We are quickly approaching a third of the way through second semester, believe it or not. Things are going smoothly in class for most students as they manage workloads, contribute to lessons, and complete work. We are having some great discussions about novels, doing some critical reading, and building a better understanding of novels. Next week, the first Progress Reports will be provided to students. A Parents’ Night is scheduled for Wednesday, March 9 and there is a chance I will not be in attendance as I am traveling back from training in Red Rock. If parents wish to make alternate arrangements, please email me or call the school. Otherwise, we’ll keep soldiering on towards the March Break.

We’ve been having some great success in class with collaborative discussions. Students are submitting questions and discussion points to Google Docs so we can work through the texts together. It’s been awesome! Here’s what else is happening in the next week:

In ENG3U – Grade 11 University English we have approached the half-way point of Frankenstein. We’ve been discussing Romanticism, the development of characters, and why the author made some deliberate choices about the creation of the Creature in the text. We will continue thinking about these topics and assess learning through a quiz. Students should continue reading the novel and annotating their text with questions and information they think is important. Here’s an example:

ENG4C – Grade 12 College English students have taken a liking to Crow Lake. The class has talked about how tragedy affects our lives, how we think differently as adults compared to as children, and how we relate (and rely on) those around us. Students will continue thinking about (and discussing!) the impact of the novel.

In ENG4U – Grade 12 University English we have spent quite a bit of time talking themes and symbolism in The Great Gatsby. Students have used a seminar format to identify important parts of the novel and how the themes, characters, and conflicts relate to our lives. We will continue developing an understanding of how to go back to the text to support ideas and arguments as we move forward.

Once again, thanks to all of my students for being incredibly awesome. I’m looking forward to another great week. As always, let me know if there is anything I can do to make learning better. Email me! Tweet me! Visit me!