Dear Parents and/ or Guardians,
I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce myself to you. My name is Mrs. Kara Taylor and I am your son or daughter's English Language Arts teacher this year. I am new to the Murray Language Academy family; however, I am not new to the profession of teaching. I am entering my sixth year as a middle school English Language Arts teacher in Chicago Public Schools. In addition to teaching in Chicago Public Schools, I have coached literacy teachers and designed curriculums for various schools in the district for five years also. My passion resides in making literacy accessible to all and ensuring high quality literacy instruction.
As for my educational background, I received Bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Illinois at Chicago. After earning my degree at UIC, I went on to earn a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing (focus of African American Diaspora) and Master of Arts in Elementary Education from Roosevelt University. Finally, I am finishing my PhD in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Illinois at Chicago with a focus of differentiating instruction and culturally responsive instruction. While enrolled in a PhD program, I am teaching disciplinary literacy courses at the university too. Research on making literacy relevant to all students is a passion of mine.
Please know that I understand the importance of preparing our students for the rigors of college. It is my goal to provide engaging instruction that challenges critical thinking skills, fosters intelligent discussion, and develops logical writing skills for every student, college bound or not. I have very high expectations and standards that I will express clearly to each student, and I am absolutely committed to providing my students with the best education of their lives. I hope for students to gain responsibility for themselves and their learning in preparation for their transition to high school. With this being said, students are expected to come to class prepared with all materials, be on time, be respectful and productive during class time. Failure to abide by these expectations will cause students to travel levels on the behavior hierarchy mentioned in the syllabus. There is an urgency for students to learn and acquire and not be detoured by controlled distractions.
I also believe that communication with parents is crucial to a successful year, and that honest communication can head off issues before they develop. Know that I am here with an open mind and a willingness to listen to any concerns that might arise throughout the year. What I need from you is your support in enforcing students completing homework every night ( which will be recorded in their planner) and studying for assessments. Students progress can be tracked through classdojo , gradebook and through conferences and communications with me. I will only have office hours from 4:00- 5:30 on Thursdays by appointment only. If you don't understand a grade that was given, or an expectation stated, call or email me, I'd be happy to talk with you . Below is my school email address, as well as my phone number. I will do my very best to keep you aware of all important class events.
My content is literature based; we'll be focusing on several class novels as well as a variety of classic and contemporary short stories. My curriculum has a heavy emphasis on developing logical discussion, analyzing literature, and applying its themes, metaphors and implications to personal experience and modern life. Thoughtful discussion will be graded in my class, and the various forms of essay will be perfected. I expect my students to be on time, and to be prepared for the day's activities and discussions. I want you to realize I am pretty strict about late work.
Late Policy
My policy is to accept all assignments late only if they are accompanied by a note outlining why the assignment is late by a parent for lesser credit ( 15% less). That's it. I want my students to understand that deadlines matter, and what it means to sacrifice to complete a deadline. That's a skill that will serve them well in high school and college. Please send me an email with your contact information so I can easily email you with specific praises and/ or concerns about your child if any should arise. Speaking of concerns, do you have any considerations about your child that you think would be helpful for me to know? Please communicate with me your thoughts, questions and concerns. I am in your child's life every day; it's my goal to make a powerful and positive impact, so let's work together to make that happen. I can promise you the best of myself for your son or daughter, each and every day. I look forward to meeting you at parent/teacher conferences.
Grade Breakdown
Students‟ overall final grades are based on a pure 10-point numeric grading scale:
90-100 A
80-89 B
70-79 C
60-69 D
< 60 F
Sincerely,
Kara Taylor
Phone: 773-344-6860
School email: Kmtaylor13@cps.edu