Monday, March 15, 2010

Beware the Ides of March; the Ides of March, beware! Mwahahahahahahahaha. . .

Some general housekeeping: A river of graded work needs to go back today, and for those of you who have been racking up absences, please see me ASAP to get make-up quizzes, etc. back on track. I am uploading grades for this quarter beginning next Wednesday, March 24, so the sooner the better. Go, ProgressBook, go.

ALSO: Several of you have asked for reprints of rec letters for scholarships. See me as soon as possible to facilitate this due to my increasing suspicion that my classroom computer is dying. It has made mastadon-like noises in the hard drive region of late, and it's eight years old, which in computer world is practically primeval. And it takes forever to boot up. And it no longer likes my Lord of the Rings screensaver. And it cusses at me when it thinks I'm not paying attention. We have long had an adversarial relationship, this computer and I, and now as it goes gently into that good night it is raging against the dying of the light. So letter-needers: See me ASAP. Really.

Today's Curriculum! 'Cause we got some!

Gifted English II: Finally, finally finishing the O. The Great Smother is upon us, and it does beg the question: At what point does someone who was smothered, then uncovered, then gives a speech, which denotes a use of oxygen, seem to unrealistically die? Desdemona embraces her quietus with fortitude and stumbles through a speech before succumbing to the great beyond, but medical scholars and disbelieving audience members alike say What What? Of course, we have to see what happens (if anything) to the dastardly Iago. Life's not fair, kids. Not at all.

APees: We put the F (as in Fun) in FRQ today, oh yes we do, and we apply said FRQness to Jane Eyre. And we will talk more about Jane, and possibly do a close reading of a selected passage. Bronte is so awesome. Like totally.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Happy Monday!

Gifted English II: Icarus Unit continues, after a comprehensive review of the 120 literary terms. We will have a multiple choice mastery test on Thursday. You need your Icarus packet and the yellow textbook, which should still be under each desk for your use. Last week we had Classic Rock Day, and now we are going to analyze the Auden poem as well as the Plath piece on the front of the packet. So much winged flight, so little time. . .Please note that graded work is in the box to be picked up; I will stop class early to distribute. If you need to make up an assignment please see me early in the week to ameliorate the woe.

AP Lit and Comp: TP-CASTT Analysis of "Preludes;" 5th period had made some serious headway in analysis on Friday and now we are going to tackle this difficult piece together as happy learning communities. The MacPaper is due on Friday, October 23 by 3 p.m.; we started drafting it last week in class and several of you have already approached me with terrific ideas for analysis. While we are Macpapering, we are going to start our introductory lecture materials on Hamlet; I want to to remind you that Hamlet is available in the lit anthology, but if you want the No Fear version (which some of you really appreciated re: Macplay) you need to go get it, like, totally, like, now. I have a few paperback versions of Hamlet available on a first-come, first-served basis. Hamlet is far more dense and difficult to understand than its Scottish counterpart, but it is worth it and will really shift your thinking about the human condition. (In fact, if you only read two things this year to prepare for the AP exam, I'd suggest Hamlet and Heart of Darkness, but I'm not saying that the other texts are valueless--ask Morgan H. from last year's AP class, who maintains that any AP question can be answered with The Awakening.) Literature can be life-altering, people, so keep reading.

Love to all; enjoy the rest of the weekend! Fall has finally arrived, albeit for a brief visit.

Semester Exam Schedule: Monday, January 12, 2009

Thanks you in advance to my AP Literature students who agreed to take their semester test early, or in another period. The new grade deadline has complicated matters a bit, but together we shall annihilate any obstacle in our path!

Here is the exam schedule for today, with our planned activities written in for your information:

0 PD EXAM:

8:30 AM

(Note: I don't have a zero period, but anyone who needs to make up the JC memorization or needs to make up a quiz, come by. I'll be here.)

3RD PD EXAM:

9:30 AM – 11:30 AM AP Literature and Composition; early test-takers only

Anyone else in need of a place to study needs to go to the Media Center. This room is testing.

2^ND PD:

11:36 – 12:14 Julius Caesar memorizations, part II, and JC review for exam

AP Lit Classes; semi-normal (forty minutes each)

LESSON: "Frankenstein: Birthing the New Female Gothic" and collect Frankenstein reading journals.

4^TH PD:

NORMAL 4^TH PD AND LUNCH ROTATION

5^TH PD:

1:45 – 2:34

6^TH PD:

2:40 – 3:29

7^TH PD:

3:35 – 4:24