Thursday, April 28, 2010

Author of the Day: Ernest Hemingway

Word of the Day: minimalism

Today's Holiday: Don't know, but I'll look it up and it will be all kinds of awesome.

Gifted English II: "The Rocking-Horse Winner" and questions.

APees: Continued AP review. . .test is in a week!!!!!!!

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Thank goodness I get paid my minor ducats today for my labors. Not that I'm in this for the money, mind you. But little things like "rent" and "car payment" and "ongoing handbag fund" must be ameliorated. . .

Today, the lesson is easy--for me. Not so much for you. Love to all!

Gifted English II: Things Fall Apart assessment, which is a fancy-dancy way of saying "test." Mwahahahahaha. Bring a pencil or pen and your BRAIN.

APees: Heart of Darkness assessment, and y'all are cynical enough to know that it's a test. An old-fashioned test. Please be grateful I postponed it a day in light of the AP Calc, AP Gov, and AP Whatsit tests of yesterday. Can't you feel the compassion? Now take your test!!!

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Author of the Day today is Virginia Woolf.

Today's word is hegemony.

Today's holiday is Morse Code Day and Teach Your Children to Save Day (I'm not sure if save is the transitive or the intransitive verb here--save people or just save? Or perhaps "money" is the implied object of the phrase "save" anyway. . .)

Gifted English II: Return a TON of graded work and assess what's missing; review for tomorrow's epically awesome Things Fall Apart Part I assessment; Short Handbook grammar rule review; How to Write a Review.

APees: The Trifecta Begins!

First third of the class: Go over yesterday's MC passages, specifically "The Death of Tommy Grimes" and "Man with a Hoe."

Second third of the class: Go over Heart of Darkness preparatory for tomorrow's all-kinds-of-awesome assessment.

Third third of the class, because we have to have three thirds in order to make the division into thirds viable: Go over end-of-course review stuff for The AP Exam Itself.

A good time will be had by, say, 80% of you.

Monday, April 26, 2010

We are careening toward the end of the school year with no respite in sight. To wit, children: The Prom Speech is Friday, April 30, and I will be plucking unlucky volunteers from each class to assist. The College Speech comes after the AP exam, so you'll have to wait on that one. (It's accompanied by the wildly subjective 50 Things Every 18-Year-Old SHOULD Know.)

And the AP exam for Lit and Comp is May 6. If that doesn't make you terrified, then. . .

How about this?

IMPORTANT DATES

Progress Reports go home May 7

Prom is May 1

GRADUATION IS JUNE 4

Graduation Practice at the Amway Arena, or whatever it is this week (Fruit of the Loom Arena, Cocoa Puffs Arena, pick a label) is contingent on the NBA playoffs. We could just nudge Dwight Howard out of the way and march in formation to "Pomp and Circumstance," but the fans might take umbrage at such adolescent arrogance.

Wow.

Gifted English II: Author of the Day, grammar review, Things Fall Apart Question Time Part II, and How to Write a Review. And passing back a TON of old stuff. I do mean old. Recycle some; save some. Just get it out of my room, plz. Kthnx.

APees: Multiple Choiceness for the first part of the period, followed by intense literary review for the second. And so it goes. Heart of Darkness test is later this week; not sure when. Keep reading and keep filling out those character charts; I'll probably give you time in class tomorrow and review some more key elements of the novella WITH you. Love to all.

Friday, April 23, 2010

Shakespeare's Birthday! Actually, it's Talk Like Shakespeare Day.

Gifted English II: Author of the Day is Edith Wharton. Things Fall Apart questions begin now; Part I quiz is next Tuesday or Wednesday. KEEP READING.

APees: Heart of Darkness, Part II. And finish the lit terms review.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Today is the mock DUI activity for juniors and seniors only. Report to third period, after which we will have dismissal to the stadium for the duration of the period. This should not affect the rest of the campus, except for a slightly extended third period should the program run late.

Word of the Day: fruition

Author of the Day: David Sedaris

Today's Holiday: Take Our Daughters/Sons to Work Day/Earth Day (!)/National Jellybean Appreciation Day (I wonder if these counts for Bott's Every Flavor Beans. . .)

Gifted English II: Author of the Day; review rules 2 and 3 from the Short Handbook; finish analyzing "Janet Waking" by John Crowe Ransom; instructions on how to write a cultural review; return graded work; begin questions on TFA.

APees: Obviously, third period is a wash due to the Mock DUI, but the afternoon classes will do two things: go through Heart of Darkness through the beginning of Part II and analyze a few key passages, and begin the comprehensive review for the entire course. Also, if we have a moment, I'd like to address the second prompt from yesterday/last week's AP Practice Examination.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Today is the practice exam for AP Lit and Comp after school in the Media Center. I plan to begin right at the end of seventh period; as soon as you show up, I'll start you, and as soon as you finish you may leave. On the "real" AP exam on May 6, you will have two hours to construct three essays AFTER completing the 55 question multiple choice session. Today, we are just doing the essays--the MC practice round will be next week in class, albeit in truncated form.

DO NOT MISS THIS IF YOU DID NOT ALREADY ATTEND LAST WEEK'S SESSION.

THIS IS UBER-MANDATORY.

YOU WILL HAVE TO DEAL WITH COVERT IF YOU DON'T SHOW UP.

Gifted English II: No author today; I told you yesterday to bring Things Fall Apart and be prepared to address some thought-provoking discussion questions relevant to Part I.

APees: And I told YOU yesterday to bring Heart of Darkness, your character chart, and your questions. I see no point in introducing new direct instruction on a day as challenging as today; instead, I want to give you some in-class time to knock out some work on this novella and spare yourselves some HW. Bring a bottle of water or soda and a blanket if you want; the mysteries of this novel are indeed challenging. :-)