Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Another month, whisked away into the abyss. . .my, time is passing!

Note to those accompanying me to England, Scotland, and Wales--WE LEAVE NEXT FRIDAY! BOOYAH!!!!

Now, to be serious once more. . .

This is the second day of FCAT Testing. The schedule today is as follows:

Periods 1,2,3 (3 will probably be elongated), then 4. . .then periods 1 and 2.

AP Literature: You rec'd your final paper assignment of the quarter; come by today to pick up the documentation/works cited sheet if you don't have me in class due to the schedule switch. Read Jane Eyre. Read it like a fiend. You need to finish that book this week.

Gifted English IV: Outlines go back tomorrow; rough drafts due next Wednesday. We will do the final draft of the research paper immediately after Spring Break, so don't panic. Also, today--you are getting your next outside reading. It's amazing and will change your life.

Gifted English II: I hope you come by this morning to pick up a doughnut! 48 of them from Bakery Pus, sitting here in opened boxes. . .wait, no. . .47. . .no, 46. . .oh, there goes the diet.

In sixth today, final decon of FCAT and resumption of Othello. I love you guys. You complete me (::tear::).

Monday, February 27, 2006

FCAT Week-- a week of joy for many of you. Good luck, everyone!

Advanced Placement: You need to be advancing rapidly through Jane Eyre; today, we are going to review the John Donne passage from the practice test and look at the first poetic passage.

Gifted English IV: Your outlines are due by 3 p.m. Today, we finish the "Plague" and get ready to see Jonathan Swift's vision of satire for this age. It's really disturbing. . .

Gifted English II: I won't see third period, but I will see many of you during sixth. After we deconstruct the FCAT experience, we'll go deeper into the mysteries of Othello. . .

Catching up. . .

The more entrenched in finishing my National Boards portfolio, the more I find myself abandoning other elements of my life--such as this blog. Here is a long-overdue update from the past week:

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22

Advanced Placement Literature and Composition: Assign creative writing response to Jane Eyre in which you "become" Bewrtha Mason Rochester and work through the questions from yesterday.

Gifted English IV: Finish "Pepys" and get ready for the transition into Defoe.

Gifted English II: Othello, Othello, Othello. . .and a vocab quiz!

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23

Advanced Placement: Multiple Choice Practice Session--Test 3 from the Cliff text.

Gifted English IV: The plague, the plague. . .

Gifted English II: Othello, Act II.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24

AP: Share Bertha stories and go over multiple choice.

GIV: "Journal of the Plague Year"

GII: Pop quiz on Act II and finishing up Act II, scene iii.

Tuesday, February 21, 2006

Advanced Placement Literature and Composition: Jane Eyre character analysis of Richard Mason. We are going to tear apart a passage and conduct a syntactical analysis.

Gifted English IV: I am very unhappy with eight of you; UNCOOL.
Samuel Pepys and Journalistic Shorthand--the Rigors of Gifted English IV.

Gifted English II: Othello; review Act I vocabulary and the content of the play thus far; short writing assignment; return memoirs and allow for resubmits.

Monday, February 20, 2006

So apparently there is no school today.

Darn!

I love school!

See you tomorrow. . .

Friday, February 17, 2006

Advanced Placement Literature: Jane Eyre. Please have read through Chapter 25 by Tuesday for discussion and close reading of the text.

Gifted English IV: Okay, who decided it was a senior skip day? THERE IS NO SUCH THING. IT IS A MYTH CREATED BY LAZY STUDENTS.

Besides, you have a deadline--30 notecards due by 3 p.m.

Gifted English II: Othello, Act I, scenes i and ii.

Thursday, February 16, 2006

AP Literature: Leading questions and themes for Jane Eyre; last of creative presentations.

Gifted English IV: "Diary of Samuel Pepys."

Gifted English II: Introduction to Othello; wrap up of Lupercal projects.

Wednesday, February 15, 2006

Welcome to Lupercal, the anniversary of the ancient Roman fertility festival in which athletic events and nude running supposedly symbolized the propogation of the Roman race.

Today should be very, very interesting.

AP Literature: Presentation of Keats projects. We may get through them all; we may not. Let's see how it goes!

Gifted English IV: Last day in the Media Center.

Gifted English II: Lupercalian Festival (no nudity!) Each group will present an aspect of Ancient Roman Life. We did this project two years ago, and due to the room shift last year had to axe it out of the curriculum (that, and TSI). Let's try it again! We may or may not get through all the groups.

Tuesday, February 14, 2006

Sorry for the delayed post! VDay always messes up my thinking patterns. This entry will read more as a "what we did" than "what we're going to do" but I hope you will still find it helpful.

AP English Literature and Composition: Read Jane Eyre through Chapter 22, preparatory for an intensive discussion/activity in class Thursday. Your Keats project is due tomorrow.

Gifted English IV: Finish Restoration study packet, and discuss "The Haves and the Have-Nots." Your first major research paper deadline is this Friday--the notecards are due. I remind you that you CANNOT GRADUATE without completing the senior paper.

Gifted English II: Oh, I love you guys. We videotaped both classes for NBPTS and had a discussion on reputation as an introduction to Othello. Fantastic. I also gave each of you the Act I content vocabulary. Lupercal is tomorrow!

Monday, February 13, 2006

Advanced Placement Literature and Composition: Wordsworth timed writing analysis and College Board comparison; take another look at "The Cormorant."

Gifted English IV: Finish Restoration Study Guide; review vocabulary of Pepys; introduce Samuel Pepys.

Gifted English II: VIDEOTAPING FOR NBPTS: Introduction to Othello; discussion, journal, and notes. We will discuss the memoir assignment in more detail tomorrow in class.

Friday, February 10, 2006

AP applications were due in Guidance yesterday, but if you were absent, see me.

AP Literature: Evaluate the tone in the Bronte/Southey passages and look at "The Cormorant" and the Falstaff passage.

Gifted English IV: Restoration Study Guide, and submit the written questions for R and G Are Dead. Outside reading coming soon!

Gifted English II: Finish Julius Caesar film broadcast and allow third period's groups to meet.

Thursday, February 9, 2006

Advanced Placement Literature and Composition: Abnia, Rachelle, Andy, Clayton, and Mark need to take the make-up quiz for Jane Eyre. We will work on the multiple choice passages today and look at strategies for answering these complicated questions, in addition to checking status on creative projects and reading.

Gifted English IV: Back in the classroom today; we're reading a film review by Roger Ebert and wrapping up concepts from the extended Hamlet unit. We're also making the shift into the Age of Reason; you will need your textbook each day until further notice.

Gifted English II: Finish watching Julius Caesar and meet with groups to coordinate Lupercalian effort next week.

Wednesday, February 8, 2006

Now that the FCAT Writes! is behind us. . .

AP English: Jane Eyre quiz that I mistakenly thought we were taking yesterday, and then go over the multiple choice section we did yesterday with the answer key. A thousand thanks to Abnia for my awesome disco balls. No thanks to Mark for flinging pencils into the ceiling.

Gifted English IV: Media Center; work on note cards for research paper.

Gifted English II: After 3rd period has a chance to vent about yesterday, and then go over the upcoming memoir assignment, we're watching JULIUS CAESAR!!!!!!

Tuesday, February 7, 2006

Today is the FCAT Writes! Seniors--this should not affect you at all, except that the bells may not ring from period to period. Third period students: I will miss you terribly.

Advanced Placement Literature and Composition: Jane Eyre quiz and practice prompt.

Gifted English IV: Go over research paper requirements and wrap up issues from R and G; finish film.

Gifted English II, period 6: Feedback from FCAT Writes! experience, and planning for Lupercal.

Monday, February 6, 2006

Welcome back to a coooold week in Florida! Afternoons should be nice, but mornings darned cold. Plan accordingly and please remember NOT to wear hats indoors. . .

Advanced Placement Literature and Composition: Finish reviewing Romanticism notes and discuss the JE questions from Thursday; I'll give you the last twenty to read for tomorrow's Chapters 11-16 quiz.

Gifted English IV: Finish reading R and G and address questions on the play.

Gifted English II: Final pep talk prior to FCAT Writes! and group meetings for Lupercal Festival. Also, I need to go over the protocol for videotaping with each class.

Friday, February 3, 2006

Advanced Placement Literature and Composition: Romanticism creative project assigned; look at timed writings from last quarter with College Board assessments. We will also discuss and go over the Jane Eyre questions you were to answer yesterday.

Gifted English IV: Finish Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead and discuss implications of the text.

Gifted English II: Julius Caesar timed writing.

NOTE: I had the sub distribute permission slips to you yesterday for filming; I probably won't film more than two classes, but I need documentation if it's permissible for you to be taped for National Boards. Please bring those slips in as soon as possible.

OTHER NOTE: There are many of you who need to finish make-up work. Please see me as quickly as you can so we can fill in those empty holes and bring your averages back up.