Clare Kelly
Unit Plan
ED 433
Syllabus
Ms. Clare Kelly
9th Grade English
Phone #: 708-714-1218
Email: cwkelly@butler.edu
Office Hours: By appointment only
Course Overview: This is a writing intensive course designed to strengthen writing and reading skills in addition to help improve students’ vocabulary through stimulating and relevant activities, papers, projects, and in-class writing that will help foster creativity and assist students in making connections to their daily life.
Course Objectives:
This course has many aims, but our primary goals will be:
*To strengthen students’ writing skills in various styles of writing (narrative, expository, persuasive, etc.)
*To improve students’ vocabulary.
*To study a wide variety of fiction and nonfiction texts as well as poetry.
*To help students acquire research skills.
*Reinforce critical thinking skills.
Required Texts:
1. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
2. Lord of the Flies by William Golding
3. The Odyssey by Homer
4. A Separate Peace by John Knowles
5. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
6. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
7. Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare
8. Antigone by Sophocles
9. The Color Purple by Alice Walker
*Poetry, nonfiction pieces, and short stories will be provided by me.
Required Assignments/Assessment Breakdown:
Daily Journals/Written Responses: 5 points each
Weekly New Vocabulary intensive In-Class Essays on random prompt related to current text every Friday: 10 points each
Papers: 50 points each
Unquizzes/Projects: 20 points each
Grading Scale:
A=90-100
B=80-89
C=70-79
D=60-69
F=Below 60
Long Range Goals:
*Improve writing in the following areas: narrative, persuasive, expository as well as research skills. In that same vein, we will work to fine-tune our citation skills and review what plagiarism is.
*Maintain a classroom environment that reflects the teacher’s learning philosophy.
*Be able to appreciate, successfully comprehend, analyze and be able to discuss a wide variety of pieces from literature (novels, poems, short stories, nonfiction, etc.)
Big Ideas:
*Writing skills.
*Research skills.
*Vocabulary.
*Study, comprehension and analysis of of novels, poems, short stories, nonfiction.
Enduring Understanding:
*Classroom environment must be a positive atmosphere.
*Classroom atmosphere must also be conducive to students’ wide variety of learning styles.
*Assessments must be constructed in the best manner possible in order to help students get as much out of the various texts as possible.
Student Activities Tied to Assessments: (see calendar below for more information.)
*Daily Journals/Written Responses that allow students to reflect on what they read the night before and to form their own opinions on various subjects from the text at hand.
*Weekly New Vocabulary intensive In-Class Essays every Friday on random prompt related to current text this allows students to learn 5-10 new vocabulary words that correlate to the text that is being taught at the time and will allow students to write informal in-class essays on a certain prompt that reflects the subject matter of the text while requiring students to use these new vocabulary words in their sentences to simultaneously strengthen their vocabulary and writing skills.
*Papers: will allow students to extensively reflect on a certain aspect of the text being studied at the time and think critically about it, analyze it, and form an argument. These papers will also be sure to hone students’ research skills.
*Unquizzes/Projects: these are a more creative and open-ended approach to assessment that will encourage students to work collaboratively with one another in order to put into practice that crucial social element of successful learning. Moreover, this kind of assessment will most often have students present their work to the class and teach the class what they learned from what they did.
Course Policies:
>Students with Disabilities: It is an unwavering belief I have that any necessary accommodation must be made for any of my students who possess some kind of learning disability. If you are eligible to receive an accommodation and would like to request it for my class, please come discuss it with me ASAP so we can make the necessary arrangements!
>Attendance: By all means please don’t ditch my class. If you do, you’ll be missing out on crucial information! If you are sick or have any other kind of valid excuse just shoot me an email or leave me a message at 708-714-1218 and I will do my best to catch you up. I also highly recommend finding some kind of “study buddy” in the class who can get you up to speed if you miss class.
>Classroom Rules/Expectations: we will come up with a list of these together in class so you all can have your say in it too! This is a joint effort that each of us in our little community ought to partake in.
>Academic Honesty: We all know what cheating is. Don’t do it because it is likely you WILL get caught and this is just not worth it due to the severe consequences. We will discuss plagiarism and some examples one day this upcoming year so everyone can get a clearer picture of what it is, just as a review of sorts just in case.
>Lateness: I understand that things happen and being late happens---it’s life. I am very understanding about this given how I am known for being notoriously late myself. However, I will be putting into practice the three strikes and your out rule. If you’re late three times you’ll stay after school for 30 minutes to an hour with me and we’ll figure out how to prevent being late in the future.
>Help Outside of Class: I will always be eager and excited to help you all and discuss anything we are doing in class with you. So please, if you are having trouble, let me know and we can set up a time for you to come in and get some extra help.
>Homework and Other Work: Do your homework. I will be very flexible at first, but please don’t take advantage of this! I will give you all three late passes. So this means I will give you an extra day for any three assignments. But if you’re late a fourth time, we’ve got a problem and I’ll ask that you come in and see me so we can chat about it and figure out a way to conquer that problem.
Calendar/Tentative Schedule (this is subject to change):
Week 1: Introduction to course, teacher introduction, getting to know each other, students fill out survey with fun facts/personal information/information about their learning styles, etc.,start daily write-ups, begin The Catcher in the Rye.
Week 2: Continue with The Catcher in the Rye, write-ups, hand out first vocabulary list, first in-class essay.
Week 3: Finish The Catcher in the Rye, assign project and paper, begin poetry lesson: will look at confessional poets such as Sylvia Plath, Anne Sexton, Allen Ginsburg and modernist poets such as Emily Dickinson, T.S. Eliot, Robert Frost, Walt Whitman, Wallace Stevens and more contemporary poets such as Maya Angelou and Billy Collins. Also: an in-class essay.
Week 3: Continue with poetry unit, write-ups, in-class essay.
Week 4: Poetry unit assessment assigned: project or unquiz, write-ups, in-class essay, begin The Lord of the Flies.
Week 5: Continue with The Lord of the Flies, write-ups, in-class essay.
Week 6: Finish up The Lord of the Flies, write-ups, in-class essay, assign The Lord of the Flies project and paper.
Week 7: Begin The Odyssey, write-ups, in-class essay.
Week 8: Continue The Odyssey, write-ups, in-class essay.
Week 9: Continue The Odyssey, write-ups, in-class essay.
Week 10: Finish up The Odyssey, assign project and paper, write-ups, in-class essay.
Week 11: Begin nonfiction unit, write-ups, in-class essay.
Week 12: Continue with nonfiction unit, write-ups, in-class essay.
Week 13: Assign project OR paper for nonfiction unit, write-ups, in-class essay.
Week 14: Begin A Separate Peace, write-ups, in-class essay.
Week 15: Continue with A Separate Peace, write-ups, in-class essay.
Week 16: Finish up A Separate Peace, assign project and paper, write-ups, in-class essay.
END OF FIRST SEMESTER
Week 17: Begin The Bluest Eye, write-ups, in-class essay.
Week 18: Continue The Bluest Eye, write-ups, in-class essay.
Week 19: Finish up The Bluest Eye, assign project and paper, write-ups, in-class essay.
Week 20: Begin short story unit. Will read Poe, Thoreau, Irving, Wilde, Hawthorne, etc. Write-ups, in-class essay as well.
Week 21: Continue with short story unit, write-ups, in-class essay.
Week 22: Finish up short story unit, assign project OR paper, write-ups, in-class essay.
Week 23: Start A Tale of Two Cities, write-ups, in-class essay.
Week 23: Continue with A Tale of Two Cities, write-ups, in-class essay.
Week 24: Finish up A Tale of Two Cities, assign project and paper, write-ups, in-class essay.
Week 25: Start Antigone, write-ups, in-class essay.
Week 26: Finish up Antigone, assign project OR paper, write-ups, in-class essay.
Week 27: Start The Color Purple, write-ups, in-class essay.
Week 28: Continue with The Color Purple, write-ups, in-class essay.
Week 29: Finish up The Color Purple, assign project and paper, write-ups, in-class essay.
Week 30: Start A Streetcar Named Desire, write-ups, in-class essay.
Week 31: Finish up A Streetcar Named Desire, write-ups, in-class essay, assign project OR paper.
Week 32: Reflect on year, work on end of the year projects.
END OF YEAR
Classroom Management and Overall Teaching Philosophy:
When I become a teacher, my prime goal will be to mold my students into confident, independent, creative, and driven individuals. I plan to achieve this goal by stressing three very important characteristics that a teacher should possess: being a good role model, patience, and creativity. In regards to striving to be a good role model toward their students, one must be a significant presence in the students’ eyes and thus, must have a certain demeanor that is warm and welcoming, receptive, and open-minded. Additionally, all teachers must be approachable---there is nothing worse than an unapproachable, aloof teacher whose directions are unclear yet when a student approaches them for help, they only walk away more befuddled than before.
Moreover, it is crucial that teachers be creative in the classroom. Originality is key in the classroom---it is vital to make the learning environment enjoyable for students; otherwise it becomes quite difficult for students to soak up any knowledge. Teachers who peak their students’ interests truly and effortlessly succeed in relaying information in the classroom.
Lastly, patience truly proves to be a virtue, especially in the classroom. Impatient and temperamental teachers are notoriously feared in schools. If one gets fed up easily, or is prone to losing his or her temper, then teaching should not be something considered by them. On a different note, students’ stress levels are already high enough---teachers must alleviate their pain by giving them a sufficient amount of time to complete assignments or tests, otherwise the end results will not be ideal in the least. By the same token, all students should feel as if they are welcome in their teachers’ classroom whenever they feel the need to come in for some extra help. Teachers should let their students know that they do indeed want them to succeed and will do whatever it takes to lend them a hand along the way in their class.
In the classroom I believe a teacher must take on a role as a sailor. They must navigate their way through the sea, waves tall, wide, and short, as well as the fluctuating tides (who are in this case, the students) in order to get the hang of things and fall into a certain groove that is appropriate for both the teachers and the students. Whatever the teacher demonstrates will be mirrored by the attitudes of his or her students and thus, whatever strategies the teacher chooses to execute must resonate with the students, otherwise pandemonium will ensue and the teacher’s notions will prove to be rather ineffectual. Therefore, teacher effectiveness will always go hand and hand with successful classroom management and this is something I will undeniably always keep in mind in my middle or high school English classroom.
As recognized in book The First Days of School, “In the first few days of school, teach only procedures necessary for the smooth opening of class. Delay the other procedures until the appropriate activity arises. The effective teacher cultivates a positive reputation, communicates with parents and students before school starts, greets the students with positive expectations, has the seating assignment and first assignment ready.” So just like a Boy Scout, teachers must “always be prepared” and instantly set the right tone in the classroom and with their students, otherwise bad first impressions can be extremely detrimental to their reputation with their students in the classroom environment. You must “hook” the students and reel them in right away while gaining respect and engagement along the way.
Foremost, the two primary qualities I will embrace to help aid my successful classroom management plan are: 1) to exude empathy and a non-intimidating, warm demeanor. Far too many times have I experienced a cold, dreadfully unapproachable teacher who acted as if I was inflicting great pain upon him or her by answering one small question, or to ask him or her to explain a concept again to me. This is a characteristic no teacher should possess. If you act as if students are an immense burden to you, how on Earth do you plan to win their respect (or for them to respect you?) More significantly, if you are dispassionate and act as if you’d rather be anywhere but at school, the students will catch on to that instantly and the result will be far from a smoothly-run classroom. I know from experience when I dreaded a certain class due to an uncaring, pessimistic teacher who made me feel like a fool, I usually did not do as well in that class as I did in classes where I was fond of the teacher. It all falls on our shoulders.
The teacher must set this specific tone in order for their students to be successful (which is of course, what we all want for our future students!) In this same vein, teachers and students must bond, so to speak, and form solid relationships and work to get a sense of who each other is. This will help immensely down the line. If there is no connection between teacher and students, how will they construct a flourishing learning domain? You have to make the necessary connections with your students in order to expect anything out of them. My number two non-negotiable belief I hold dear as a future teacher is that teachers must work tirelessly to foster creativity within their classrooms, which intertwines with one of the Seven Developmental Needs of Adolescents which is, “self-exploration and definition.” Not only should us as teachers encourage and act as a catalyst for students to “find themselves” and discover more about themselves and what they want through everyday experiences, but we should incorporate these life elements and skills into everything we teach them. After all, the material must be relevant and when it is, students will be infinitely more engaged and be that much more invested in your class; making your classroom that much easier to run.
Assessment Philosophy:
The art of assessing students is undeniably one of the most arduous tasks that teaching requires given how absolutely crucial it is. I think assessments must be tailored to work for a teacher’s specific class and as a teacher, I will strive to be fair, lenient, empathetic, imaginative and challenging in the assessing of my students. As an English teacher, I am a big believer in practicing various forms of writing as often as possible, incorporating new vocabulary into as many of my lessons/assessments as possible and assigning a wide range of creative projects that force students to analyze, think critically, converse with their peers among many other things in lieu of tests. I do not believe in tests or quizzes of any kind, especially in English classes.
I do not believe they accurately portray what a student has grasped and even if a student scores very high on a quiz or test, that does not mean they got anything out of that particular lesson or unit---it may mean they merely just memorized a bunch of facts---this does not align with my philosophy whatsoever. Moreover, no two students learn in the same manner and thus, I must keep this in mind with my assessments. When constructing assessments, I must keep in mind all of the different learning styles that are in my classes. Naturally, I can not satisfy each individual need but I can most certainly give students choices so they can select a particular assignment that resonates well with them.
In a similar vein, I will assign some kind of productive, useful assignment everyday but it will never be busywork. I will always clearly state the purpose of every assignment to my students so they can see why it is an important component to whatever lesson we are on. I will assure my students my assignments will never be unnecessarily long and I will always emphasize that my homework will be for the purpose of practice and to check for understanding. However, I will never grade homework assignments, I don’t find that to be a prudent move on any teacher’s part. I will simply review the students’ completed work and make comments as to what they need to work on, for future reference and that way they have some constructive feedback and criticism. I will also make it known that I am always in school early and stay after school as well and that time I spend there is solely for the students to use at their disposal. I will urge them to come to my room to work on homework and to ask questions and check their understanding on any concept from class.
As for tests, I am not a big believer of tests in English classes---I think it’s a poor and futile way to assess students. Instead, I will have several formative assessments such as projects, papers, skits, group projects, and anything and everything under that umbrella. However, I intend to have weekly vocabulary quizzes on words from the various novels and poems we will study because I believe vocabulary is one of the most important things to master within the realm of English.
Letter from Teacher to Parents/Guardians:
Dear Parent or Guardian,
I want to take this opportunity to introduce myself and express my excitement about working with your child this year. I am extremely passionate about the subject of English as well as each of my students. I believe each child has great potential and I am going to do my very best to help each of my students to live up to that and thrive in the best manner possible in my class.
This year, we are going to be covering a wide variety of both classic and contemporary novels as well as poetry, short stories, and nonfiction pieces. From Toni Morrison to Shakespeare to Sylvia Plath to studies on biographies, we are going to cover it all---and I will be there with your child each step of the way helping them expand their vocabulary, strengthen their writing skills, research skills and helping them to analyze better and think more critically all while teaching them the value of an open, creative and imaginative mind.
Attached to this letter is the class syllabus, so please feel free to take some time to peruse it.
Also note that if you ever have any comments, questions or concerns, I am available for phone calls and meetings (by appointment please) each day before and after school. To schedule a meeting, my phone number and email are listed below.
I can’t wait to get started working with your child! Let’s have a great year!
Sincerely,
Clare Kelly
708-714-1218
Teacher Introduction for Students:
Dear Student,
Welcome to Ms. Kelly’s English class! I’m Ms. Kelly and I’m going to be your English teacher for the year.
I am writing to you today because I wanted to take the opportunity to introduce myself, express my excitement about working with you this year, and give you some insight as to what we will be doing this year. I am extremely passionate about the subject of English so I hope to make you all love it just as much as I do! I am firmly believe that each of you has immense potential to thrive in life and I am going to do my best to help you do so---both in my class and outside of my class.
Anyway, now I suppose I’ll share a bit of information about me. I am a new teacher this year, having graduated from Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana last year. I’m from the great city of Chicago and I enjoy traveling, reading, writing, concerts and going out with friends. I also love dogs, and am hoping to get a puppy soon! I am also hoping to get back to Europe again sometime soon---I studied abroad in Madrid, Spain the summer before my senior year and also visited Barcelona, Spain and Rome and am dying to get back there! Some fun facts about me are: I have an affinity for reality television (in addition to the countless of other regular television shows I love), in the past I’ve had borderline obsessions with Lady Gaga and Nicki Minaj (and still kind of do!), and I am an old movie buff---my favorite actresses are Joan Crawford and Bette Davis.
Well, enough me! This year we are going to be covering a wide variety of both classic and contemporary novels as well as poetry, short stories, and nonfiction pieces. From Toni Morrison to Shakespeare to Sylvia Plath to studies on biographies, we are going to cover it all---and will be discussing countless different topics and themes that I am going to do my very best to connect to our culture and society and your daily lives in order to make class as relatable, entertaining and enjoyable as possible.
Some of my goals for you all this year is to help you expand your vocabulary, strengthen your writing and research skills, and help you analyze texts better in addition to think more critically and creatively and open up your mind to brand new ideas. Above all, I encourage creativity. After all, Albert Einstein once said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge.”
Also, keep in mind that if you ever need any extra help or just want someone to talk to about any personal problems and the like, please do come to me---I love to help!
I can’t wait to meet you all in class soon. Let’s have a fun, successful and stimulating year!
Sincerely,
Ms. Clare Kelly
708-714-1218
Powerful and Most Memorable Moments: