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Ms. Rys's English Realm
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My Teaching and Policies: Background: I am beginning my nineteenth year at Berne-Knox-Westerlo. I taught sixth grade for nine years and have been English Department Chair and have taught high school English for ten. This year I am teaching Ninth Grade English, American Literature and Drama (accelerated classes) and Multi-Media English (an elective). Philosophy: My philosophy of teaching focuses on the student. Students should be an active participant in their own learning. That means making choices, taking responsibility for these choices and learning how to address the outcomes of those choices. This may mean trial and error on their part, but it will allow them to learn lifetime skills that they can bring with them when they leave my classroom and ultimately Berne-Knox-Westerlo Schools. I believe each student has his own individual personality and learning style and one of my goals this year to bring students to an understanding of themselves and how they learn best Policies and Grading: All my English classes focus on writing in and reading writing in a variety of genres. Students will have homework that will enable them to become better writers and readers. I believe it is an important process in teaching students responsibility and reinforces the learning that takes place in class. Homework is never assigned for the next day, so I require that it is completed on the day it is due or no credit will be given. However, I do understand that there are extenuating circumstances. If students do not have their homework when it is due, they have an option where they can still get credit for the assignment. - Students may stay with me 13th period and complete their homework for full credit.
- If students left the assignment at home, they must stay with me and redo the assignment. Students should bring in their completed assignment from home the next day, and I will take the better of the two grades.
- If students do not use this option, they will receive no credit for the assignment.
Homework includes vocbulary and written assignments. Writing pieces may be rewritten for a higher grade as long as the student conferences with me before rewriting. Grading is made up of three parts. Homework, Classwork and Writing. American Literature grading includes the added component of the Writing Portfolio.
January 11-15, 2010 English 9- Monday/Tuesday/Thursday-Bag Project/Stereotype Unit Students will be reading poems/short narrative about stereotypes and prejudice. Discussion and reading log writing will take place. Certain stereotypes will be placed on the board and students will generate adjectives that they think about when they hear/see this stereotype. After doing three or four, students will come up with their own class generated definition of a stereotype (making a judgement on the outside of a person/as opposed to inside). Students will then begin making their "bags" outside of the bag should be what everyone sees/knows about them. Items on the inside should be one or two things that not everyone knows about them. Wednesday-Library Day-Students should have their African Myth essay which is due this day. We will be beginning the China unit. Students will be doing research and writing a mini paper on an aspect of Chinese culture that they have read about in a Chinese folk tale. Friday-Vocabulary Test -Students need to definitely study for the vocabulary test. The words are much more difficult. Students should be making flash cards. American Literature has been working on their 1920s project by researching all aspects of the 1920s in preparation for creating their 1920s magazine which is due Monday. We will be continuing English Regents preparation. The exam is January 26 and 27 in the afternoon. Their final is due Monday, January 25. Muliti-Media English has been working on narrative writing. They are writing a observation piece this week and will be doing a how-to-piece by the end of the week. Their final will be to develop a portfolio of their best pieces and website into a final thinking piece and suggestions for next semester.
Ms. Rys
Berne-Knox-Westerlo Schools
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