"Madame Bovary" 1991 trailer Isabelle Huppert

WARNING: NEGATIVE OPINION COMMENCING.

This is quite possibly one of the worst trailers I have ever seen. Amid the running-around-in-long-skirt behaviors, the narrator intones an endless stream of adjectives and the pale, washed-out cinematography makes--dare I say it--reading the book seem more action-packed. MOVIES ARE RARELY SUPERIOR TO THE NOVEL, with the following exceptions: 1. To Kill a Mockingbird, 2. Pride and Prejudice the Miniseries AND the Keira Knightley version with the charming Matthew MacFayden as the tortured Mr. Darcy, and 3. The Spongebob Squarepants Movie, which is far superior to the novelization.

And please note the "based on the novel by Gustav Flaubert."

Watch at your own risk.

College Application and Essay Assistance

Dear Seniors:

A few of you have sought help with your admissions essays and I am glad to help. A few requests:

1. E-mail me a copy as a Word attachment or imbedded in your e-mail body; leaving a hard copy on my desk means it will be devoured by my desk. Don't let the deceptively clean surface fool you; my desk is carnivorous and eats essays.

2. If you need a rec letter, and I have taught you before, either give me a copy of your resume or that form Guidance has you fill out so that I can fill your rec letter with pithy, insightful details about your time at BHS. My letters tend to read like Faulkner novels, and I will be happy to keep a copy on file for a calendar year so that you can re-use it for other purposes.

3. I do have a handy little form if you can't do the resume/Guidance thing--see me.

4. Please try to give me 48 hours to look at your essay or generate a rec letter. I am not a machine! I am just one woman! Who needs to shop! And LIVE!

Thanks, all.

Evian Roller Babies US

I am in no way trying to advertise Evian water (although I do find it amusing that Evian is "naive" spelled backwards) but this commercial is just too entertaining to not post. Enjoy! And then please go do your homework!

LOCKERS

Dear Sophys:

I absolutely do not mind if you continue to use the Sarcasm Closet for your locker needs, even through the rest of the school year. We can figure out some shelving to ameliorate the woe, but you are welcome to it for the duration of the 2009-2010 school year if need be.

However, for those of you who like the traditionalism of a School Locker, please be advised of the following information from Mr. Fitzpatrick, Awesome Assistant Principal of Cool Things:

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Please inform the students that they will be receiving lockers through their 4^th period class this week. All unregistered locks need to be taken off prior to Wednesday, September 2^nd. All locks that are not registered will be cut off. Only seniors should have lockers at this point. If a student finds a lock on the locker they were assigned, they should report this to their 4^th period teacher, who should then report it to Karen Migetz in the front office—extension 2336.

The tentative date for locker distribution is Friday, September 4th.

The two things you should understand from this message: A) If you have "ganked" a locker by sheer chutzpah, it's time to save your lock, and B) you will most likely have a locker by Friday! Good times abound!

Again, my room is yours if you need it for storage--the only downside is if I am ever (knock on wood that this never happens) absent and you can't get in.

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

A new month is upon us!

The Writing Center is now formally open for clients, for anyone who needs assistance with anything from college admission essays to class assignments, during both lunch shifts. Bring your lunch with you to room 315 if you need help with anything.

Sophys: After a brief and awesome post-it note quiz on "The Storyteller" most of you are taking the Stranger/Death check-reading test. Yeah, yeah, two tests in one day is just mean, but that's how I roll. You will be fine! Post-it note quizzes are only five questions long (and are on actual Post-it brand stickynotes) and then the check-read test itself features 50 magical multiple choice and true/false questions that has never taken anyone longer than 35 minutes to answer. Students not testing are expected to read silently. Good times! Due to time constraints today we are skipping Author of the Day.

APees: Today is our first multiple-choice practice session; I will provide the scantrons and testing booklets, and you will provide the pencil and the brainpower. On the actual AP exam, you will have 60 minutes to complete 54 or 55 questions (it varies from year to year) and you are expected to answer 50% of them correctly to score a 3. I do not expect any of you to finish this test in our time allotted today. Do the best you can; we will go over the scoring and at least two of the passages tomorrow in class. You will earn ten points for your efforts regardless of your score.

Monday, August 31, 2009

Welcome to the second week of school! Thank you for all of your efforts during our first, relatively hectic week--the vast majority of you were very cooperative, insightful, and sweet.

Next weekend we celebrate Labor Day, and you will have a three-day break from BHS.

Housekeeping Notes:

*There are a handful of you who still haven't created an account on www.turnitin.com. Unless you are brand new to the class or have already contacted me about your technical difficulties, it's too late to cash in on the five points for doing so last week, but you need to do this ASAP to facilitate your happiness this year. Really.

*Also, if you haven't acquired a notebook for this class, please do so--I don't care what kind, from a one-inch binder to a folder with pockets or whatever, but please have all of your materials with you each day so that we can be productive. Yay!

Sophys: Your vocabulary assignment this week is on the master list of 120 words, #21-40. I will review them with you briefly on Wednesday. Today, we will conduct a peer review of the Mersault/Willy Loman paper, after our Author of the Day presentation (Saki) and before I go over the HW assignment for the evening. Speaking of which: Your HW tonight is to read "The Storyteller" by Saki, which I will provide for you. Post-it note quiz tomorrow.

APees: On Friday, I gave each class (except sixth period--my bad) twelve discussion questions on MB, and asked you to come up with brief responses for each preparatory to group discussion. Today in small groups we will discuss the prompts and prepare for a transition into the other novels. HW: Our next reading assignment is Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, which many of you have already read--it is in the literary anthology and needs to be read by September 11. Oh, and please bring a pencil tomorrow for our first multiple choice practice for the AP exam. I believe in starting early! Y'all want college credit, right?

Adjusted Lesson Plans

Dear Students,

Due to the scheduling snafu of last week, some of you are still adding to the class, and some of you are still planning to leave. Thus, I'm retooling some of my original (patented, highly inventive, and totally awesome) lesson plans to ameliorate any concerns some of you might have.

SOPHYS: If you did not have Mrs. Padgett last year, then you may opt for the adjusted schedule for the summer reading assignment. The assignment was on the BHS website and was heavily advertised, but I'll err on the side of compassion and give you an additional couple of weeks to catch up. For everyone else: The rough draft of the paper evaluating Mersault and Willy Loman is due in class tomorrow for peer evaluation, while the newer students may read. The final copy will be due at the end of the week (September 4) instead of the original due date of Tuesday. We will discuss all of this in class tomorrow.

The check-reading test for most of you will be on Tuesday, September 1--bring a pencil. Again, new students may read during the administration of the test.

APees: Our schedule wasn't as altered, since most of the students moving from class to class were switching from Mrs. Covert to my class or vice-versa, and she and I are pretty much on the same page. However, we did have fire drills and such to contend with, so I am adjusting a little bit--the discussion questions for MB will be in class on Monday, instead of last week as I had originally planned.

www.turnitin.com reminder

Dear Students,

If you have not already done so, please establish your account at www.turnitin.com before tomorrow night at midnight to meet the deadline. APees, you might want to make the account tonight to ensure that your focus paper goes through correctly tomorrow.

AP English Literature and Composition:

Account Number 2782490; Password (case sensitive) Classof2010

Gifted English II:

Account Number 2782492; Password (case sensitive) Classof2012

Friday, August 28, 2009

There might be a fire drill today, and it might be in sixth period. And it might be hot so plan to wear something comfortable and wear sneakers since we might be wandering out to the practice field to avoid the (nonexistent) flames of (nonexistent) danger.

ALL CLASSES: Immediately after I mess up the roll-taking process again, we will proceed to the Media Center to check out your textbooks. Even if you plan to exit my class, please check out a textbook, sophomores, since the book is standard for all Honors level courses and it will save you a trip next week. YOU NEED YOUR ID. Seniors, a friendly reminder: the book you are about to acquire cost ninety-five dollars. Do not play soccer with this book. Do not leave this book in a hot car. Do not fling this book at your oppressors. This book is your friend. You love the book. It loves you!

SOPHYS: After an awesome adventure to the Media Center and Author of the Day Mark Leyner (who is truly weird, which might appeal to the better parts of your natures) we will take a quick vocabulary quiz. If you are planning to exit this class, I will give you the option of taking the quiz or engaging in an art opportunity while the others test. We probably don't have time to peer edit the rough draft, and since we are still missing some colleagues in class, we might have to visit this assignment next week. I will check your rough drafts quickly during the quiz, and then send you on your way.

APees: Focus paper #1 is due today by 3 p.m. After our festive launch to the MC to get our textbooks--and a quick tour through its literary wonders--we will start small-group questions on Bovary. Next week we will shift our focus to Gatsby and Edna, but for the time being we are still in Flaubert land.

WEAR ORANGE TODAY! WE HAVE SCHOOL SPIRIT!!!!!

Thursday, August 27, 2009

As the dog days of August draw to a sweltering close, our first week together comes to a similar conclusion. Actually, that is a terribly purple sentence. I am a frustrated novelist and sometimes I express myself in what would best be described as pedagogical forums. Moving on. . .

Gifted English II (Sophys): Since schedule changes are still in process, we will proceed with my alternative universe plans. Author of the Day is the amazing Alice Walker, after which we need to finish going over the last of the literary vocabulary terms. I have prepared a style sheet for writing assignments (that can be found on this blog, but I have a hard copy for your notebook) and a handy Guidelines for Solid Writing sheet that will be the foundation of our writing instruction. If we have time, I'd like to share a funny little piece by the comedian Steve Martin called "Writing is Easy!" that appeared in The New Yorker a few years ago. (While he isn't the guy who created the concept of finishing every story with "Then suddenly everyone was run over by a large truck" he is close in wit and cynicism. You will love it.)

APees: We are meeting in College and Career tomorrow to plan your application processes. I know that some of you have already applied, or are in the middle of applying, but this entire process can be mystifying and Mrs. Cadman is your best line of defense against the woe. A few reminders:

--If you need a letter of recommendation from me, please see me ASAP to pick up a form. I need details about you to fill out the letter; otherwise, I will write what I know about you anecdotally and it won't be very formal. "Erica is so entertaining and insightful!" doesn't read as well to a college admissions counselor as "Erica, entertaining and insightful, has served her church community for over four hundred hours and plans to study pre-law." (Erica is a fictitious creation and any resemblance to any real Erica is strictly coincidental.)

--If you would like me to read/edit/help you with your college essay, come to the Writing Center or see me before/after school.

This process may well be the most important thing you accomplish this year, and I need you to pay close attention to Mrs. Cadman's exhortations.

APees: First Major Test

The AP students took their first major test today, and the results were underwhelming. I curved it three points, since after careful re-reading I decided that #52 could be interpreted in more than one way, depending on how you read the passage. I never want subjectivity to get in the way of academic success.

A three-point curve doesn't make much of a difference, though, to ameliorate low scores. Here are the averages:

Period Three: 74.8

Period Five: 75.8

Period Six: 75.9

Period Seven: 64.6

Now, from a strict bell-curve perspective, these are not bad averages. They represent a bell curve, after all, with a handful of truly low scores and a handful of truly high ones, and the bulk right in the middle. I spent some time this afternoon reviewing what appeared to be frequently-missed questions, and disaggregating data (doesn't that sound impressive? It really just involved a calculator and three cans of Diet Coke) and I have three theories:

1. Some of you are not comfortable test-takers.

2. Some of you read the novels quickly and/or a long time ago, and consequently had difficulty remembering salient details.

3. Some of you did not read actively (or at all) and these test scores are the bitter fruits of such procrastinatory deeds.

Then, as the mighty power of Diet Coke coursed through my veins, I wondered how we could solve all three problems. Here are my suggestions:

1. We will work on multiple-choice strategies this year, since the AP exam has 55 multiple choice questions like this test did. I want to ameliorate test anxiety, and show you various ways to address MC questions and enhance your recall.

2. We will also work on high-yield reading strategies to help you retain information longer and with more understanding.

3. I will symbolically smack you for being adolescents and repeatedly finding more interesting things to do with your time than read your assignments. Actually, I'm kidding about that part--You HAVE TO READ CAREFULLY, CLOSELY, and MEANINGFULLY. I cannot do this part for you!

That said, a handful of students made As on this adventure, and your next opportunity to impress is due Friday with the first focus paper. Be well. Really.

Love to all.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

The schedule change joys march on. My classes are over-full, and still the children march in. Oy.

But the week is drawing to a close!

And now for some curriculum:

Gifted English II: Author of the Day is Gabriel Garcia Marquez, the Nobel Prize-winning author of Cien Anos de Soledad, my all-time favorite novel. Afterwards, we review the first 20 literary terms. If you did not get a handout regarding the first paper (rough draft due Friday for peer review) then see me.

APees: Summer Reading Check Test, 55 multiple choice questions of goodness and light. Bring a pencil.

Reminder to all students: You have until Friday to establish an account at www.turnitin.com. The account numbers and passwords are on my board, and if you have difficulty generating the account see me ASAP and I will do it for you.

Senior Advice: Trash or Treasure

APees:

These are the ten points of advice I offered in class today, ranked in no particular order. Trash or treasure, but here they are:

1. GO TO CLASS. Skipping is an epidemic problem at BHS, and being caught can harm your status in honor societies and the discipline office. GO TO CLASS.

2. When you need help with writing, please come to the Writing Center during A or B lunch--bring your lunch! And if you are a strong writer or a compassionate person or both, we could use your help as a consultant. Earn community service hours for Bright Futures doing what you love.

3. If you haven't already done so, get a file folder and label it SENIOR STUFF. By the spring, when your brain has turned to Jell-O and you can't find anything, you will be profoundly grateful to have a centralized location with everything in it. And by "everything" I mean yearbook receipts, senior surveys, confirmation sheets that you applied to college, financial aid forms, report cards, score reports.

4. Go to www.facts.org and apply to college/get financial aid opportunities. I used to wholeheartedly recommend www.fastweb.com, but it seems more commercialized these days. And if you decide to establish a fastweb account, I would get a free yahoo or hotmail account specifically for that purpose--it will send you 15-20 e-mails per day.

5. The last part of your senior year WILL be about drama; this is the time in an adolescent's life when so much is changing, friendships melt, dating relationships shift. Be aware and avoid much of the emotional pain. People don't want to leave the life to which they have become accustomed, and often lash out--don't let your friendships suffer.

6. When you get your cap and gown, DO NOT IRON IT. Hang it in the bathroom and let the steam from your (hopefully plural) shower de-wrinkle it. It is made of highly flammable material, so no ironing. That said--if you anticipate a financial problem and cannot afford a cap and gown, see me ASAP. We recycled some last year and will give it to you gratis.

7. And regarding the senior announcement kit--don't let your eyes rob your wallet. The small package is more than sufficient for most students, and if you need additional announcements for those special relatives you haven't talked to since you were in kindergarten, well, there's always Hallmark.

8. Freshmen do get smaller every year. It's so weird. Be nice and avoid bullying them--you were there once!

9. Even though it's expensive, seriously consider ordering a yearbook. It's your senior year and you want to remember your friends (and enemies) as you prepare for your reunions. And the autographs are always fun to read!

10. Enjoy your senior year, but make good choices and be aware that A) your future is right around the corner, and every decision you make now can impact your future and B) you are old enough to be charged as an adult. BE GOOD BE BRAVE or BEGONE. :-)

APees: Focus Paper #1

Dear APees:

Last spring, you were assigned summer reading and a first focus paper, which is due this Friday. Today in class we discussed several potential topics, and I have already been conferencing with some of you regarding the approach you plan to take in analyzing this literature.

Reminders: Focus papers are brief, concise arguments that mimic the writing prompts you will be actually crafting on the AP exam this May. Think 300-400 words, a tight thesis statement, a brief conclusion, and a lot of substantive evidence and commentary.

Last year in AP Language, many of you learned Mrs. Nicoll's formula for a great essay: ACE. Assertion (thesis statement), Commentary, Evidence. I would like to respectfully suggest that for AP Lit analysis, flipping that equation might be helpful: AEC. State your position, identify your evidence, then follow up with your own insightful commentary.

Last year, I posted the common errors on the first paper. These are some things you might want to avoid:

Common Errors/Focus Paper #1 2008-2009

1. Students tend to write “in the book” instead of in-universe
2. Syntax errors—fragments, run-ons, lengthy sentences with awkward comma splices
3. Their/there
4. You and I: Second and First-person narratives (I believe/I feel/In my summer reading project I had to read two novels/Summer reading is normally boring)
5. Command form: Take Edna, for example. (What if I don’t want to?)
6. Informality in diction: slutty, studly, OMG
7. Accept v. except
8. Transitions (awkward or non-existent)
9. Cannot v. can not
10. Quotes in Space: Many papers featured well-selected text evidence, randomly placed within the text, or not introduced at all. (Review appropriate quotation usage.)
11. It’s v. its
12. Errors in content (infrequent but memorable): Edna and Emma confusions; errors in plot or setting
13. Lack of conclusion or weird conclusion: “Well, they got what they deserved!”
14. TENSE: Stay in present tense when evaluating literature.

Style Sheet: All Students

I will be giving all of you a copy of this in the coming days, but this is the style sheet for submitting written work in my class. For the first AP focus paper I won't be nearly as stringent on presentation, but since the first Gifted English II paper won't come in until next week I expect submissions to conform to the following.

(Again, you'll have a copy of this, but I thought it would be handy to post here FYI.)

2009-2010 Style Sheet

Jenn Hilley, Instructor

Room 313

William R. Boone High School

You will be submitting a great deal of written work this year for this course, and there are certain expectations for written submissions. Please adhere to the following guidelines:

1. All work must be typed in a professional 11 or 12-point font. Examples of professional fonts are Times New Roman, Book Antiqua, Helvetica, Courier, and Palatino. Examples of non-professional fonts are Curlz, San Francisco, Comic, or Chiller. If you think your font might not be adequate, hit “select all” and “Times New Roman” and you can’t go wrong.

2. Written submissions will be double-spaced with one-inch margins.

3. If you need to staple your work, please use an actual staple in the upper left hand corner of the paper. Report covers, funky clips, and folded pages tend to get lost.

4. Please proofread carefully for errors before submitting written work. If you discover an error on the day of submission, I’d rather you NOT use white-out or its equivalent but draw a neat line through the error and hand-write your correction directly on the page.

5. Your name will NOT appear on the front of any work you submit, but on the back of the final copy. I used to require student numbers, but with ProgressBook it is too difficult to cross-reference.

6. Your paper is a reflection of your inner thought processes, and as such should be professional, sophisticated, and insightful. Avoid slangy expressions, AOL-isms, and above all, profane language.

7. If you are citing material, or imbedding quotes, follow MLA format. Examples can be found in the literary anthology for AP students and in Writers Inc for sophomores.

8. I encourage you to express yourself creatively on your title page; on days of submission, we will have a Title Parade. I love to see clip art and inventive approaches to title pages, so have it—it will not adversely affect your grade, unless you have a picture of a clown (I’m afraid of them) or Lambchop the Puppet (that song just never ends.) Select a funny title if it moves you!

Visions and Revisions

Dear Students,

As you've already gathered, the schedule for this week had to be amended due to disastrous issues with the SMS scheduling system. Many of you are still waiting for schedule adjustments; many of you in my first period are still waiting for a chair. Optimism now, my friends--we will overcome these obstacles!

New Schedule for Tomorrow:

Sophys: I will review the first twenty vocabulary terms with you; even if you plan to leave this class after this week, you will need these words in your later iterations as a student and I will forward your quiz grade to your new instructor. Our Author of the Day tomorrow will be Gabriel Garcia Marquez, the Nobel Prize-winning author from Colombia. AND we will go over requirements for the paper and test for those of you staying in Gifted English II.

APees: Madame Bovary, Awakening, and Gatsby test. Bring a pencil. I anticipate that this test will take all period; if you finish early, work on your focus paper. Focus paper ideas in a following post.

Please be patient; this is an unprecedented shift to a new program for our student services staff, and believe me, they are trying to ameliorate the woe. We will just have to adjust our expectations a little bit, but I promise you that I will educate each and every one of you to the best of my ability while we are together.

District Non-Functionality

Dear Students,

All district e-mail is down, and apparently has been for a few hours. If you need to get in touch with me this evening I suggest using one of the alternate e-mail addresses I gave you today on my syllabus. If your e-mail concerns a schedule change, I can't help you--you need to see Dr. J tomorrow in Guidance to get it straightened out. I have furnished her with another list of students who should be in Gifted English II and AP.

Please try to be patient as our counselors work through this new, baffling system of scheduling. They really are doing the best they can with the new program.

All the best,

Ms. Hilley

Tuesday, August 25. 2009

Day Two! Such excitement!

Seniors: You will report to your second period class, then be dismissed to the senior assembly. Please do not try to hide out in my room to avoid the festivities; I have a full sophomore class that period.

All Students: You are scheduled to take a 10-question quiz on Life as We Knew It during your fifth period class tomorrow, August 26. To prepare, I would check the ten questions on the BHS website under the summer reading link. If you are in my fifth period class, and are not planning to escape AP, you will be taking the Madame Bovary et al test instead. If you are eager to drop the course, get ready to get in touch with your inner moon child.

Gifted English II: Check-reading test on The Stranger and Death of a Salesman. If everyone finishes early, I will start reviewing this week's vocabulary terms.

AP Literature and Composition: Bovary, Emma, and Daisy Buchanan: Bad Mommies, the Lecture. You'll laugh; you'll cry; it will be better than Cats.

Monday, August 24, 2009

Welcome to the first day of school!

Every student will need to report to HOMEROOM. Alphabetical lists will be posted at Guidance, the Media Center, the 1300 building, and every hallway. If you are lost, find a teacher and see where you need to go. We will all help you. Homeroom should only last about ten minutes.

Gifted English II: Please bring your two summer reading books with you each day this week. You will not be picking up your course textbook until next week, but honestly we don't use it that much. Most of our material is either given directly to you in class or out of a paperback novel. Today's agenda:

1. Syllabus and course expectations--please share with your parents. It's a little snarky in places but that's just how I roll.

2. Distribution of the material you need for the week, including:

A. 120 Literary Terms (6 units of 20 words each)

B. The Death of a Salesman essay assignment, rough draft due Friday

C. Writing Log

3. Each of you will fill out the requisite index cards I need for info about you.

4. We will discuss elements of both works for tomorrow's check-reading test.

Please bring a pencil tomorrow!!! Author of the Day will begin Wednesday and I will explain more in class.

AP Literature and Composition: Welcome to class! Please bring your summer reading materials all week.

1. Syllabus; you can read, but I do want to go over a couple of policies regarding e-mail. Please share with your parental units.

2. Index card

3. Distribution of materials:

A. AP FRQ Questions (keep all year in your notebook)

B. Literary Terms for review

C. Madame Bovary discussion questions

D. AP grading rubric for Friday's focus paper

E. Homework for tonight (don't worry--it's fun!)

4. Discussion of Friday's paper and possible topics. Lecture elements include le mot juste, naturalism v. realism v. Romanticism, the focus of materialism and class consciousness in Flaubert's vision, and female archetypes.

Plan Ahead:

Sophomore Assembly is Thursday period 3 in the gym.

Senior Assembly is Tuesday period 2 in the gym.

I will be taking ALL of my seniors to College and Career on Thursday to go over FAFSA and college applications. This is very important for your futures, particularly considering that most colleges opened their admissions on August 1. Mrs. Cadman is the single best advocate you can imagine.

I will be hosting a travel meeting on Thursday, September 3 at 7 p.m. for my last two overseas adventures with BHS kids. During the week-long Thanksgiving break, students who are 18 or older (or seniors with parent permission) can accompany me and a small group of art lovers to Paris for the whole week. Next Spring Break is the all-ages trip to Ireland. I have a few spots left for each, so if you are interested, see me ASAP and plan to attend this meeting. My past trips have been fabulous experiences for kids; we went to Germany last spring break, and last fall's grad trip was to Prague and Vienna. Over the past ten years, I've traveled with students through Italy, England, France, and Greece, and I have loved it, but now that I'm hurtling towards forty I'm losing my mojo a little. I know international travel is expensive, but it can be really worthwhile.

If you have any other questions about ANYTHING you can e-mail me at jennifer.hilley@ocps.net OR hilleyj@gmail.com.

schedules

Apparently some of the schedules are a bit off. If you think that you are supposed to be in a specific class and aren't, see an administrator pronto to get a number. I think their plan is efficient, and hopefully all schedules will be resolved by mid-week.

That said: There are two of us who teach AP Lit. If you are in the Magnet, you will most likely have Mrs. Covert. If you are identified as Gifted, you will most likely have me. Other than that, she and I cannot request students, not intervene if you feel that you would prefer to be in the other class. She is brilliant. I'd like to think I'm not too shabby, either, but I had several kids approach me recently about how they'd rather be in my class for whatever reason of perception. Please understand two things: A) You signed up for a course, not a teacher, and B) She is terrific and you will learn a great deal under her tutelage. And we have no power at all over schedules.

Sorry if this sounds ranty, but it's been a long, busy week, and I just want to get in there next week and TEACH. Excitement!

Love to all.

First Days

Dear Students,

You probably rec'd an erroneous ConnectEd call that suggested hilariously that school starts October 24. While that might be the American Dream for some of you, I regret to inform you that school does start next Monday--AUGUST 24, at 7:20 in the morning. You will have a homeroom that morning before first period to pick up your schedule, but seniors will be able to get an advanced peek at their schedules on Friday afternoon from 1-3. Bring a combination lock for your locker (yay!) and don't be surprised when you see your schedule--last year they were listed by alphabetical order and NOT in the actual periods you will have the classes.

We finished the first day of pre-planning today and things are looking good for the upcoming year. I met the new band directors and the new chorus teacher, and they all seem terrific. We have some new members of our staff, in addition to the fine arts department, and I think you will be pleased by everyone's commitment to your education.

That said, you can't get an education unless you are prepared for it! I hope that you are finishing your summer reading, since EVERYONE in ALL of my classes are taking a check-reading test on Tuesday, August 25 barring any assemblies or fun fire drills. Sophys will be tested on The Stranger and Death of a Salesman, and APees will be tested on The Great Gatsby, The Awakening, and Madame Bovary. Be prepared. I can be mean. :-)

I am finishing my syllabi and will have them posted on the BHS website, but you will each receive a copy on Monday for your notebook. A couple of notes to prepare in advance:

1. You will need a notebook/folder for my class. I don't care what kind--it could be a festive Ziploc bag for all I care--but you need to have your materials organized and readily accessible to maximize success in my class.

2. Plan to leave your electronic devices OFF in my class, or they will be confiscated and given to the Discipline Office for processing. I am egocentric enough to think that my class is interesting and needs your attention, not the Poke the Dot game on your iPhone or your BlackBerry or iPod or whatever.

And be warned--if the FCC adjusts the Telecommunications Act of 1934 this fall, as they might, you won't be able to text or call in my class due to an awesomely nefarious device I found. Yup. No more surreptitious cheating in 313! A new day is dawning for American education.

3. Bring a pencil AND a pen.

4. If you have not already done so, get yourself a professional e-mail address--I prefer GMail, but yahoo or hotmail are just fine. And by "professional" I mean something with which college or job wouldn't mind corresponding. "DanielSmith@aol.com" is infinitely preferable to "Igotskillz@aol.com." You might want to do the same for your cell phone's voice mail, too, for college recruiters, employers, and coaches. "Hello, this is Sarah; please leave a message" is far superior to subjecting your audience to three minutes of "Baby Got Back" by Sir Mix-A-Lot. A sense of humor is wonderful, but all of you are entering a highly competitive workspace and you don't want to look incapable of the challenge. Just some friendly advice.

Enjoy your last few days of break!!!

Study Skills

Dear Students (Current, Future, Past):

As a new school year approaches (exciting!) I have been doing my typical preparation and have been trolling the faithful internets (sic) to see what is cutting-edge out there in the world of academia. Largely by happenstance, I found a website called Lifehacker (www.lifehacker.com) that features a ton of guidelines, tech tips, and shortcuts for living and learning well.

This week, the site is running posts with a Back to School Theme, and one of the most illuminating articles was about note-taking.

As a classroom teacher who relies on lecture/discussion, I am often dismayed at how little my students write down without prompting. Of course, they are then dismayed by how little they retain. AP Literature and Gifted English II are both content AND skill-based courses--you have to know details, terms, and applications. Merely being able to read and write skillfully isn't enough if you don't know the material. While most bright students are convinced that they can hold details forever in their brains, the reality is a stranger to the dream--your working memory only holds so much, and with seven courses informational overload is very possible without a solid note-taking system.

I encourage you to read the Lifehacker articles. They connect to another site that features PDF and Word templates for Cornell notes, which are a great way to prepare your study notes AND efficiently use your class time to summarize. Brigham Young University also has an online tutorial about study notes that links from the site: RECORD, REDUCE, RECITE, REFLECT, REVISE, and RECAPITULATE.

Perhaps you don't need intensive study notes. . .yet. Perhaps you haven't "hit level" where your prior knowledge suddenly isn't enough to carry you. But the reality of college is coming, and soon, and the best gifts you can give yourself as you launch into adulthood are A) remaining as debt-free as you can and B) having a solid sense of purpose and work ethic. Establishing good study habits now will pay off in the long run, and allow you to have the kind of job that will earn five times my annual salary in a week. Don't you want that kind of excitement?

August Musings

Hello! I hope that your summer reading is progressing well as you get ready for the end of summer break.

I plan to be at school for at least a few days next week--right now, I have tentative plans to be in 313 for a little bit on Monday (but I will have two small children with me and probably won't be super available), most of the day Tuesday and all day Friday.

Teachers go back on August 17, and students return the following Monday, the 24th. I will be post a more comprehensive schedule of sophomore/senior assemblies, fire drills, and other Dates to Know as soon as I know them.

WELCOME BACK!