Course Information
Language arts class centers around five aspects of communication:
reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language
Throughout the year, we will strive to be passionate readers, skilled writers, engaging speakers, active listeners, and language lovers, for these are the characteristics of lifelong learners. Some of our major units involve:
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Course Handouts |
Daily Supplies to Bring to Class
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Homework
Each week, you will be expected to complete two regular assignments:
1. READ: I want you to kindle a love for reading and the habits and skills of a lifelong reader. I know that students who read more read better—that you need regular, sustained time with books to do this. To help accomplish this, I expect you to read for at least 30 minutes each weekday and another 30 minutes over the weekend, for a total of at least 180 minutes per week. Because I believe reading is so important, I will give you 10 minutes of class time to read; this means you need to find at least 20 minutes each weekday to read outside of class and 30 minutes on the weekends. Find "just right" books that you enjoy reading. And no excuses: make the choice to make the time.
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2. WRITE: You will be asked to produce a draft of writing each week. Most of the time, you will have the freedom to choose the topic and format (poems, essays, arguments, etc.). Occasionally, this will correspond with a writing assignment for class (an argument or a memoir, for example).
Note: Additional routines will revolve around vocabulary and reading responses. There will be times when additional work is assigned, especially during writing units, which will be posted in class as well as on the 8th grade website. This independent practice shows what information you understand and what confusion you need clarified. Thank you in advance for completing these assignments on time and to the best of your abilities. |
Grading
Each quarter, we will work on various literacy skills (writing arguments, analyzing literature, etc.). You will produce multiple pieces of evidence for each of these, ranging from in-class essays to written reflections to class discussions.
During our practice with each skill, I will post progress scores in PowerSchool. Please note that these are only a projection of your score for that skill: final scores will be entered at the end of the quarter (after a student-teacher conference reviewing your portfolio of work, your in-class assessments, your rubrics with teacher feedback, and your written reflections). I encourage you to take risks in your work, to learn from your mistakes, and to work hard learning new material, so I will provide opportunities for you to revise assignments and to retake assessments. Criteria for these opportunities as well as time frames for them to be completed will be announced in class and posted on the 8th grade website. A list of our class learning targets, along with rubrics documenting progress criteria for each target, are posted on this class website. Each rubric follows the following guidelines: |
My Philosophies
I could talk for hours about education, about reading, about writing, and I would love to talk with you about my teaching philosophies—just let me know when and where. But for the sake of this handout, I will stick to some of my main beliefs:
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I look forward to the challenges of working together as readers and writers. We will accomplish much this year. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions, comments, or concerns.