Classroom Expectations
Welcome to 8th Grade English!
Ms. Jennifer MacLeod
“By failing to prepare we are preparing to fail” - Benjamin Franklin
I’ve chosen this quote as a heading because this year will be all about preparing you for your high school career and life beyond. In English class we will do lots of reading, writing, critical thinking, public speaking, and listening, all in preparation for the academic challenges you will face in high school... and your entire life! More specifically, you can expect the following:
Reading
Although our reading list is still evolving, titles may include:
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
Sophia's War by Avi
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
The Journal of William Thomas Emerson by Barry Denenberg
Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
The Pearl by John Steinbeck
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne
Night by Elie Weisel
Escape from Saigon by Andrea Warren
All the Broken Pieces by Ann Burg
Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai
Animal Farm by George Orwell
Romeo & Juliet by William Shakespeare
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
In addition to these books, we will also study shorter pieces, such as poetry, short stories, and newspaper articles, to augment our learning units.
Because our class reading list is so ambitious, you will not complete a reading log of extracurricular reading this year. Of course, I do hope that all students are reading free choice books, and I will periodically advertise some good books. Students are also welcome to share book endorsements with the class.
Writing
Throughout our year together, we will undertake a variety of writing projects. We sometimes will start class with creative writing, creating journal entries in response to a piece of art, music, or short film. We will also work on critical thinking and persuasive writing with more lengthy formal assignments. My goal is to improve each student’s writing-- not only your mechanics and range, but also your comfort level with writing assignments in general. The best way to achieve both of these goals is by writing frequently.
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
Students will have many opportunities to sharpen these skills in English this year. In addition to incorporating these elements into our literature study, we will also do smaller activities to target these specific areas.
Speaking and Listening Skills
We will have abundant opportunities to work on these critical life skills during the course of our year together. By design, our class will be discussion-rich, and we’ll have lots of formal and informal opportunities to work on presentation skills and focused listening. Each term each student will be expected to share a minimum of two daily writing assignments by reading aloud to the class. It is my goal to establish a supportive classroom community so that all students feel comfortable participating. More formal opportunities for public speaking will arise throughout the year in conjunction with our book units.
Films
On occasion, we will use film to enhance our book studies. At this point, the films I may use in the classroom include:
Shakespeare in the Classroom (background info about WS and his time)
Shakespeare in Love (1998) - We will only view about 15 minutes of this to augment our discussion of the Elizabethan theatre experience. The clip I use, 1:32 – 1:47, simply shows the audience filing into the Globe Theatre and a very condensed look at the performance of R&J as it would have looked in 1594.
Romeo and Juliet (Franco Zefferelli's 1968 version)
Romeo + Juliet (Baz Luhrmann's 1996 version)
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2008)
The Red Balloon (1956)
The Address, Ken Burns’ documentary (2014)
Tuck Everlasting (2002)
Should you have any questions or concerns about these selections, please feel free to contact me.
As for classroom rules, I really only have two, but they are big ones:
1. RESPECT
Respect me, respect each other, and respect our classroom. We are going to have lots of book discussions, and I need you to know that I will not tolerate impolite criticism or the mocking of anyone’s ideas. Everyone needs to feel safe to offer their opinions and interpretations so that we can have a beneficial dialogue. Respect is critical.
2. BE PREPARED
You are now in 8th grade. You should all know what you need to bring to class in order to be prepared. Just in case, though, I will list it out for you: your completed homework assignment, a pen, a highlighter, your History/English binder, some paper in your binder, your agenda, our current novel, Post-its/book flags, and a willingness to learn. If we are not reading a novel for class, it is expected that you will have an SSR book with you as well.
As for devices, in English class you will need your laptop or tablet for writing activities and some grammar exercises. You will never need a cellphone and I insist all phones are left in your locker. Pursuant to HBMS policy, if I discover anyone using a cellphone, I will confiscate it and it will be sent to the office. Please don’t make me do this!
In the event that you are absent, please reference our Google Classroom for assignments. If you are absent on the day any homework assignment is due, I expect you to submit the assignment electronically by 2:15pm. If you have extenuating circumstances that make this impossible, please send me an email that day to discuss it. Per Team Bartlett policy, late penalties will apply if no work nor email correspondence is received. This is to help you with time management and to prevent you from falling behind and becoming overwhelmed after an absence.
Regardless of absences, you should periodically check PowerSchool so that you are aware of any assignments that are missing. Any PowerSchool questions or concerns should be communicated to me as soon as possible… that is, not on the last day of the marking period. You may contact me via email or in person.
If at any time you have questions or need assistance, you may email me at jennifer.macleod@sau41.org or stop by Room 9 to ask in person. If you would like extra help with any English assignment --or even writing a report for another class-- I am available for extra help during 5th or 8th period most days. If these do not coincide with your Skills period, please contact me to arrange for another day or time. I will even work with you during lunch, if that is the only time available for you to meet with me. I’m here to help you succeed!
Grading Philosophy
"Chase the knowledge, not the grade" --Room 9 mantra
Grades are intended to be a true reflection of a student's ability and skill in any given subject.
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When you look in PowerSchool, you will see that assignments are categorized, reflecting the different skills we are working on this year. Assignments are categorized depending upon the skill(s) they are designed to develop. Rather than use a purely mathematical formula whereby tests are multiplied by 3, for example, my gradebook is based upon percentages for each category. More specifically, they are:
25% Critical Thinker: Critical thinking is a 21st century learning skill. Assignments of this nature assess a student's ability to think deeply, make connections, ask questions, and develop an argument supported by textual evidence.
25% Effective Communicator: Communication skills, both written and verbal, are essential 21st century learning objectives. Assignments in this category assess the student's ability to write and speak effectively.
20% Knowledgeable Person: This category is dedicated to in-class assessments, (i.e. tests and quizzes).
10% Creativity: Creativity is a 21st century skill. Assignments in this category require creative thinking and artistic expression.
10% Self-directed Learner: Grades in this category reflect the student's ability to complete assignments on time, to take responsibility for their learning, and to participate actively in group collaboration activities.
10% Journal Writing: This category denotes activities related to journal work (e.g. in-class writing prompts, sharing work aloud, and revising journal entries).
**These percentages may change slightly, depending upon the nature of assignments in any given quarter. Regardless, critical thinking and communication skills will always account for the greatest share of the overall average.
Other important factors to consider:
Per school policy, there are no extra credit opportunities. Please do your best work the first time.
Reading comprehension quizzes are only able to be made up if you were absent on the day the quiz was given. There are no retake opportunities if you did not do well the first time. The reason for this is that these quizzes measure your preparation for class and your ability to contribute to our class discussion. Therefore, it is not helpful to our class discussion if you are prepared later in the day or week and not during the class in which we are having our discussion.
Per Team Bartlett policy, projects or essays not handed in on time will lose 10% of the possible points for each day late. After three days, the work will not be accepted for a grade and a zero will be entered into PowerSchool.
If you are absent on the day an essay is due, it is expected that you will submit it electronically by 2:15pm that day. If there is a physical project, such as Graphically Me, it must be turned in upon return to school in order to receive full credit.