Welcome to English 12 AP!

My "book photo" - I'll explain in class!

Hello all!
This is your first chance to view the AP Blog for this course. Mostly I will keep it short; this will be a place to check for homework you missed or links or docs I may post from time to time. You should also play with the fish because it is fun! But, the main idea is for you to take responsibility for your learning.


Here are my expectations for your behaviour in this course:

1. Be polite. This takes a number of forms and covers many occasions. For example, do not sneer at comments or questions from your peers - you are all in this together and you are all learning. Truly there are no dumb questions. Be supportive of one another and of me, please. So, yes, I will say it, please don't sneer at me either. I'm trying pretty hard to do a good job, and it's not as easy as it looks, so give me a break! Moreover, please don't talk while anyone else is talking. I give you lots of time in this class to work with each other, and I really don't relish talking to you all class - it's not that fun! - so, when I am saying something, it's because I actually think you need to hear it. Listen and learn from me and one another. 
2. Limit your emails to me. You or your parents may contact me by email in case of an emergency or if there is an issue your parents wish to discuss. Please avoid emailing me on weekends, Christmas holidays, Spring Break, etc. Also, avoid emails at 11:00 p.m. when your assignment is due the next day. These types of emails will get you nowhere. Also, I am your teacher, so all emails should be appropriate and, as noted above, polite. I will respond to your emails when I am working, and not in the off hours. It is advisable to see me in person at lunch or before school on day 2 if you have concerns, questions, or need extra help.
3. Understand you EARN your mark in this class. I do not spend time thinking about how much I like you and then attach a mark to my personal opinion of you. I actually mark your work. That means I give lots of feedback in red or other colours, and I hope that you use the feedback to consistently improve. I also make sure to provide criteria for the assignments, student examples when I can, and published examples for everything we do. I give generous and reasonable time lines for assignments. The path you should take is to prepare the assignments early and save time for revision, rethinking, editing, and perfecting. You have the opportunity to hand in your best work, and you should do so, if you want to EARN your best mark.
4. You will not all earn A's. It is not impossible, but it is highly unlikely. I have been doing this job for a long time, and, as a result, I have marked tens of thousands of essays. Overall my marks are pretty accurate, and I have substantial expertise in the marking arena. I am happy to discuss marks with you calmly, respectfully, and maturely, and I may even change your mark on occasion, but try not to take the mark personally. A person who earns a C is no better or worse than one who earns an A. I know that. We are all still learning! 
5. Be responsible. It's only one year now until you are potentially in university. This class is at the university / college level. Let's start moving towards that level now. In other words, I will still help you like a high school teacher does, but you should be relying on you (not your mom or dad) to help yourself as much as possible. Don't forget your books, or sleep in, or fail to complete your assignments. Do show up with a pen and paper! No matter how sweet, adorable, cute, or funny you think you are, that kind of behaviour is not permissible anymore. If you mess up, 'fess up, and try harder next time. I'm quite nice, but don't take that as permission to try to get away with as much as you can. Remember you, and your behaviour, EARN the mark you get. 
6. Finally, try hard to learn something. This course is quite intense, but it is also really interesting. I love seeing students thinking about and wrestling with new ideas. You will get a chance to write in forms you've never written and to read ideas and writers you've never read. Open yourself up to all that is new this year, accept that there are lots of things you don't know yet (same for me!), and have fun learning. Because it actually is fun. Really! 

Good luck, and welcome again. Let's have a great year!