Tuesday, December 16, 2014

PERIOD 3: Re-write the ending of The Yellow Wallpaper, wherein you get to decide how to wrap things up! If you'd like to rewrite the ending AND write an additional "what next?" chapter, go for it!

PERIOD 4 & 7: Read, analyze, and respond
Ray Bradbury "The Lost Interview"

PERIOD 6: Students are working on their midterm projects in room 204

PERIOD 8: Students should continue writing their point/counter-point arguments for upcoming debate.

Monday, December 15, 2014

PERIOD 3, COLLEGE LIT:  you should have finished the Yellow Wallpaper questions over the weekend, but if not, please finish. Using your texts you can work alone or in small groups to DIAGNOSE THE MAIN CHARACTER. Use the graphic organizer as you hunt for clues to match each of the disorders listed before arriving at your final diagnosis.

PERIODS 4 & 7, DYSTOPIAN LIT:
View the following 20-minute interview with the immensely cool, Ray Bradbury and answer viewing questions based on the notes that you MUST TAKE AS YOU WATCH! Complete your notes and your answers to the viewing questions for homework.

NEA Ray Bradbury Interview

BRADBURY QUESTIONS:

Link to Questions Document

Back-up link to questions

1. How old was Mr. Bradbury when he learned to read?
2. Name three authors who are just some of Mr. Bradbury’s biggest inspirations?
3. What do teachers do? And What do libraries do?
4. When he was 12 years old . . .
5. What did he do every day after his experiences when he was 12 years old?
6. What happened when Mr. Bradbury when he was 12 years old?
7. A month after his discovery when he was 12, he met a man. Who was that man?
8. What did he become after his experiences when he was 12 years old?
9. Who wrote the book Fahrenheit 451? Where did the author’s come from?
10. Who is responsible for the writing of Fahrenheit 451?
11. Who is Clarisse? What is she? What does she inspire Montag, the main character, to do?
12. Who is Aldous Huxley to Mr. Bradbury?
13. What did Aldous Huxley tell Mr. Bradbury? What kind of writer did Huxley tell Mr. Bradbury he was?
14. What is the most important book in Bradbury’s life?
15. What book did Bradbury write when he was in his thirties that was inspired by The Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens?
16. What kind of experience should reading be? Could reading be?
17. What is the answer to life?
18. Why does Mr. Bradbury think his books are popular?
19. What is at the center of his books?
20. How old was Mr. Bradbury when he “discovered” he was alive?
21. You must “love what you do and do what you love.” What instructions does Mr. Bradbury give to young people on this idea?
22. What should be the center of your life?
23. What epitaph does Mr. Bradbury give us to remember him by?
24. What T-shirt is Mr. Bradbury going to have made?
25. How can you interpret this figurative statement?
26. Ray Bradbury mentioned that he was surrounded by people who did not believe in the future. Do you believe the world is full of people who do not believe in the future? What does Mr. Bradbury believe you can do to instill hope for the future in people who seem hopeless? What did he do?
27. What could Mr. Bradbury have meant when he said, “By doing things, things get done”?
28. What could Mr. Bradbury have meant by, “The things you do should be things that you love, and things that you love should be things that you do?"

PERIOD 6, CREATIVE WRITING:
Students must work on their mid-term writing projects. The computer lab in room 204 has been booked, and Mr. Albano will most likely be bringing in some of his students as well.

PERIOD 8, PUBLIC SPEAKING:
Students should work in their assigned groups to prepare for an upcoming debate. Students may use outside sources and will receive additional research to analyze this week. Today, students should work on their opening statements, their main points, and their closing statements.

COLLEGE LIT: THINGS THAT MAKE YOU GO HMMM...

Period 3, College Literature students: please respond to the following ideas in connection with your analysis of "The Yellow Wallpaper." Comment just like you would on the Weekly Read and Respond exercises and submit your thoughts by Wednesday, December 16th.

Is there really a baby?
Is there really a sister-in-law?
Is there even a husband?
Where IS the narrator?

Feel free to add additional conspiracy theories!

Week 8 Read & Respond

DIRECTIONS: Respond to at least 2 of the following articles, making sure that you support your position with information from the text in the form of direct quotes and/or paraphrasing. All responses are due by Sunday, December 14th.

This week's prompts are courtesy of Flocabulary's "Week in Rap."

Article 1: How do you feel about the recent grand jury decisions?
A Week Later, Protests Remain Vocal on Ferguson...

Article 2: Do you think Lauten should have resigned? Explain.
GOP Aide Resigns Over Criticism of Obama Daughters

Article 3: Do you think segregated classrooms are a good idea? Explain.
Old Tactic Gets New Use: Public Schools Separate Girls and Boys

December 1, 2014

Hi folks,
I have a conference to attend with the rest of the English department today, so here's the assignment for class. Students should view the following episode of the ABC show, "What Would You Do?" and respond to the questions from the worksheet left on the desk. See you on Tuesday!

"What Would You Do?" Episode Link

Week 7 Read & Respond (OPTIONAL for EXTRA CREDIT)

Since it's a short week, but one full of important issues, I still wanted to offer a platform for discussion. The following articles/videos are OPTIONAL but will result in EXTRA CREDIT for students who wish to respond by this Sunday, November 30th. If you'd rather your comments stay anonymous for this week, send me an email of your response, specifying that you would like to remain anonymous on the blog and I will post it for you.

Race, class, socio-economics, politics, and the American justice system are among the most important and often difficult issues to discuss in our social circles, but that does not mean we should avoid the topics altogether, and it certainly doesn't mean we should censor ourselves in fear of the opinions of others. Through the practice of respectful dialogue and intense questioning and debate, we can arrive at amazing places of common understanding... places of acknowledged similarities... and also differences.

I'm not sure what to say about the news from Ferguson last night. I like things to be cut and dry, and there's too much left to chance in between those lines where it seems as if most of our conflicts take place. As a nation I think we deserve better for each other, and for ourselves.

If I could ask you to consider a few things as you head towards graduation it would be this: register to vote as soon as you can, and get your friends to do the same, and advocate for change. Support the intelligence of your peers, steady those friends who might be headed off the path to success, and encourage those who are still figuring things out. 

Don't live up to or play into stereotypes. They are there to make you fail. Prove them to be inexcusably wrong.

Video:

           (This is Caitlin Clark. Teenage poet.)

Article 1, from CNN:

Opinion Piece on Announcing Verdict At Night

Article 2, from the New York Times:

Ferguson Grand Jury Faced Mass of Evidence in Decision, Much of It Conflicting

Article 3, from TIME magazine:

Don't Blame Social Media...

Week 6 Read & Respond (TED Talk Edition!)

WELCOME TO THE FIRST R&R OF THE SECOND QUARTER!
Directions: View the 2 videos and respond to the prompt for each. Remember to support your position with evidence from the videos and as always, read and respond to what your classmates have to say!

VIDEO 1:
VIEW the TED clip below, comment on the project, and come up with at least one way a person can improve the community in which YOU live!
How Painting Can Transform Communities

VIDEO 2:
View the TED clip below and comment on Ebrahim's ability to reject a path of violence.
Zach Ebrahim: I am the son of a terrorist. Here's how I chose peace.

"Bartleby the Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street" Links

ATTENTION, COLLEGE LIT STUDENTS!

Here are some helpful links to navigate as you analyze Melville's short story.

Hypertext filled with great questions and comments:
"Bartleby the Scrivener" Study Webtext

"There Will Come Soft Rains" Text Analysis!

Here's a GREAT link for clarification on the Bradbury story, "There Will Come Soft Rains." The text is on the left side of the page and analysis is on the right.

ANNOTATED "Soft Rains" Text

Week 5 Read & Respond Articles

Read the following articles and respond in the comments section below. All comments are due by Friday morning, before the start of your class period. Remember, your comments are meant to prove that you have read and understood the material while also forming an opinion on the subject matter.

ARTICLE 1: from CNN
Nurse describes Ebola quarantine ordeal: 'I was in shock. Now I'm angry'

ARTICLE 2: from The Huffington Post
Grieving Mother Faces 36 Months In Jail For Jaywalking After Son Is Killed By Hit-And-Run Driver

ANNOTATION TIPS and LINKS

Annotation

ENGLISH 12 WEEK OF OCTOBER 7th

Periods 3, 4, and 7 should read the following story, "The Pedestrian" by Ray Bradbury and respond to the questions that follow.

Ray Bradbury's short story:
The Pedestrian

DIRECTIONS: Read the story and this analysis sheet and then answer the WRITTEN ASSESSMENT questions that follow...

"The Pedestrian" by Ray Bradbury, published in 1951

When Bradbury was writing this story, America's view of cities was already moving away from one where you could walk to all the places you needed to go to one where the automobile was becoming supreme. Streetcar tracks were being torn out and more roads were built to accommodate cars. Mass construction of single-family homes in suburbs had taken off. Bradbury, clearly, had reservations about this trajectory. He saw a future for the city that wasn't as rosy as the advertisements of his day made them out to be. He saw a future in which the automobile would disconnect us from humanity, where walking would be considered a crime.

While strides have been made in cities to become more walkable, pedestrian-friendly, and the like, much of America now lives in a society that treats lonely pedestrians like Leonard Mead. We've seen it in national news when Trayvon Martin was shot and killed after being seen as a threat because he was walking alone through a gated community. Or when Raquel Nelson, a 30-year-old mother, was convicted of vehicular homicide when her four-year-old son was hit by a car and killed during their attempt to cross a busy street. She faced more jail time than the driver who fled the scene.

Bradbury couldn't have known to what extent his vision of the city would play out when he was writing this story in the 1950s, but not surprisingly he was spot on about the consequences of building cities around cars instead of people. 

STORY OVERVIEW

Setting: city street at night; 2053; totalitarian, restrictive society; a society in terminal decline

Characters: Mr. Leonard Mead, a writer who 'dearly loves' to walk the streets of the city at night – 'just to walk'; the police car, which has no human drivers and dismisses Mr. Mead's profession and lifestyle before arresting him.

Themes:

•       dehumanization of society through over-dependence on technology

•       the impact of television (or, indeed, any technology) on the lives in individuals

•       the roots and effects of loneliness

WRITTEN ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS

TEXT-BASED ANALYSIS:  AFTER reading and annotating the text, look for text-based examples to support the following literary elements. Answers should be restated and supported with quotes from the text in blue or black ink on college-ruled loose-leaf paper.

1. Setting: City Street at Night: Cities are generally imagined to be busy, energetic places, even at night. This expectation is completely contrasted with the reality of the setting in the story, which is portrayed as deserted and, indeed, desolate.
2. Setting: A society in terminal decline: Several recurring details and examples of imagery add to the impression that the society in which Mr. Mead lives is in decline.
3. Theme: Dehumanization of society: As people become more and more dependent upon technology, society becomes less and less human.
4. Theme: The result of such an inhuman society is loneliness: Mr. Mead's actions, and the situation in which he finds himself, repeatedly highlight his loneliness.
5. Perspective / narration: The text is clearly written in the third person, but it is also written from the point of view of Mr. Leonard Mead - it is his thoughts and feelings that we are constantly exposed to through the story.
6. Genre: dystopia: FIND TEXT-BASED SUPPORT FOR EACH OF THE FOLLOWING: The use of a futuristic setting, The use of advanced science / technology, The exploration of alternative societies.

RESPONSE QUESTIONS

DIRECTIONS: Answer the following questions based on your understanding of the text. Restate the question in your answers and support with text-based details. All work should be done in blue or black ink on loose-leaf paper. STUDENTS MAY WORK TOGETHER IF THEY STAY ON TASK.

CLOSE READING

1. How would you describe the atmosphere established in the opening paragraphs of the story?

2. What does Mead’s “brightly lit” house tell us about him? What evidence in the story as a whole supports this view?

3. Bradbury describes Mead’s walk as being “...not unequal to walking through a graveyard...” In what ways is the city like a graveyard?

4. How would you describe life in this city in the year 2053? Consider the narrative carefully and identify specific examples of Bradbury’s use of language and stylistic features that have enabled you to reach your conclusion.

5. The voice from the police-car notes: “No profession” in response to the pedestrian’s statement that he is a writer. What does this particular utterance reveal about the society in which the story is set?

6. When did you realize that there was no one driving the police-car? Why is it that the identity of the voice in the car is kept anonymous? Who do you think is actually ‘controlling’ the car?

7. Why is Mead arrested?

8. What is his punishment to be? Why?

9. How is the repetition of the word “empty” particularly ominous at the end of the story?

THINKING DEEPER

1. What social trends does Ray Bradbury observe and see as potential problems for society?

2. What potentially harmful trends might you observe in today's society?

3. What warnings would you give about life in sixty years time?

4. How do you think television could be used to suppress people’s thoughts and ideas?

5. Do you think that Bradbury’s fantasy is set very clearly in the future (sometime after 2052) or does it comment on some features of our present society?

6. What aspects of technology today do you see as isolating people from each other?

Dystopian Literature DEFINED

Dystopian Literature-- What Is It?

YouTube Clip

Sample College Essays

SENIORS: Your FINAL draft of Personal Essay #1 is due over EMAIL BY THE END OF THE SCHOOL DAY ON FRIDAY! Some of you have expressed feeling "stuck" about possible topics for your second essay-- which is due next Friday! We will NOT have computer time for the second essay, so please plan your time accordingly.

A great way to get a sense of "good" personal essays is to read lots of examples of "good" personal essays.

Here are some helpful links... CHECK THEM OUT!
Shmoop College Essay Links
66 Successful Essays
Essays That Worked

Each one of the following essays is different in its own right. Some are "better" than others, but they're worth examining. Let me know of the links don't work for some reason. It might help to use Google Chrome since they are links to Google Docs.
Fowler Essay
Herring Link
Asiedu Essay
Tate Essay
Mike Essay

THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING RIGHT NOW. I'LL BE CHECKING IN OVER EMAIL AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS.

UPDATE for Monday, September 29, 2014

(Wherein Jeter has his final game, my mortgage finally gets approved, and I end up in the hospital...) 

Well folks, I was hoping my first absence of the year would be due to closing on a house, BUT the universe had other plans for me, which included a trip to the ER this weekend!

I'm fine, but have a  concussion and need to spend another day resting. I'm hoping to be back on Tuesday, but in the mean time, please continue to work on already assigned projects.

ENGLISH 12 STUDENTS: you have your first FINAL COLLEGE ESSAY DUE FRIDAY! ALSO, MANY of you STILL have not responded to LAST WEEK's Read & Respond articles!!! You are LOSING MAJOR POINTS by not completing these assignments! I just published more comments this morning, and will check in later this afternoon to see if anyone else has decided to complete them. Late is better than not-at-all in the case of Weekly R & R!!! I posted the new Week 4 R & R links this morning. I have NO IDEA how football players sustain concussions and then go right back out on the field to play... I can barely stand to look at this computer screen!!!

CREATIVE WRITING STUDENTS: Continue working on your portfolio pieces. We will have at least another 3-5 new pieces due by Friday!

PUBLIC SPEAKING STUDENTS: Complete the packet for your personal speech prewriting and then begin drafting your own personal narrative speech. Start with a free-write of ideas, and then craft an outline of your intended speech.

Have a good Monday, folks. I'm hoping to see you again on Tuesday.

Week 4 Read & Respond Articles

Choose at least TWO of the following articles to read and respond to in the comments section below. All comments are due by Friday morning, before the start of your class period.Remember, your comments are meant to prove that you have read and understood the material while also forming an opinion on the subject matter.

Article 1: With His Words and Deeds, Derek Jeter Never Entered Foul Territory
Focus point: Hero Worship or Earned Respect?

Article 2: The Fault in Our Stars School Ban...
Focus point: To ban, or not to ban...?

Article 3: ...Ban Celebratory Head Slaps
Focus Point: Over-reaction, or proven concern?

SENIOR ESSAYS

ATTENTION SENIORS!
Here are some links and videos to help you with your search for post-high school plans! ALL students are REQUIRED to submit TWO personal essays, regardless of their post-high school plans. You may use the Common Application essay prompts or a specific school's essay prompt. YOUR FIRST FULLY EDITED and FINISHED essay is DUE BY FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2014. You must email/share/attach your files AND print out a copy.

FIVE FUNDAMENTALS OF A COLLEGE ESSAY 

1. Show, don’t tell. If you want to convince the reader that you never give up,don’t tell the reader, “I never give up.” Instead, describe how you were cut from the basketball team in ninth grade, sat on the bench in tenth grade, and finally made the team as a junior. A skillful writer lets evidence show that a proposition is true; a clumsy one tells, because his writing is not powerful enough to show.
2. Use your own Experiences. The most interesting essay puts you in the starring role and features real life thoughts and feelings. Anecdotes from your world are always more interesting than abstractions. Give the reader a piece of your mind.
3. Use the First Person. The fact that it is a “personal” essay provides a strong hint. Nine out of ten essays should be in the first person, the best vehicle for revealing your thoughts and beliefs.
4. Begin with a Flourish. The most important sentence in any essay is the first one. Polish it like a precious stone. Good writers often try to hook the reader with a first sentence that surprises, piques, or begins an interesting story.
5. Proofread. Applicants are told over and over again, and still they don’t proofread! Arrggh! Nothing is more damaging than an essay full of typos, misspellings, and grammatical mistakes

HELPFUL LINKS:
College SEARCH
Common Application
HEOP
SUNY Application
Lincoln Tech

ESSAYS THAT WORKED!
Two Worlds
While the World Sleeps
A Mother's Influence
What's the Matter With College?

Freeman Hrabowski: 4 Pillars of College Success in Science

Jullien Gordon: How To Graduate College With a Job You Love & Less Debt

Week Three Read & Respond Articles

Choose at least TWO of the following articles/video to read/view and respond to in the comments section below. All comments are due by Friday morning, before the start of your class period. Remember, your comments are meant to prove that you have read and understood the material while also forming an opinion on the subject matter.

ARTICLE 1: Women Don't Have to Boycott the NFL

ARTICLE 2: Adrian Peterson Starts National Dialogue on Discipline and Child Abuse

ARTICLE 3: The Limits of Hashtag Activism

TOPIC 4: Jullien Gordon: How To Graduate College With A Job You Love & Less Debt

CREATIVE WRITING

Hi Creative Writers!
You should be actively writing in your marble notebooks as part of the draft writing process for the Memoir Project. Below you will find a link to the original author of these pieces, but keep in mind that the numbers don't match up with our packet, and I have added pieces to our list of prompts. REMEMBER to number and title drafts according to OUR PACKET and use BLUE or BLACK ink!!!
OUR CLASS PACKET: Assignment Packet
SAMPLE Memoir Pieces
"Where I'm From" Poem (#35)
Abstract Noun List (Helps with #5)

PUBLIC SPEAKING

Hello orators!
Your first MAJOR assignment is ready to go... more details to follow, but here are some links to famous speeches in history. Start researching a topic, orator, or event that warranted a "famous" speech and look for the full text, audio clips, background info, etc...
Famous Speeches by Women
Speeches Link 1
Speeches Link 2
Speeches Link 3
Speeches Link 4

Also, a great speech can be something that falls outside the traditional speech pattern of the above links. Check this one out!

Sarah Kay, "If I Should Have a Daughter"

Start gathering information and BE SURE TO KEEP TRACK OF YOUR SOURCES!!!! Copy and paste ANY LINK from which you obtain information!

Happy hunting!

TED TALK TUESDAYS!

Welcome to Ted Talk Tuesdays, folks! View and respond at will!
Erin Gruwell - Freedom Writers

COLLEGE ESSAY FILES and GUIDANCE LINK

Seniors!
Now that guidance has visited us to discuss the college application process, it's time to kick things into high gear and get those personal essays done! Here are some handouts from class, as well as a link to the AMHS Guidance Department. Need a resume? Use the template found on the Guidance site!
AMHS Guidance Department
Brainstorming Worksheet
4 Most Common Tyes of College Essays

I truly believe that your personal essay is one of the most important parts of your college application. It is your "interview on paper" so-to-speak, and it should reflect your personality, your goals, and anything else that you think is important for the college admissions officer to know. BE YOURSELF.

Week Two Read & Respond Articles

DIRECTIONS:
Click on the links below to access this week's Read & Respond articles. Read and respond to AT LEAST TWO of the articles, answering the focus question and commenting on something from your fellow classmates.

ARTICLE 1: A Punch Is Seen, and a Player Is Out
In February, Baltimore Ravens star player Ray Rice was charged with assaulting his wife. An assault is a violent physical attack. Rice received a two-game suspension, and the charges were dropped when his wife refused to testify. On Monday, video footage showing the assault was released by TMZ, and it went viral. The NFL says it never saw the video before Monday. The new footage prompted the NFL to suspend Rice indefinitely, and the Baltimore Ravens cut him from the team. 
FOCUS QUESTION: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has said that the N.F.L. should be held to a higher standard, but with no legal action against him, was it appropriate for the Ravens to cut Rice from the team? Would things be different if the interior elevator video was never released?

ARTICLE 2: The iPhone 6 Goes Big, as Apple Aims Small With a SmartWatch
Apple announced the new Apple Watch on Tuesday. It won’t be available until 2015, and it’s not the first smartwatch on the market. But Apple has revolutionized the way people use computers in the past with the iPod, iPhone and the iPad, and experts are wondering if they can do the same with the Apple Watch. The Apple Watch will feature a touch screen, and it will bring a lot of the features you see on smartphones to a wearable device. It will include fitness trackers, text notifications and maps. 
FOCUS QUESTION: What are the pros and cons of a “smartwatch?” 

ARTICLE 3: Obama, in Speech on ISIS, Promises Sustained Effort to Rout Militants
President Obama declared ISIS a terrorist threat that needs to be destroyed. He vowed to increase American involvement in the fight against them. But that doesn’t necessarily mean a return to war. ISIS is a militant group that has been violently seizing cities throughout Syria and Iraq over the past few months. They now control a region that is bigger than many countries. In a televised address, Obama compared ISIS to Al Qaeda, the organization Osama Bin Laden founded. Obama said his plan to combat ISIS in Syria and Iraq would involve airstrikes, sending supplies to rebel fighters and working with nearby nations. But he insisted, “We will not get dragged into another ground war in Iraq.” 
FOCUS QUESTION: Is ISIS is a threat to the United States? How should the US deal with this militant group?

COLLEGE LIT ASSIGNMENT

COLLEGE LIT QUICK COMMENTS (due 9/17/14)
Please comment on the following question based on your interpretation of Kate Chopin's "The Story of an Hour."

How would you describe Mrs. Mallard? Is she a sympathetic character, OR a non-sympathetic character? Explain in the comment section below.

Week One Read & Respond Articles

Click on the link below to access this week's Read & Respond articles. Post your comments on the blog and be sure to reference the articles and at least one other student's view.

Week 1 Read and Respond Articles

SURVEY SAYS...

Greetings, new Seniors! 

Please take a few minutes to respond to the following student survey. Answers are confidential and will not be shared with your classmates. Responses should be submitted by Friday, September 5, 2014. Thanks!

Click the link below to begin:

2014-2015 Student Survey

AUGUST 2014: HOW SOON IS NOW?

Well folks, the "dreaded" day is inching ever closer to fruition. The day when summer freedoms are replaced by far-too-early iPhone alarms (#teamGalaxy!) and the smell of un-cracked notebooks and yet-to-be-sharpened pencils. The first few days of summer vacation are filled with such an overwhelming sense of undiscovered possibility that the last few days of summer break can't help but feel like the closing chapter of a book that's so good you don't want it to end. But with each ending comes a new beginning, and for you folks, senior year is just that-- movement towards a new beginning, outside the confines of everything you've ever known in adolescence. Maybe that's why I like teaching seniors so much. You've got so much to look forward to in school and beyond.

Over the course of this year we'll be doing a TON of reading and writing and viewing and blogging and tweeting and analyzing. YOU WILL GET OUT OF OUR CLASS WHATEVER YOU PUT INTO OUR CLASS. And to prove that to you, I offer this gift: a starting grade of 100. Yes, as of this moment, YOU have a ONE HUNDRED IN 12th GRADE ENGLISH!!! The catch? No catch. IT'S YOURS TO KEEP OR YOURS TO LOSE!

HOW TO KEEP YOUR AMAZING 100 IN 12th GRADE ENGLISH:

1. ARRIVE ON TIME. On time does NOT mean as the bell rings. On time means that you are in your seat and working on the Do Now by the time the bell rings.
2. BE PREPARED. It's not just a slogan for Boy Scouts. Being prepared for class means being on time, having your required supplies, and exhibiting a positive attitude. If you are not prepared you are not able to fully participate. Don't ask me for a pen. Don't ask me if you can go get a pen. You will be wasting my time, your time, and that of your classmates.
3. PARTICIPATE. I may be the teacher in the room, but I am also the facilitator for an exchange of ideas. We will learn from each other, listen to each other, challenge each other, and always respect each other. Participation is not just raising your hand and answering a question. The definition of participate is to take part in an activity or event with others. If you are late, unprepared, have your head on your desk, or can't stop staring at your cell phone, then you are not taking part. Participation is 10% of your grade and can mean the difference between failing or passing.
4. COMPLETE ALL WORK. Homework and classwork is crucial to your success in this class. Late work in not accepted. There is no extra credit in this class for work that you miss. If you are absent it is your responsibility to track down and complete missed work within the required time period. PLEASE NOTE: One day’s absence before a scheduled test does not constitute an excuse to not take that test. Also, after short absences, you have as many days as you were absent in which to make up tests, quizzes, assignments, etc. that you have missed. 
5. RESPECT ONE ANOTHER. The golden rule. Treat others as you want to be treated. Your rights end where someone else’s rights begin. Simply put, I expect my students to respect themselves, others, myself and other staff members, and the classroom as a learning environment. You don't have to love (or even like) me or your classmates, but you do have to respect me and the rest of our class. The great thing about respect is the more you give, the more you earn.
6. DO YOUR BEST. Your best effort will yield the greatest results. You don't have to love English or even like English, but if your effort is outstanding, your grade will be outstanding. Go above and beyond to keep your initial 100 and you will keep it!

OUR MOTTO IS SIMPLE: ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING.

Learn it. Love it. Live it.

Best wishes for a wonderful year. I'm excited to learn and grow with you!

And if all else fails, heed the words of this guy: