F.A.Q.

=Frequently Asked Questions=

Why is free reading such a valuable component of the quarter grade?
Student choice has been demonstrated to be a high factor in helping students read more and better. One book ad or book review per quarter (4 books a year) worth 25 points each is only a token of the 25-30 books required per year. In addition, 1-point "one-pagers" are submitted every time students finish a book (the 6-8 paper points per quarter move us toward the annual goal). This is the only requirement for all the Tuesday/Thursday homework for the quarter.

Why did my grade suddenly change?
Usually a sudden grade drop is a result of "pending" work that a student has told me she/he was working on, which has still not been turned in at the end of the quarter, when INCOMPLETES and PENDING assignments count against the student who has failed to complete them. To prevent these sudden drops, continue to check your "out bin" and email for returned assignments and comments, in order to follow up on and revise your work before resubmitting it. Grades may also suddenly rise if at the end of the unit there was an increase in student work, a large project turned in which received additional credit, or a lot of work turned in at once, such as one-pagers. Stay on top of your grades by submitting all work in a timely fashion, checking Edmodo, our homework board, and asking me about RenWeb reports.

Why are you asking students to think?
Independent critical thinking is foundational to our school's graduate student profile - every class and activity on campus leads toward this goal. It accomplishes what the Bible asks (to be transformed by the renewing of our minds, rather than conforming to the thinking of others and worldly influences; taking every thought captive. It prepares students for life after high school, including college and careers, in accordance with the Common Core State Standards)

How do you want us to show our thinking?
Thinking is shown in your writing, your conversation, your planning and projects, in notebooks and participation. It continues at home in questions pursued at the dinner table, in personal reading, in online communities. I want you to show your thinking in your decisions about learning.

What is the purpose of homework?
homework should extend classroom learning, build toward projects, or or foster reading habits. Its purpose is growth, not grades; therefore we usually share our homework in class, but do not necessarily hand it in. Since its purpose is to help students learn, completing homework moves them closer to the class goals which will be assessed, and then reflected by grades. Students who complete homework will be able to participate in writing and literature workshops and discussions and class activities that call on deeper understandings.

Who decides what happens in class and at home?
In my classroom students learn to become decision makers. teacher and students both contribute to the curriculum decisions about what we learn and how we will learn it. Students often have choice about writing topics, all-class and independent reading, about which questions to address that lead toward answering essential questions, and about designing assessments and evaluations of learning. Over 4 years, students learn to become better decision-makers.

What overall goals govern classroom decisions?
Problem-solving, questions, and projects which prompt and reflect these. We select texts which are likely to pose interesting problems, we write in order to try to solve interesting problems, we design projects that investigate ideas and questions and present them in creative ways that reflect new knowledge and original thinking; we ask questions of texts and of each other that guide our conversations, learning, and writing, leading to deeper understandings. An overarching goal is that every person in the classroom finds a voice. Christian voices in a democracy reason and persuade, build consensus, share community, and participate in culture through imagination, service, and dialogue.

what is the teacher's role?
My role is to help students to identify and solve problems, but not to solve problems for them or else they will not learn. They learn to find the best form in writing for what they want to say, and they learn what they have to say by writing. They learn to see books and poems as part of a larger ongoing conversation in which they discover a role as well; I help them discover the questions good readers and writers ask -- and find their own voices in that conversation. I am a listener and a learner as well. My job is to share my experience with them, but also to share the authority for interpretation and decision-making. I ask students to become comfortable with uncertainty. I may not be able to tell them how long a piece of writing must be before they have written it; I may resist premature interpretation of a text; I will not know in advance how long it will take us to study a play. I orchestrate the learning activities, collaboration, conferences, deadlines, and feedback; I ensure the alignment of our classroom goals with the broader curriculum goals of the grade, school, and state; and I listen for students to integrate their understanding of scripture and their relationship to Christ through our work, offering feedback, correction, and biblical proof texts as support for and challenges to our emerging understandings. I model effective reading, writing, speaking, listening, and research skills. By my own enjoylanguage thinking and learning, I hope they, too, will enjoy it, and to find new ways to express their faith through written and oral communication and relationships. My job is to create an environment in which each student grows at her or hisindividual pace.

what is the parents' role?
Parents keep the conversation alive at home. Ask "What questions did you ask in school today?" "What connection do you see between what you are learning in English and what you are learning in your other classes?" Read books together, aloud; set aside family reading time when everyone reads a book, and share a bit of what you are reading. Discuss current events and have a conversation about how those events might relate to events or themes in their current reading. Let your child see how important, fun, and interesting reading and writing can be! Encourage your child to spend time writing in a journal or writer's notebook, or discovering more information about a topic that generates her/his interest. Write your student a letter from time to time in which you praise some original thinking, hard work, or service you noticed, and invite her/him to write back. Keep the conversation vibrant with me as well. Connect via Twitter, RenWeb, email, or Edmodo. What do you see as the purposes of an education today? As believers, how important is financial success? Academic Rigor? Imagination? How can I help you as a steward of your child's learning? What should I know about your student to help her/him succeed in class? What prayer concerns does your family want to share with me so that I may be in prayer for you and your loved ones, and support your child's learning and faith?

When do you cover grammar?
Every sentence we write, we use grammar; every word we read uses grammar. never a day goes by that we aren't immersed in grammatical choices made for rhetorical effect. Classes analyze literature for the effects of language choice made by professional writers, and analyze student-written texts for clear and forceful expression. In conferences with individual students I help them identify problems for them to solve, and in class mini lessons I offer advice on common features of effective writing, and on common issues students are facing. in the writing process, wich includes rehearsing, drafting, and revision, mechanics such as spelling and punctuation are the crucial last step: nothing must interfere with the effective communication of your idea. these editing steps are the final stage of the process before publication (final draft). We have two valuable resources in my classroom: Grammatical Choices, Rhetorical Effects; and The Don Stewart English Program workbooks. They are written by members of the Assembly on the Teaching of English Grammar, with which I am also involved.

when do you cover vocabulary?
There is a small set of weekly words that the whole class learns, and then there are the personal lists of words related to our reading, which are often individualized, chosen by students. The best vocabulary builder is free reading. The more your child reads independently selected books, the broader her/his reading ability, vocabulary, and comprehension.

AP English: What do you read?
We read literature written for adults, therefore it requires maturity. Both imaginative literature written from within and without a Christian world view are included, and students will be exposed to poems, drama, novels, stories, and films that challenge traditional narratives and interpretation, and which call upon students to reserve or delay judgment about the moral, social, or ideological implications of such texts. Ultimately Scripture determines how we apply our understandings of these works, and it is the business of the class to ask what literature is, to define for each of us its place in the believer's life, and to allow God's compassion and mercy to influence us to adopt an esthetic stance toward the arts that recognizes their value as expressions of human beings in need of redemption.

AP English: How do I make up an absence? In addition to making up the social component of learning by posting two items on Twitter, wiki, website, or Goodreads, students must make up the academic component: read and write a response to one of the short stories on the list for each day absent. This policy is in effect above and beyond any of the pre-assigned reading already being done for class. in keeping with the College Board guidelines and college level instruction simulated by an AP elective, thenadditional work completed by the student will be counted as a replacement for the hour (45 minutes) of class which was missed. block periods missed require the makeup of two stories, one for each 45 minute class period missed.

revised 2012 Note "What is your homework policy?" (technology) added fall 2011. This helps students contribute to class even if they are unable to be in the room.

 * Students MUST be accountable for absences and missed class days. There will be grade deductions if participation credit is not made up, for each day missed.


 * There will be two grades for most assignments - a completion grade, given when a piece of work is submitted on time; and a response score - given when the student responds with a letter, a revision, a correction, or a change in their thinking. Failure to respond timely to a teacher's comments/feedback will result in no response score.

How does your paperless classroom work?
Instructions for most assignments, as well as weekly overviews, are posted electronically via Edmodo.com, and paper copies are posted on a bulletin board in Rm 209. I make every effort to review instructions on either the white board or the technology screen in the room. Students should write down assignments daily in their assignment book.

How much homework is expected?
Nightly homework is to be expected - from an average of 20 or 30 minutes for freshmen, to 30 minutes for upper division students, and 1 hour for AP (college-level course). All students should be reading independently chosen books during the school year, even when when no explicit assignment is given.

How is homework to be submitted?
Whenever possible, students should complete and turn in their work on computer via email ghgordon049@gmail.com, Edmodo, or this site. When that is not practical, as in the case of completed handouts and handwritten assignments, such as timed writing or class notes, students should bring completed homework to class prepared to turn it in at the beginning of class. We will often use the homework that day prior to its being turned in/collected.

What is your homework policy 2012-13?
Homework is always due at the start of the period. The work is considered late if it has not been completed prior to start of class. In cases where the student anticipates difficulty completing an assignment in advance, she/he should notify me and request an extension.* In the event a student has not completed the homework, it is important to see me first thing in the morning, or well before class time, in order to make arrangements for completion. //If a student is planning to be absent due to sports or a family trip, the student must make efforts to get the assignment in advance from the teacher, from a classmate, and through social media sites used by the class.// These include Ren-Web, Edmodo, wikispaces (Kennings, Kenningsplay, Kenningsplay12, etc), Twitter @ICSAmLit, @eestudies, eestudies.wordpress.com, Goodreads.com at the "Hamlet451" group (discussions may apply by class name), and Diigo "Hultbergians" and "Goodreaders" groups. //Not only must the assignment be made up as homework, but the social (participation) element of class must be accounted for, and a student may make up the social aspect of each 40 minute segment of class (2 segments on block periods) by posting articles, vocab, discussion questions, original blog posts, lawfully attributed artwork, and other original ideas and work that will contribute to the overall quality of the class learning and unit goals. In most cases, taking the time to post two Tweets, discussion contributions, vocab terms, comments, or images will fulfill the requirement; one blog post or full paragraph will also satisfy the expectation. The social media posts must all be completed within one week of returning to class after the absence to receive credit. Procedures and credit for making up missed classwork/homework are enumerated in the Student Handbook.//

__**Absence in an AP English Course:**__ For each 45-minute block the student will read a selection from this list of stories and poems and write a 250-word reflective paper in response to the reading. She/he will also post two comments (initiating or responding to a thread) via a class-approved social medium related to the regular coursework or independent reading and individual goals. Finally, she/he will attempt to get notes from classmates and to stay up-to-date with ordinary class pace. Unplanned absences mean the student has a day for every day missed to make up the work; planned absences mean the work is due the day the student returns to class, since the student should be working ahead of time to complete it. See me for any clarification needed.

Why didn't I receive a grade for an assignment?
Did you check your email or the out bin to see if I asked you questions that required a response? In most cases, a score indicates that learning is going on, and one of the main ways I evaluate the learning is by responding to students, and by asking them to respond to me. The response takes the form of revised drafts, letters to me, or answers to questions I have asked.

What if I didn't copy the assignment, or didn't understand it?
Check online to see if an explanation will help. Check with a study buddy. Many times in a democratic classroom like ours, the students themselves design the assignments, and establish the criteria by which they will be assessed. If you aren't used to these procedures, it may take a few weeks to grasp how much responsibility you have for taking notes, asking questions, and setting your own goals. I will help as much as possible. One sure way to make sure it is clear is not to leave school before you have clarified any instructions with me.