Ms. Spangler
English
Grade 7/8

Class Guidelines and Policy 2010 - 2011

Homework
* Assignments will be collected at the beginning of class on the date due.

* Homework handed in late will not receive full credit unless the absence is due to illness or a medical/dental appointment.  al Late homework receives a penalty: 10% off the actual earned grade if one day late, 1% for each additional day late up to 5 days (15%). Homework received after this point will be recorded as a zero.

*You should expect to make up the work in the same amount of time that you were off.  For example, if you were off school three days, you will have three school days to submit that work.

* If you miss class for any reason other than illness, it is your responsibility to find out if anything is due. 

* Homework will be given on an as-needed basis, not in large blocks of a week or more.  For this reason, your attendance is of the utmost importance.

Attendance/Contribution
* I consider your mental presence in class to be as important as your physical presence.  Therefore, I will grade you not only for showing up, but also for speaking up.  Class participation shows you are engaged with this class and the material; it is also a way to gauge where you need improvement or where your strengths lay.  You should be prepared to offer at least one comment or one question per class period.

* If you know in advance that you will be absent on a given day or for a block of days, please let me know as soon as possible so that I can prepare an assignment for you.

Classroom Conduct
* I appreciate enthusiasm in class; however, to allow your classmates equal time to think or respond, please raise your hand if you wish to contribute!

* There are two school rules which must also be adhered to in class: no mobile phones/electronics and no chewing gum. 

* Please ask before using any equipment, texts or anything else in the classroom which is not explicitly yours.  This includes using anything that belongs to a fellow student or to me.  Treat these items as if they were yours, use them with respect and return them to their owners in the condition in which you borrowed them.

Mechanics
* The green system of drawers at the back of the class just inside the door will eventually contain any handouts I have distributed in class.  I will place spare copies in there.  If you lose yours or you were absent a day, check the green drawers for another copy.

* Come to class prepared.  It is one of the MS guidelines and should be observed in this class, as well.  Coming prepared means that you should go to the bathroom or your lockers before class.  You should sit in your seats with your books if you need them, your reading journals, homework, notebooks and pencils or pens.  I will not tolerate tardiness due to forgetfulness: if you have a problem showing up with these things, consider carrying them with you in your backpack or bags.  I will begin to subtract marks if I find you habitually unprepared, so make sure you have what you need before you come through the door.  NB: once the door to my classroom is closed, eyes forward, ears open, mouths closed!

* I may, from time to time, spell a word differently from you.  I was taught the UK standard of spelling and as a result, often use an ‘s’ instead of a ‘z’ or add a ‘u’ to words such as neighbour or colour.  I will not take points off if you use a different standard of English spelling in your work, though I ask that you remain consistent.

Reading Journals
* Reading journals are used to capture your impressions, opinions and important content of a text.  They are for the express purpose of diagramming your assigned reading, though they may also include independent reading outside of class.  The object is to help you retain more from your reading, notice patterns in a text and develop a critical eye for literature.  From time to time, I will randomly collect these journals.  You will lose points if you do not have your journal in class on the days they are collected.  You will also lose points if your journal is not kept current with your assigned reading.

A sample journal entry follows.  Follow this link to retrieve alternate reading journal templates.

(Title of book)                                                            (Date you read the assignment)

Chapter # (or pg. #)

* introduction of a character
* setting
* other important information

Secondary Information

* introduction of a secondary character
* repetition of a concept or symbol
* other information which you feel would be pertinent

Vocabulary
(This section would include anything you needed to look up.  You may make simply a word list, or you may choose to add short definitions for each.)

Part II: Responses

Colour

* What adjectives, adverbs or other descriptive language does the author employ—if any—to depict a given character, setting or prop?
* How do these descriptions make you feel about the character, setting or the prop?  Do they alter your perceptions in any way?
* What is your overall impression of the mood or tone of the narrative?  Is it positive or negative?  Is it dark or uplifting, etc.?

Action

* What has grabbed your attention the most?  What has repelled you?
* What was the high point of the story arc?  What was the low point?
* Is there an obvious conflict facing the protagonist, or has there been one which is still active in the text?

Impression

* How would you describe what is going on in the text?
* How have you found the text?  Is it easy or difficult?  Justify your answer.
* How do you feel about what you’re reading?  Do you loathe it or do you find it enthralling?  Is it the worst thing you’ve ever read or would you recommend it to someone?

The above is just one of four possible templates to follow when creating the reading journal entry.  I will expect to see a standardized heading—title, date and chapter or pg. number—on each entry, regardless of template choice.  Some templates are longer than others, but fit certain assignments better. The original journal template above is a good example of this: it fits books better than short stories. It is also not as scary or as long as you think. You will find as you become more adept at it that not all of the questions above need to be included in your analysis. 

I will at some point provide additional questions you may use to help guide your responses.  Again, these are only guidelines and you will not be expected to incorporate all of them into your journal at each turn.  It is for you to determine what questions are appropriate and which questions you can avoid.

Peer Review
We will be doing both in-class and take home writing assignments as time permits.  Occasionally, you will be asked to participate in a ‘Peer Review’ before the final draft is handed in to me for a grade.

For take home assignments: you will be given notice that a rough draft version of the assignment is due on a specified date.  Bring the rough draft to class with you on that date, when we will split into small groups.  Your ‘peers’—the members of your group—will offer constructive criticism of your work.  You will then be given the opportunity to make amendments to your writing as needed.

For in-class assignments: after the allotted amount of time, we will split into small groups where your writing will be similarly critiqued.  The difference here is that the in-class assignment is the end result: the critique will be more informational than anything.  You will not take home the in-class writing for revision and resubmission. 

In-Class Work
We will be studying several key components of English language and literature, namely vocabulary, grammar and composition.  We will also be studying the principles of literary appreciation and criticism.

Roughly once per week, I will assign a vocabulary unit.  In the past, we would begin a new unit on Monday.  The homework from this unit would be due on Thursday, with a comprehensive test on the unit the following Monday.  Each year, the new schedule means a shift in the way that we cover vocabulary. You will receive further information in the days to come; however, we will begin our first unit after the Labor Day break.

Lessons from the large grammar books in the rear of the class will be assigned if needed; barring that, there will be no regular assignment.  You will, however, be issued these books as a reference; take them with you and use them on your own, if you wish.  Remember to bring the books with you when homework is assigned, however.

Finally, we will be discussing the summer reading in depth in class, and in our reading journals, as part of our unit on literary appreciation.  We will be discussing elements of literary criticism, from genre to devices such as symbolism, metaphor and conflict.  The aim is for you to have increased your reading comprehension by engaging directly with the texts.  Please make sure you have finished the summer reading if you have not already.  Also remember that you are responsible for returning your books in good condition when they are recalled.

7th Graders: Expect to cover at least one of the books from the required summer reading.

8th Graders: Expect to cover both of the required summer reading books.

Good Luck!

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