Thursday

Students turned in commentaries and worked to read all poems by their individual poets and classify them according to several criteria.

Tuesday

Most students were in exams, but those who were in class worked on their commentaries.

IMPORTANT: Do not remove the critical books from the classroom! Others need them too! I'm calling for the Bloom's Plath that walked out today!

Monday

This class will have some students taking IB mock exams. Some students may arrive a little late. Students attending should work on their researched commentary drafts. Papers on Friday must be double spaced and properly cited even if it is a draft. Use MLA style. The paper should look polished whether it needs content revision or not. You can lose up to 20 points on this assignment for continuing to refuse to format your paper.

Today would be well spent reading an essay in its entirety on your poem. Start with the books in the room, then try DISCUS, then Google Scholar. Do not resort to the open web. These sources will not be counted. You may use JSTOR or other college library databases. You should have at least two critics involved in the commentary.

Ms. Stinson -- I must assign a grade for students' engagement. Please not any student who accomplishes nothing or who talks incessantly off topic.

Friday

Students took their history exams today.

Thursday

Students were taking their history exams today.

Wednesday

This class will be decimated by IB exams; simply allow work time on long-term projects, especially the extended, researched commentary.

Tuesday

Students took a close look at Yeats' "Leda and the Swan." Afterward, they worked on extended commentaries. A few students were taking exams for psychology class.

Monday

Today students took the IB mock exams for English. These two papers will count as 60% of their final exam grade for South Pointe.

Friday

Students read and annotated two poems for the effect of comparing and contrasting them: Keats' "Ode to Melancholy" and Marvell's "Definition of Love."

Report to exam Monday. Develop your exam essays fully. Read them before you turn them in. Remember that language use counts too, so revise with as much polish as possible. Good luck!

Here's a contest: the student who produces the best mnemonic for the commentary approach notes can add ten points to the fourth quarter grade of her choice. The mnemonic chart should be done before spring break.

Thursday

We reviewed a Keats poem and then worked on long-term assignments. Next up? March 26 -- the extended, researched commentary. And good luck on exams Monday. Take your time, remember what you have studied, and do your best.

The "Part 3 Works" means the entire body of work from Marvell, Keats, Yeats, and Plath. NOT DONNE!!!

Wednesday

The comparison/contrast paper is due for B-day by midnight tonight.

Today, the class heard from an international teacher from Algeria on the subject of the Nobel Peace Prize.

Tuesday

Students worked on long-term projects. Comparison contrast papers for A-day are due on March 10 at midnight formatted according to MLA style, dropped in my Dropbox, and named "Last.First.Compare." Ten points rest on your ability to follow these simple instructions. If the paper is dropped after 12:00 midnight, it is late -- which means 20 points.

No finals will be taken without a draft and conference.

Monday

Students worked on long-term projects. Comparison contrast papers for B-day are due on March 11 at midnight formatted according to MLA style, dropped in my Dropbox, and named "Last.First.Compare." Ten points rest on your ability to follow these simple instructions. If the paper is dropped after 12:00 midnight, it is late -- which means 20 points.

No finals will be taken without a draft and conference.

Friday

Students again worked on long-term assignments.

Thursday

Today B-day did as A-day did yesterday:

Today students worked on long-term assignments and received feedback on drafts of their comparison/contrast papers for 3Q.

PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THE DRAFT GRADE IS BASED ON EFFORT, TIMELINESS, AND INSTRUCTIONS. IT HAS LITTLE BEARING ON WHAT YOU MIGHT MAKE ON THE FINAL WHEN THE PAPER 2 RUBRIC WILL BE APPLIED. THE DRAFT IS A STARTING POINT FOR FEEDBACK AND GUIDANCE.

Wednesday

Today students worked on long-term assignments and received feedback on drafts of their comparison/contrast papers for 3Q.

PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THE DRAFT GRADE IS BASED ON EFFORT, TIMELINESS, AND INSTRUCTIONS. IT HAS LITTLE BEARING ON WHAT YOU MIGHT MAKE ON THE FINAL WHEN THE PAPER 2 RUBRIC WILL BE APPLIED. THE DRAFT IS A STARTING POINT FOR FEEDBACK AND GUIDANCE.

Tuesday

Today's class composed a timed commentary or worked on researched commentaries. B-day students may turn in comparison/contrast drafts tomorrow with the A-day deadline. (I don't know what happened yesterday -- I just said, for no good reason, that A-day could have another day. It just fell out senselessly.)

Monday

Students submitted first drafts of the comparison/contrast paper and wrote a timed commentary. For next class, come ready to work on comparison/contrast papers and on the extended, researched commentary.