Course Outline
Introduction / Course Overview:

This course will seek to build a strong foundation of critical and creative thinking skills in relation to New York State Language Arts Standards and learning goals in reading, writing, listening, and speaking. We will employ a ‘workshop’ approach in the interest of modeling and cultivating key academic disciplines as we read and write across a variety of genres including, but not limited to, short stories, novels, poetry, drama, nonfiction, biographies, autobiographies, and essays.

A central emphasis is making meaning of literature through the use of personal connections, skillful questioning and analysis, thoughtful visualizing and predicting, clarification and summarization strategies, and personal evaluation. Moreover, we will consider and discuss how and why authors use literary elements and devices to create quality literature. The essential question here is “How does literature provide me with a truer understanding of the world?”

Another central emphasis is developing our ability to create meaning through writing. As a community of writers, we will engage the writing process together by writing in various genres, including the essay and poetry. We will expand our palette of words through vocabulary development, target specific grammar needs in our writing, and, through one-on-one conferencing, develop a nuanced understanding of qualities of good writing.

A father once gave his son advice he would never forget when he was about to start high school: “Read books and learn from them. All of the achievements and mistakes that a person makes in a lifetime can be learned from reading their book. Learn from the mistakes of others, you don’t have time in your life to make them all yourself.”

Literature is life. I encourage you to have very high expectations for yourself this year, because I do. Take responsibility for yourself; become who you are. In the final analysis, no one can do it but you. As you review the course policies and responsibilities below, know this: the decisions you make today make you the person you will be tomorrow. Dream big, and meditate on the following words:

"I have spread my dreams beneath your feet. Tread softly because you tread on my dreams."

-W.B. Yeats



Attendance:

Attendance is taken every day. Poor attendance WILL affect grades in this course. Remember, 90% of life is showing up!



Course Responsibilities:

1) Be on time!
2) Assignments must be submitted the day they are due at the beginning of class.
3) Class Preparation: It is expected you will have your journal, writing instruments, homework folder, and portfolio every day. Please do not ask to go to your locker, ever.
4) Task Time: There will be independent work time at least one class per week. It is your responsibility to manage this time wisely as you will have multiple assignments at any given time. Be sure to be ON TASK during this time.
5) Class Behavior: It is expected you will abide by principles of conduct as highlighted in your student handbook, as well as those norms we agree to in class. Choosing to disregard these principles and norms will result in the following:

a) First offense: student is given a verbal warning.
b) Second offense: student is assigned an after-school
detention with me and a phone call will be made home.
c) Third offense: student will be referred to the Assistant Principal pending a parent conference.



Course Materials:

1) Three-ring binder (the width must be 2 inches) - this will serve as your Course Portfolio
2) Three-ring filler paper for Course Portfolio
3) Journal - whatever you like as long as it measures 8 1/2 by 11 inches
4) Pens - blue or black (I suggest a pack to stay in your portfolio)
5) Highlighters are optional



"Happy are those who dream dreams and are ready to pay the price to make them come true."

-Leon J. Suenes