Week of 1/15

1/19: Review returned portfolio letter rubrics. Complete your final exam on laptops. Share the exam and final portfolio before the end of the period. Ten Point Bonus for submitting your portfolio by the end of the exam period.

Week of 1/8

1/12: Go to E102. Check the status of portfolio readiness. Review the Final Exams: Portfolio Version (EngFinal(Port)) and Regular Final Exam (EngFinalReviewReg). Continue working on your letter or if you’re done, revise your portfolio choices. Reminder: portfolio letter format (PortLttrFrmt). If in doubt, write a paragraph about each portfolio piece. Share a final Portfolio Letter/Semester Reflection for grading at the end of the period.
1/11: Review the Letter rubric (PortLttrRubric2) and the portfolio letter format (PortLttrFrmt). If in doubt, write a paragraph about each portfolio piece or write about the best experience you had as a writer. Be specific. Tell it as a story. Address your greatest need: complete your letter, timed write or story.
1/10: Review the homework (20 minutes on your letter). Read Adie’s conversational letter(refl-ltr-pkg-2016). Review writing portfolio drafts. Address your greatest need: complete your letter, timed write or story.
1/9: Check homework: 20 minutes on your letter. Work period in A102. Review the portfolio letter format (PortLttrFrmt), Writer Reflection prompts (WtgRflctnPrmpts) and a sample letter (PortLttrMdl). Add two or three paragraphs to your portfolio letter.  Consider writing about your selections or writing two or three paragraphs tell about something you do well. Include a story. (refl-ltr-pkg-2016).
1/8: Review progress on timed writes and review returned short story rubrics. Review two example letters (PortLttrMdlsFrmt) and the Letter rubric (PortLttrRubric2). Complete a draft of your letter on the laptops introducing you and your writing to a reader who does not know you. (refl-ltr-pkg-2016).

Week of 1/3

1/3: Check homework. Complete a writing sample using one of the prompts or an idea of your own (PETmdWrtgPrmpts). Review returned short story rubrics.
1/2: Review the end-of-semester schedule and the Portfolio Contents (Portfolio_Contents). Select the pieces for your portfolio. Write a paragraph explaining why each piece is a good choice. Mention at least one thing you did well and something that might be improved. Review the timed writing options for tomorrow (PETmdWrtgPrmpts).

Week of 12/18

12/22: Proofread short stories in groups of four or write group poems (Exquisite Corpse.doc) that rely on the “mystique of accident” to reveal the “unconscious reality in the personality of the group,” but do not devolve into stereotypes, swearing, meanness, etc.
12/21: Finish workshopping short stories with SR’s story. Always start with what works. Begin revising the stories based on the feedback and these revision ideas (SSRevision Ideas).
12/20: Finish workshopping short stories with MV & JP’s stories. Always start with what works.
12/18: Continue workshopping short stories starting with RG, MV & DC’s stories. Review the workshop guidelines (SSWorkshopGuidelines). Always start with what works.

Week of 12/11

12/15: Begin workshopping short stories starting with AF & CC. Review the workshop guidelines (SSWorkshopGuidelines). Always start with what works.
12/14: Read The Dialogue Story (The Dialogue Story). Finish drafting your short story on laptops. We will share the complete drafts in class tomorrow. Two first workshop volunteers?
12/13: Read “In the Current” (& “Passing Time”).  Incorporate ideas from the form into your story – especially using the environment to show moods and contrasts. Revise your short story on laptops.
12/12: Review the problem and decision story models. Look at “Just Desserts” (Just Desserts2) to see how complications and rising action (LIneof Story) make a story more complete and satisfying.  (ElemntsofStry). Revise your short story in E102 to add more obstacles/complications to add more tension in the middle.
12/11: Check the status of the short stories. Should we continue? Or switch to feature articles?

• If we stick with the short stories, read The Last Buzz and look at how the events build to an important change or realization by the main character: The girl who walks out the door is different than the girl who walked in and her life is forever changed. Continue to develop your story to show that change.
• If we go to feature articles, read “Silk Chute Wedding” (SilkChuteWddng), “The Running Artist” (RunningArtist) and “Is Graffiti Art?” (GrafittiArt).

Week of 12/4

12/7: Check homework: 15 minutes on your “Reunion” story. Look at the story arc (both narrative arc and emotional arc) LIneofStoryElmnts and the mix of description, action, dialogue and interior monologue (DADIMix) Continue drafting your story in A102. Share drafts?
12/6: Check homework: 15 minutes on your “Reunion” story. After reading “Settled,” and Raising a Little Chap, write a story that includes at least three of the following: a parent and child as two of the characters; at least one scene in a restaurant; a variation on either, “I wished that we could be photographed” or “I want to get a rise out of this chap;” a circular shape.  Other “Reunion” stories: (Infinite Eternities and The Last Buzz).
12/5: After reading “Reunion” write a story that includes at least three of the following: a parent and child as two of the characters; at least one scene in a restaurant; a variation on either, “I wished that we could be photographed” or “I want to get a rise out of this chap;” a circular shape.  Another “Reunion” story: (Raising a Little Chap.)
12/4: Review sub report. Look at the story guidelines; limit to two hours, one scene, one POV and two or three characters (ShapingTheShortStory).  Read “Thank You_ Ma_am” and “Nice Pants” (Nice Pants).  Look at guidelines, story ideas (and What if?), form ideas and techniques. Begin a list of story ideas. Class Notes: English 12-4-17

Week of 11/27

12/1: Read “In the Current” (In the Current) & “Passing Time” (Passing Time).  Write a story in that form.
11/30: Generate a list of story elements.  Review short story assignment (SSAssignment2). Write a story from a postcard (Postcard Story).  Read “Von Trapped” (Von Trapped). Share drafts.
11/28: Finish workshopping student poems using the Bosselaar Cards (Bosselaar Terms).
11/27: Finish workshopping student poems using the Bosselaar Cards (Bosselaar Terms).

Week of 11/20

11/22: Share copies of your poem in the shape you think works best.  Workshop Clara and student X’s poem using the Bosselaar Cards (Bosselaar Terms).
11/21: Present EQ8? Choose one of your poem drafts to share with the class and revise. Look at lineation (Lineation) and the different ways to break the lines and vary the layout in your poems. try at least five different ways to break the lines and vary the layout in your poems.
11/20: Read and write Skeltonic Verse poems (SkeltonicVerse). Share drafts. Read and Write Anglo Saxon Alliterative Meter poems (ASAMPoems). Share.

Week of 11/13

11/16: Read and write car poems (CarPoems). Read and write a poem that begins “I’ve never seen…” (buttercow2) or a poem of particularity about a place (Zanzibar&Particulars).
11/15: Read, write and share odes (OdeAssignment2) as a timed writing activity. Share your odes with me at the end of the period.
11/14: Review Tom Lux’s ideas about the music of poetry.  Read “It’s algebra,” (Sound Poems Exercise).  Write and share poems that make “sound” sense without necessarily making idea sense.  Read sound poems (The Radio Animals) and poems that use silence (ThePause).
11/13: Attend the Veteran’s Day small group discussions.

Week of 11/6

11/10: Review the three poem shapes: circular (RbtWnnr:Round), incremental (LvesofGrss, Blue Cardigan, 1969) and dialectical poems  (MissAnything, TacoBell, KING OF THE RIVER A C or a K)  Write dialectical poems. Share circular, incremental and dialectical poems (PoemShapes). Assemble the lines in a “Sensory Details Poem” and read other poems using rich sensory detail (SensoryDetailPoems).  Write one of your own.
11/8: Review returned position paper rubrics and feedback (RevwdPP). Look at Status Markers and Code Switching (CodeSwtchng_StsMrkrs). Review the homework: write a poem in one of these shapes. Review the three poem shapes: circular (RbtWnnr:Round), incremental (LvesofGrss, Blue Cardigan, 1969) and dialectical poems  (MissAnything, TacoBell, KING OF THE RIVER A C or a K)  Write incremental and dialectical poems (PoemShapes). Share circular, incremental and dialectical poems (PoemShapes).
11/7: Review status of the position papers and the options for the next unit. Look at poem shapes (PoemShapes).  Read circular (RbtWnnr:Round), incremental (LvesofGrss) and dialectical poems (MissAnything, TacoBell)  Write and share circular, incremental and dialectical poems. Class Notes: English 11-7-17

Week of 10/30

10/31: Look at introduction strategies (Position Paper Introductions) and your position paper introduction. Look at your conclusion as a call to action. How can you explicitly urge your reader to act? Revise your position paper on laptops incorporating ideas from your proofreading group and improving the introduction and conclusion.
11/2: Look at revision and editing ideas in “Pondering the Plain Positives” (PositiveCitations).  Proofread position papers in groups of three or four. Pay closer attention to sentences.
11/1: Check homework: emailed works cited. Review the position paper rubric (Position Paper Rubric) and look at how titles and subtitle work together. Review the format for in-text citations (Naming Sources in the Text) and the Works Cited as in the Writing Tools (Barlow Writing Tools) or easybib.com. Revise your position paper in A102 adding a title, subtitle and works cited. Incorporate other people’s ideas and quotes in order to finalize this by Friday.
10/31: Revise your position paper in A102 incorporating ideas from my feedback and your revision group.

Week of 10/23

10/27: Check homework: 20 more minutes developing the research base of your position papers. List three good arguments for your position (or three good reasons against the opposing argument.) Finish your complete position paper draft in A102.
10/25: Check homework:20 minutes developing the research base of your position papers. Look at how to design and complete a survey. Write down three reasons/arguments in favor of your position (or write down three flaws in the opposing view). Continue to develop the body of your position paper.
10/24: Share position papers with me and tell me what you need to do next. Develop the content for the paper through Looping Activities? Or think about the purpose and audience of “All Work and No Play” (all-work-no-play) and note how the research informs and fleshes out the argument. Read “What Do the Scary Clowns Want?” (what-do-the-scary-clowns-want) and note how the (well-researched) historical context informs and fleshes out the essay. Or review (WtgInsideOut) and look at introductions and conclusions. Think about the purpose and audience of your position paper. What kind of introduction (How do I pull my reader in?) and conclusion (What do I want my reader to do after reading?) will achieve that purpose for my audience?
10/23: Review Friday’s “Exquisite Corpse” activity. Look at templates for organizing position papers (WtgInsideOut) and see how they apply to The Proof is in the Snuggie, Educators: Ditch the Technology and to your position paper arguments and draft. State your position in one short sentence and choose (or create) the best organization for the body of your paper.

Week of 10/16

10/20: Write group poems (Exquisite Corpse.doc) that rely on the “mystique of accident” to reveal the “unconscious reality in the personality of the group.”
10/19: Check position paper draft progress. Review Purpose, Audience, Form and Voice and see how they apply to position papers (File Sharing – JM, DitchInternet, ) looking at audience, purpose and research. Identify the audience of your position paper draft and revise/develop the draft to more clearly address that audience.
10/18: Share ideas from instant drafts. Review the quadrants of the Mood Meter and the value of each quadrant. Read and write curse poems (Write a Curse).
10/16: Review the Position Paper Assignment. Read “What Can a Flawed Test Tell Us, Anyway?” (FlawedTest), “This Will Knock Your Socks Off” (this-will-knock-your-socks-off) and note the range of position papers.   Look for reusable position paper ideas, form ideas and techniques.  Read “Don’t Fear the Digital,” (Don’tFearDigital) and look at the use of analogy and a cost/benefits analysis. Class Notes: Math 10-16-17

Week of 10/10

10/13: Review homework and personal essay status. Look at our intuitive knowledge of grammar through adjective order and sentence construction activities (SentenceExercises). Read “The Road to Creaseless Glory” (Popped) & “What Can a Flawed Test Tell Us, Anyway?” (FlawedTest) and note the range of position papers.
10/12: Review returned personal essays (PESkills). Revise the essays in the Writing Center.
10/10: Review personal essay status. Generate a list of the differences between a position paper and a personal essay (PPsinSmllGrpsa) and identify the criteria of a position paper by reading “Spring Ahead: Fall Apart”  (SpringAhead2), “Jay Gatsby, Dreamer, Criminal, Jazz Age Rogue, Is a Man for Our Times”  & “Clowns: Please, Oh Dear God, Leave Me Alone” (Clowns).  Look at the mix of research and analysis and at reusable position paper ideas, form ideas and techniques.  Brainstorm a list of position paper ideas.  Eliminate the tired topics. Class Notes: English 10-10-17

Week of 10/2

10/6: Review the Personal Essay Rubric (PE Rubric). Finish proofreading classmate’s personal essays. Revise your personal essay incorporating classmate’s suggestions and corrections. Re-share your personal essay with me so I know it’s a final product and ready for grading. Write group poems (Exquisite Corpse2) that rely on the “mystique of accident” to reveal the “unconscious reality in the personality of the group.
10/5: Look at “A Brief History of Punctuation” (BriefHistryofPncttn) and “Punctuation Usage and Examples” (Punctuation_Definitions) as an introduction to editing our personal essays.  Look briefly at “Rules and Guidelines for Clear and Accurate Writing” (R&GforWrtng). in particular at LIES as a pneumatic device for remembering comma rules.  Proofread personal essays in groups of three. Personal Essay Final Draft Due: Friday, 10/6.
10/3: Revise your personal essay in A102 incorporating the feedback from yesterday’s conference.
10/2: Review a bad conference and a good conference with a student volunteer. Review the Workshop Guidelines (PEWorkshopGuidelines). Pick your own revision partner. Share essays following the guidelines (EarlyConfrnce).

Week of 9/25

9/29: Read and write curse poems (Write a Curse).
9/28: Review the writing process and begin revising using lateral revision strategies: self-conference, moment/scene or dialogue and change of form (RevisionWorkshop.)
9/27: Look at the conclusions of the personal essays we’ve read (PE Introductions Conclusions). Choose one as a model (or combine two) and revise your conclusion to make to make it more concise and effective. Review the forms an personal essay can take and revise the middle of your essay to cut repetitions and anything that might be confusing.
9/26: Look at the introductions and the conclusions of the personal essays we’ve read (PE Introductions Conclusions). Choose one as a model (or combine two) and revise your introduction and conclusion in A102 to make them more concise and effective.
9/25: Look at tone/attitude, (Tone Continuum) in particular tones along the continuum from earnest to sincere to ironic to sarcastic to cynical.  Read “The Ruin of Me“, “Stupid and Stupider” and “Saved,” and identify the tone of each essay.  Begin a new draft of your personal essay using a different tone.

Week of 9/18

9/19: Check homework: write an alternative conclusion. Read “Even Homeowners Need Heroes” and note the mix of description, action, dialogue and interior monologue (DADI). Also note how the writer shows the change, so the reader can “get” it without the writer explaining the “point.” As you revise your personal essay look at the DADI mix, how well you show rather than tell as well as incorporating my suggestions on google docs.
9/18: Look at Narrative Arcs and Emotional Arcs as a way to show your change in a personal essay as an alternative to Before/After. Read ‘Spell _World_ Backward for form ideas as well as for an example of how dialogue creates engagement. Write personal essay conclusions on laptops.

Week of 9/11

9/15: Review the sub report and yesterday’s progress. Look at some “Where I’m From” poems (WhereI’mFromPoems), pull out the reusable ideas, form ideas and techniques and write our own.
9/14: Typing personal essay drafts in A102. Either Continue to write about the personal essays they’ve started or read “Salvation,” (attached) look at the use of litany, one-sentences paragraphs and the sensory details, and write about a time they lost or found faith. (These directions are on the top of the handout.)
9/13: Check homework. Make a plan for tomorrow. Review personal essay drafts. Share sections of your essay, note the difference between a great story and a good personal essay, look at showing the change in scenes, look at how adding paragraphs and/or mixing dialogue, action and description can make an essay more vivid and easier to read. Continue to develop and revise your essay in A102. Class Notes: English 9-13-17
9/11: Check homework: describe an object that belongs to someone you admire. Add to your description by adding sensory details. Then move to describing the person and the environment you might see him/her in before bringing yourself into the scene. Show why you admire this person. Share drafts.  Write down your preliminary goals for the class and where you’d like to be in two or three years.  Share responses.

Week of 9/5

9/8: Share homework: three descriptions using all the senses. Review the idea of  “That Crucial First Draft.” Continue developing a personal essay draft in E102.

“Let the language take you where it wills. If you’re having trouble, lower your standards.” William Stafford

“Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working.” Pablo Picasso

9/7: Share homework: write three goals for the year. Review the idea from yesterday’s class about personal essay forms and the importance of specific sensory descriptions. Read “That Crucial First Draft.” Continue developing a personal essay draft in A102.
9/6: Check homework. Share one of your sensory descriptions. Look at ways to structure a personal essay. Read “The Proof”  and look for reusable ideas, form ideas or techniques. Continue developing your personal essay draft.
9/5: Review the writing process (The Writing Process). Look at ways to structure a personal essay. Read “The Philosopher.” Review your list of ten ideas for a personal essay and begin typing a personal essay draft.

Week of 8/30

9/1:  Check Homework.  Share animal choices and reasons as well as new responses to “The Tortoise and the Hare” (Tortoise&Hare). Make a list of ten most important experiences and list important memories or experiences with each.
8/31: Complete and share your draft of “As of 2017,”(asofSeptember2017). Share your google doc with me (jpowers [at] er9 [dot] org). Read “The Tortoise and the Hare” and reflect on your own tortoise-ness or hare-ness.  Discuss how it applies to you, the class and the school year.
8/30: Introduction to the class.  Review of class procedures and grading criteria (EnglshClssProcedures).  Read “As of 2002,”(asofSeptember2017) look at the structure and techniques, and write “As of 2017” which borrows the form and techniques to develop and record your own beliefs as of today.