Freshman English

Mrs. Haydon's

Classroom Policies

Course Overview:

Welcome to Freshman English.  This is a required course in the study of language and composition, with an emphasis on essay writing skills and novel reading.  The course is structured with one main focus in mind:  to help students become confident, competent writers and readers. This will not be an easy class.  You will be expected to do quite a bit of reading and writing.  If you are not a good or proficient reader or do not enjoy doing either, this class will be a challenge to you but not an impossibility.  I truly believe that with effort and determination, everyone who wants to will succeed.

Units of the Course:

*  Short Story Unit

*  Analysis Paragraph Writing

*Synthesis Writing

*  John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men

*Analysis Paragraph Writing

*  Greek Mythology Unit

* Greek Monster PowerPoint Presentation

*  Read Homer’s The Odyssey

*  Review Expository Format; Analysis Essay

* Research Writing and Romeo and Juliet

*  Research the Elizabethan Era, Construct 4 Paragraph Research Essay

* Read Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet

*  Final Word PowerPoint Presentation

Course Objectives:

1.  To foster a better understanding of diverse culture through literature, short stories, and films

2.  To help students develop critical and analytical reasoning skills and write effectively

3.  To study literature and its effects upon society and the reader

Course Requirements and Methods of Assessment:

Regular Attendance and Participation

Group and Individual Presentations

Formative Tests

Writing Activities

Projects

Speeches

Self-Evaluation

Quizzes

Grading:

Evaluation is a combination of self-evaluation and teacher evaluation, and each assignment will be given a point value and points will be totaled periodically.

Letter grades are based on the following scale:

90-100=A

89-80=B

79-70=C

69-60=D

59 and lower=F

Correctives:

The goal of each assignment is to achieve mastery based on predetermined criterion.  Students will be given the opportunity to rewrite and/or correct work to improve quality.  Correctives can only be done if assignments are handed in on time, done completely, meet format requirements, and demonstrate diligent and consistent effort during class time.  If allowed a corrective you will have one week from the day it is handed back to resubmit for a grade.

Late Work:

*Late work will be docked for every day late and will not be accepted after one week.

*Major papers and speeches will be docked a full letter grade for each day it is late unless specified directly in class on specific assignments.

*No extra credit unless you have turned in all required assignments.

Attendance:

Tardies will affect overall grade.  After four tardies a semester, five points will be deducted for each tardy thereafter and will come directly off of your grade.  If this proves to be an ineffective deterrent, parental and/or administrative contact will be used.

Cuts ensure a deduction in grade because you cannot make-up any work you missed on that day - a cutting problem will require parent contact.

Absences require student responsibility in finding missed work on the first day back.  The student has as many days as they were absent to complete assignments.