. The “effect” of the imagery would be the feeling it generates in the reader (you).
As I told you in class, “A Fight with a Cannon” is one of my favorite pieces of literature. It certainly doesn’t need to be yours…but you should learn to appreciate Hugo’s skill with imagery and figures of speech.
Enjoy!
November 14
“A Jury of Her Peers” is a well-written short story, and you don’t have to like it. Truthfully, you should be careful to exercise good discernment, as it brings up difficult questions of morality, worldview, and author intent.
Choose one writing prompt, below. Write a good paragraph, about a page long, thoughtfully answering the question. You MUST include a quote from the story in your paragraph.
- Do you realize that we never meet Minnie Foster? She’s a huge part of the story, but she’s in jail and never appears in the action. But we know a lot about her. Write a paragraph explaining what Glaspell reveals about Minnie and why I consider her to be a “round” character.
- Peters is also a round character. Write a page explaining why I can say this.
- Discuss author intent. What does Glaspell want her readers to feel about women and men? How would you respond to her assertions if you were to have coffee with her next week?
- Should Minnie Foster go to prison? Explain in a good paragraph.
November 7
I will return your rough drafts by Thursday morning. Take my suggestions for improvement, write a good introduction (thesis statement at the end), and a satisfying conclusion (restated thesis at the beginning). This is your final draft, and it is due next week IN CLASS. Be sure to reread the “rules” for writing a lit analysis paper, which are posted under the October 24 blog entry!
Read Chapter 9, “Theme and Worldview”, p 99 – 109. Then, read “A Jury of Her Peers” by Susan Glaspell.
You may find this story both confusing and disturbing. After you’ve read it through once, complete Exercise 12 on page 123 on your own paper. Journal writes are reflective writing, and I won’t judge your reflections. However, I will judge your output — so convince me you’ve read the story and have pondered it well.
October 31
- Read Chapter 8, “Symbolism and Emphasis.”
2. Re-read Exercise 8, pages 97-98. Answer the three questions on page 98. Although I’m not looking for paragraph answers, I am looking for thoughtful ones written in complete sentences.
3. Draft your three main body paragraphs for the “Necklace” essay:
a. Follow the model on pages 65-67. Although I do NOT need to see your outline, I do want to see that you’ve followed directions for each part (TS, 1st A, P, C, 2nd A, P, C, CS). The only place you’re allowed to expand the model is in the commentary sentences.
b. Time is not on our side for this essay, sadly. Or not. Either way, I can’t possibly read your drafts, comment on them, and get them back to you in time to write the final. (It’s due November 14.) SO, email me your draft by November 7. Directions below —
- It needs to be in my inbox by 11 a.m. on November 7.
- My email address is kimbaum@writinghome.org.
- You’re welcome to use Googledocs, but you must put me as “editor” so that I can access your document and comment on it.
- Otherwise, send it in any format you use for word processing, and I can work with you.
That’s it. Email me if you have any questions!
October 24
As I explained in class today, I’m the “old school” type of English teacher. I’m never going to tell you to “write whatever you feel” or that you should “express your inner artist”. Ahem.
Instead, I will tell you exactly what I’m looking for in any paper, and I will also write my instructions in the blog (here) so you’ll be confident that you’re doing what I’ve asked you to do. Doesn’t that make sense?
Your only job then, is to read directions, ask questions if you don’t understand them, and then do exactly what you’re asked to do.
First, here’s the prompt:
Write a five paragraph paper explaining whether Mathilde Loisel’s ten years of poverty and labor are a result of fate, or of her own actions and character.
Your paper is due on November 14. Until then, we’ll work on it one step at a time.
Your assignments this week —
- Read pages 88-90 in your lit book. Using the explanations of fate, chance, and “providence”, write a paragraph explaining the differences between these three. Your paragraph must be 10-12 sentences (no more, no less) long, double-spaced, 12-point font, 1/2 inch margins all around, header consisting of your name, my name, the title of this course (High School English) and the due date (30 October 2023, and a non-lame title.
- Complete Exercise 7 on page 90.
- NO, you are not writing the essay yet. You are thinking and outlining!
- Do “Step One”. Brainstorming means to just write some thoughts. Writing is thinking.
- Do “Step Two” which is to write a thesis statement. It can be a draft, of course.
- Do “Step Three” by listing at least 6 quotes from the story to prove your argument. You may abbreviate them, but include page number.
- Do NOT do Step Four.”
Lastly, as promised, the rules —
1.Have a clear thesis statement.
2.Make sure your thesis is the last sentence of your introductory paragraph.
3.In the introduction, you must mention the title and author of the story. Be sure to punctuate correctly.
4.Do NOT abbreviate anything.
5.Your introductory paragraph must be at least 5 sentences long.
6.Write your body paragraph in Literary Analysis style. Count each sentence: you must have at least eight.
7.Follow MLA rules for headers, margins, spacing. Those were explained in the blog last week or the week before.
8. Your paper must have a title. Don’t write a lame title. These are lame:
- “The Necklace” Essay
- “The Necklace”
- My Paper on “The Necklace”
- Literary Analysis Paper on “The Necklace”
9. Use a 12-point font for everything.
10. Do not double-double-space between paragraphs.
11. Indent paragraphs.
12. Blend all quotations with your own words.
13. Don’t include long quotations; choose only the words you need to make your point.
14. Don’t write – “This quote”. Bleh.
15. This is a formal paper. Write formally. You are a high school English student. Your audience is very, very smart, and she knows way more about literature than you do.
16.Write in THIRD PERSON. No “I”, “my”, “you” or other personal pronouns ever.
Now, you deserve ice cream for reading to the end of this very, very long post.
October 17
Read Chapter 7, “Characterization.” Then read “The Necklace” and annotate it.
Lastly, complete the Character Analysis, Exercise 6, pages 86-87. You will need to do this on your own paper, as I won’t collect your books!
October 10
It was a dark and stormy Tuesday afternoon above the big horse barn at Miracle Ranch when Mrs. B’s high school English class gathered to discuss melodramatic writing (because, why not?) and to apprehend the conventions of literary analysis essay writing (because, after all, they cannot become adults until those are achieved).
And that sentence was certainly more fun to write than it should have been, but here we are.
Please do these –
- Write the conclusion and the introduction paragraphs for your essay. Directions for those are on pages 61-63. Follow them.
- Format your essay correctly:
- Double-space
- Head your paper with your name and the date on the right.
- Title your paper
- Set your computer to ½ inch margins all around (top, bottom, both sides).
- Use a standard 12-point font throughout. Do NOT use bold or italics anywhere.
- Indent paragraphs.
- If you would like me to comment more extensively on your rough draft paragraphs, send them to me by Friday, October 13, no later than 4 p.m. Use kimbaum@writinghome.org for my email address.
- Put your introduction, 2-3 main body paragraphs, and the conclusion together into one beautiful document and turn it in next week.
- I will focus my grading of your essay on the body paragraphs. Specifically, I will be looking for well-written paragraphs which conform to the lit analysis directions. If yours don’t clearly have the required sentences in the required order, that will be bad. See pages 65-67 for the big graphic organizer (you only need 4 paragraphs, though).
- Lastly, check the “Literary Analysis Checklist” on page 68 to make sure you’re on the right track.
- Read Chapter 6, “The Writer’s Toolbox, p 69-72. Next week you will take a quiz on parallelism, euphemism, and simile.
October 3
If you’re flummoxed (great word, that one!) over literary analysis essays, please take a deep breath. Those are certainly a new-to-most-of-you assignment, and I am not surprised at the difficulty you’ve experienced.
We’re taking this first one slowly. For now, you should have written a thesis statement according to the “thesis template” directions on page 51, adding a second technique because you’re responsible for 2-3 of those.
And, you should have created an outline or a graphic organizer. Those are the same. You choose.
Now, you’ll read pages 54-60, answer some questions about your reading, and write rough drafts of the two paragraphs you’ve already outlined. Do this:
- Read pages 54-60. Answer these questions in complete sentences, incorporating the question into your answer —
- Why must literary analysis paragraphs use simple present tense to describe action?
- What is the purpose of a topic sentence?
- Why must you NOT summarize the action of the story?
- What does it mean to anchor your reader at a specific point in the story?
- Why is commentary so important? How long should commentary be?
- Write a rough draft of the two paragraphs you outlined. Include all the necessary sentences, according to the example paragraph on page 60.
September 26
And now, we write our first essay of the year. This one is a “Literary Analysis Essay” using “The Most Dangerous Game” as its subject.
Read Chapter 5, “Literary Analysis Essays” from page 47 – 53. Your essay prompt is “How does Richard Connell create suspense in ‘The Most Dangerous Game’?”
Since you will write 4-5 paragraphs to answer the prompt, you will need TWO (or three) literary techniques, each with TWO examples.
- Write a good thesis statement. You should use the template on page 53 for this.
- Complete the graphic organizer ON YOUR OWN PAPER. This is just a great, big outline, but recall that each sentence must fulfil a purpose.
- By the way, I consider graphic organizers/outlines to be just that – outlines. Don’t give me too many words in your outline.
- “Don’t give me too many words” is not what you would normally hear from your English teacher.
September 19
Read please Chapter 4, “Plot and Suspense”. As I noted on our first day, no conflict = no story, which goes to show what entertains us — bad things happening to people we like. Gah! (Are you any good at recognizing “expendable extras”? I’m a PRO. Nerdy fellow tags along after the cave explorers into the dank, dark, creepy cavern. He disappears, and the good-looking protagonists, played by A-List actors, find his left shoe wedged between two stalagmites and a trail of blood leading to the den of a ravenous, prehistoric arachnid who …. Well, you get the picture. I’m also good at guessing which character will die, which one will fall in love, which one will repent of his sins too late to save his life…never mind. It’s a skill. This course will help you develop skills, too.
Ahem. So, read Chapter 4. Then, complete Exercise 4: Plot Analysis on pages 44-45. Do this on your own paper.
Come to class next week ready to discuss the conflicts you see in “The Most Dangerous Game”, AND the way Richard Connell (the author) creates suspense in the story.
BONUS QUESTION: What allusion is suggested by the shark in the movie Jaws? Heh…we’ll talk about that next week.
September 12, 2023
Perhaps in a year or five years, you’ll be strolling through the Puyallup Fair with an elephant ear in one hand and you’ll look up and see me. You’ll remember that I was your high school English teacher, and you’ll likely remember my name and call out, “Hi Mrs. B!”
I will look up and see your face, and I will smile, and draw a blank. I will think to myself, who is this? A former student? What was his/her name???
Out-of-the-blue encounters like the one above happen to me frequently, but don’t be offended if you remember my name and I have to ask you for yours, okay? We’re “old friends”, but it will have been a while and I will have had many, many more students since I had you.
Speaking of “old friend encounters”, allusions are everywhere, folks. Everywhere. Often you’ll recognize them instantly, but occasionally you’ll have a vague feeling that “I should know who/what/where this came from…”
That’s okay. Just knowing that all authors use allusions to enhance the meaning of their stories helps you to keep an eye out for them.
Assignments for this week:
- We’ll have an itty-bitty Allusions Quiz. Know these classical references:
- Between Scylla and Charybdis
- Song of the Sirens
- Achilles’ Heel
- Sword of Damocles
- Trojan Horse
- Pandora’s Box
- Herculean Task
- Gordian Knot
- Daedalus and Icarus
- Midas Touch
- Crossing the Rubicon
- Faustian Bargain
If it’s familiar, you’re fine. If not, do a quick search and read a bit about the ones you don’t know. QUICK SEARCH. You’re not writing a paper on them, so relax.
- Read “The Most Dangerous Game” in your textbook. Annotate it.
- Answer these questions on MDG —
- Personification is a literary technique where the writer gives human qualities to inanimate objects/nature. Find and write down two sentences which use personification in the text.
- What descriptions about Zaroff’s physical features serve to warn Rainsford and the reader about the man’s brutal nature?
- What did you think about the ending?
September 5, 2023
If this is your first time in a high school class, or if you are new to my classes, I hope you enjoyed our time together today. Because we have a small-ish group this year, we’ll have plenty of fruitful interactions and learning opportunities!
Your first assignments are below. Both are due next Tuesday, September 12, and you must turn them in when I call for them at the beginning of class time. If you don’t turn them in, there will be consequences:
- I will accept late work, but I will drop your score by 10%.
- I will NOT accept late work past one week beyond its due date. Your grade will be “0”.
I know, I know. Harsh? Ruthless? Cruel? Possibly — however, my class = my rules. Of course, if you’re sick and miss class, you are welcome to take an extra week to turn work in without penalty.
Assignment 1
Read Chapter 1, “Welcome!” of your textbook, pages 5-8. Answer these questions in complete sentences, incorporating the question into your answer:
- The author of your textbook, Lesha Myers, uses her dog, Tora, as an example in her introduction to this book. What purpose does Tora serve here?
- In 3-5 sentences, discuss the importance of language.
- What is the purpose of this course, according to Mrs. Myers?
- What does Myers think of William Golding’s message in The Lord of the Flies? Why does she think that?
- How can you be successful in this course?
- Explain, using your own words, the literary approach called New Criticism. Write between 5-7 sentences.
Assignment 2
Read and annotate “The Gift of the Magi”, page 10-14. Yes, I realize it has been annotated for you as an example…but annotation is also a personal response. Add to the annotations in your book. *
Thank you. These assignments are due, handed in, next time we meet, September 12.
*Your book = your annotations. If your parents would rather you did NOT write in the book, feel free to photocopy the story and write on the copied pages.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Thank you for introducing yourself via that free write today. Besides asking you to tell me a teensy bit about yourselves, I asked what you were excited about, what you might be worried about, and if you had any questions for me. Thinking that all of you would benefit from the answers, I’ve included a few of them here. Just for you information…not because you must do anything with them.
I’m not too worried about this year, but I do hope nothing is too hard that I won’t be able to accomplish it.
This is from a student who has moved up to high school English from Middle School last year, so it’s a valid question. At first, you may find the work more difficult, but that’s the nature of education! (If you know everything, why are you here?) If you establish good work habits for completing your homework on time, you will do just fine.
I worry that my grammar and structuring aren’t where I would like them to be.
I am confident that I can teach you the grammar and structure you should know in high school, even if you may feel “behind” at this point. It’s good to recognize your weak areas!
I worry about keeping up with turning in assignments because I won’t be here some weeks.
Thank you for bringing this topic to our attention. My “homeschool educational philosophy” is that home schoolers learn good time management habits because they must do much of their work on their own, and that they become good managers of their time. I homeschooled my four kids, and we took trips when everybody else was back in school – best time, right? As long as you let me know ahead of time when you’re expecting to be gone (and your mom did that), I will work with you to make sure you can keep up with the rest of the class. It is possible to work ahead, but you and I will have to discuss that together.
I am worried that this year my mother will become stressed because of all the homeschooling she will be doing with us.
Awwww, you are a sweet person for worrying about your mom! The best thing you can do to help her is to take responsibility for your own education and do your best assignments. Just because you asked this question, I know you are not a lazy kid. Maybe you could even help your mom by assisting any younger siblings with their schoolwork.
My main worry is that I am sometimes repetitive in my writing, and I’d like to change that.
Yep! You and I know about this, and I’m confident that you will grow out of that habit this year. I’m good at pointing out repetition and cluttered sentences you know. Haha.
I’m worried about HS Writing. I’ve never done a HS level class before, and [my brother] says they’re much harder.
Your brother is correct. However, I know that YOU love a challenge! Pour those worries into hard work, and you’ll be thrilled with how much your writing improves this year!
The thing I’m most worried about is taking the PSAT.
I appreciate you sharing this worry; I plan to cover some strategies for the PSAT this year.
Is my handwriting readable?
Yes, and thanks for asking! Of course, I will prefer most assignments typed, but your handwriting is not terrible.
If someone is absent and doesn’t turn in homework, will 10% still be deducted?
Another good question, and I’m glad you asked. The short answer is NO. However, you are responsible for doing all assignments, even if you’re sick. If you can’t understand the assignment directions, you are responsible for contacting me for an explanation. I will allow an extra week to turn in any assignment if you missed the class because of sickness or vacation; no 10% penalty.
What worries me the most is not getting good grades or understanding the homework.
Well, this is a common worry. My answer is that 1) You’ll get the grades you deserve. So, if you want good grades, you must work for them! And 2) You’re also responsible as an “almost-adult” to ask me questions about anything you don’t understand. You can ask me through email, or you can ask me after class. Just so you know, though, the “understood rule” about email is that you should allow the person you are sending an email to 48 hours to respond. I generally respond the same day, but if you email me on a Friday evening, I will likely NOT get back to you until Monday. Weekends are my free time, yes?
I’m worried about juggling school and extra curriculars.
Yes – great question! I am always excited to hear what activities my students enjoy. Believe it or not, my busiest students are usually my best students. Some of us thrive on activity, and we learn how to balance our work loads so that we prioritize some things over others. It’s up to you how you set your priorities, of course. I’m confident that if you settle into a schedule and stick to it, you’ll be okay. Be sure and talk to me if you need to adjust a deadline. My rules are my rules, but I’m able to be flexible sometimes.
I’m worried I will be tempted to be lazy…
Another terrific thing to be worried about! Overcoming laziness takes practice, and just because you stated this worry out loud (well…in writing!) makes me think you’ll be okay. You can pray every day that the Lord will help you overcome a lazy habit. Ask the Lord to help you set a schedule, and help you stick to it. I’m cheering for you!
How could I step up my game and make my writing better?
ALL ENGLISH TEACHERS LOVE THIS QUESTION! No kidding. Because you asked, I’m going to keep a special eye on your writing this year and help you step up that game. Woo hoo!
August 28, 2023
Welcome to High School English “A”, everybody! As always, I am anticipating a fulfilling year of English study with you all. I hope that feeling is mutual!
This is the place you will come each week to see your homework assignments. Since we meet on Tuesdays from 11 – 11:50 a.m., you can expect homework to be posted by Wednesday morning, about 8 a.m. (In reality it should be posted by Tuesday afternoon, but I can’t promise that will happen each week.)
Your first assignment is due on September 5. That’s right: you have an assignment due, for a grade, on the first day of class. If you don’t turn this assignment in on the due date, I will take it later for a score reduced by 10%.
Assignment: Bring your signed Miracle Ranch Waiver.
That’s it. Make sure your parent has printed and signed your waiver, bring it to class, hand it to me when I ask for it, and voila! You’re done.
Otherwise, I’ll see you with your textbook, a binder filled with notebook paper, and a pen or pencil promptly at 10:55 a.m. (please be five minutes early!) next Tuesday morning.
Hooray for English,
Mrs. B