Syllabus

     MIDDLE SCHOOL WRITERS WORKSHOP SYLLABUS 2024-2025  

  The Reading Workshop is an approach to literacy that emphasizes individual choice and pace. Unlike traditional whole-class novel studies, this course allows students to select books that genuinely interest them and read at a pace that suits their learning style. The goal is to foster a love of reading, improve reading stamina, and develop critical reading and writing skills essential for post-secondary success and lifelong learning.

Because reading provides a bridge from primary school to high school, students are expected to master the basics of reading fiction and non-fiction work, learn more profound writing and grammar skills, grow in their ability to orally present information, collaborate with others, and deepen the complexity of their reading choices.

What about grammar and vocabulary?

Grammar: lessons will be built in during individual or small group conferences. Some will be done during author craft lessons, like semicolon and dash use, breaking the rules for effect, etc.

Vocabulary: As with grammar instruction, vocabulary development is organic,

so I don't require a separate vocab section of the notebook or any specific assignments. Instead, it's a daily expectation that students will build their word muscle through the text they choose to read.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, students will:

• Develop independent reading habits and set personal reading goals.

• Enhance reading fluency by engaging with increasingly complex texts.

• Explore a variety of literary genres and styles.

• Apply literary analysis skills independently to self-selected texts.

• Integrate reading and writing practices to produce reflective and analytical written work.

Course Schedule (1st Semester)

Week 1: Introduction to Reading Workshop - Procedures and Expectations

Week 2: - Setting Goals and Choosing Texts

Week 3-4: Developing Reading Stamina - Strategies for Effective Reading

Week 6-6: Literary Analysis Mini-Lessons - Techniques and Application

Week 7-8: Exploring Genres - Broadening Reading Horizons

Week 9-10: Writing Integration - Using Mentor Texts for Writing Inspiration

Week 11-12: Midterm Reading Conferences - Individual Progress and Goal Adjustment

Week 13-14: Advanced Literary Techniques - Deepening Analysis Skills

Week 15-16: Final Reading and Writing Projects - Synthesis and Reflection

Grading Policy

• Reading Inputs and Reflections: 20%

• Literary Analysis Assignments and Conferences: 25%

• Writing Assignments: 25%

• Participation and Engagement: 15%

• Final Project: 15%

Second Semester - Assignment Revisions are based upon the attainment of 1st-semester goals 

Materials

• Students must select and obtain their reading materials (books) from the class library, HS Library, or the Colombia County library, based on personal interests and reading levels. I will provide a list of suggested books and genres.

• A notebook or digital journal for reading reflections and writing assignments.

• Access to mentor texts and literary analysis resources provided by the instructor.

Assignment Notification   

Parents and students can visit our Reading Workshop website for daily/weekly assignment timelines. The Dayton SD website links to my classroom page. There will also be information in the Announcements section when radical changes in policies or procedures occur.      

Grading Scale   

Grading is on a weighted scale based on the assignment's cognitive requirements. Generally, the more involved the work, the more grade points it is worth. I will inform all stakeholders of grades through Skyward (Family/Student Access), and grades are typically updated weekly. I generally do grade postings and class website assignment updates on the weekends.   

We will use the following grading scale :   

A= 90-100% Excelling work on all content objectives.   

B= 80-89% Above average work on all content objectives.     

C= 70-79% Proficient work on all content objectives.  

D = 60-69% Near proficient work on all content objectives. The student is at significant risk of failing.   

F = 0-59% Not proficient on all content objectives.   

I use elements of Standards-Based Grading. SBG measures a student's performance and product against defined Grade Level Expectations. In an SBG reporting system, grades reflect what students know and can do, as outlined in the Washington State and Common Core Standards.  

Long Term Assignments (five or more school days) 

If a student is absent the day before a long-term assignment/project is due, it is still owed on the original assigned date by the end of the school day. Long-term assignments are to be turned in on the day they are due. Students must make arrangements to have projects delivered to the school. Students who are scheduled to be absent from classes due to athletics or field trips must turn in any work due on the determined day/time before their departure. If a situation calls for an exception to this policy, the student must contact the teacher before the long-term project is due. 

Plagiarism 

While there have historically been very few plagiarism incidents, the policy for those few occurrences still has to be disclosed. In simple terms, on the 1st occurrence, the student receives zero credit for the assignment with no retakes allowed; if there is the 2nd occurrence, the student's quarterly score will reset to zero at the time of the infraction. Note: the class will recursively be taught examples of what plagiarism "looks like." 

Classroom Discipline Progression   

With a renewed focus on the district's discipline structure, I have placed the following classroom interventions as the primary sequence of events before a written referral is entered into Skyward and mandatory parental contact is initiated:

1. A (soft) immediate direct verbal warning to the student—awareness that their behavior is disruptive. 

2. A (hard) immediate redirect in the form of a seat location or seat orientation change—a second point of awareness that their behavior is disruptive. 

3. A 100 to 150-word reflective/corrective essay the student will immediately start to work on— an immediate physical (writing) and mental redirect.

Conversely, time-outs, lunch detentions, after-school detentions, and Saturday school are additional options when the primary consequences are ineffective.   

These interventions are in keeping with the district's policy of inclusionary disciplinary practices, which allows all students to remain in the educational environment without losing access to instruction. Be BRAVE - Bold, Responsible, Attitude, Valued, and Empathetic    

Use of Personal Electronic Devices   

All personal electronic devices (PED), including wearable electronics (headphones and earbuds), shall be out of sight during the school day except when used for an agreed-upon instructional reason or other school-related purposes as determined by the teacher.

As students enter the classroom, all will turn off or mute their phones and place their PEDs in the classroom PED (phone caddy) hanger. The PED hanger use is mandatory.   

Absences

If a student is absent, I will require them to determine what assignment(s) were missed. Ask a Homework Buddy to view their planner, record missing homework data, or check the classroom (Google Sites) website. Students can make up the work without penalty for excused absences. Make-up work is due the day after a return to class. If the absence is unexcused, late work rules apply. I will not shoo anyone away if they ask me about missing assignments, but I want everyone to use their support proactively to stay on top of things. Developing ownership and personal responsibility starts with the individual.

During the first week of class, students will choose a Homework Buddy. A Homework Buddy is an additional level of support during an absence. I want students to feel comfortable communicating with classmates concerning classwork (sounds like alliteration).

Outs   

Bathroom and locker visits need to be attended to before class. Students must SIGN OUT in an emergency before going to the bathroom or locker. Remember that students should do these things between classes, so only go in emergencies. Students have three free-outs per Semester. If someone is over the three outs per Semester, they will have one week [from the time they received their succeeding out(s)] to serve their 15-minute overage detention. PLEASE KEEP TRACK OF THE NUMBER OF OUTS YOU HAVE! 

Tardies

Being on time is an important life skill to learn to be successful at school and in the workplace. The classroom tardy policy helps teach our students the importance of punctuality and responsibility. The consequences for tardies are the same as the "OUT's" policy:

If someone is over three tardies per Semester, they will have one week [from the time they received their succeeding out(s)] to serve their 15-minute overage detention. PLEASE KEEP TRACK OF THE NUMBER OF TARDIES YOU HAVE!

Detentions

Missed detentions result in additional consequences and additional classroom or lunch detentions. Let's stay off of a negative spiral. 🥺 

Consumables

No gum, candy, or drinks (except water) will be consumed in class. Over time, students may earn gum and food privileges by showing that they are meticulous and considerate of others. I have to be mindful of the workload of our excellent custodians. As with anything, there are exceptions, such as birthday treat days, class potlucks, and designated special occasions.

In General

Time on task drives these classroom policies. Let's find reasons to stay in the classroom and keep grinding! A physician's note to the office is sufficient for any medical necessity, and I will discreetly handle it at my level.     

An important point to remember is that individual student work habits largely dictate a student's future assignments. Generally, students who turn in classwork and other projects will have more choices and opportunities for future assignments. When students habitually complete tasks, they show me, by direct action, that they are putting forth effort towards success and can handle the dexterity and responsibility of choice. Other students who struggle to complete basic tasks and habitually do not turn in assignments signal that further basic instruction is needed. The basics of learning have yet to be mastered.   

All work is to be neat and legible. I cannot accept sloppy, illegible, or torn work. Two reasons: even if a student's ideas, words, and sentences are vivid, precise, and well-constructed, what's written will not be enticing to read. Also, I cannot grade what I cannot read! Students will redo illegible work. If the student is asked to correct assignment deficiencies, I insist they make the corrections. Depending upon when the assignment is turned in, it may have to be marked down, but students will receive credit. Zero points for an assignment can significantly affect a student's quarterly/semester grade. 

Let's have a great year!  

Jeff McCann 

ELA Teacher

Dayton Middle School