Monthly Archives: March 2020

Today was perhaps the strangest day of my 30 year career as a teacher. There have been years where we lost a member of our school community: both students and staff. I’ve taught while preparing for hurricanes, floods, polar vortexes, and blizzards. In 2001, I was teaching when the Twin Towers were hit. And I was teaching in the months after that when we saw military vehicles on bridges and overpasses on our way to school. I taught through the anthrax scare when we were terrified of the mail and the deadly disease that it could have transmitted.

Today was stranger than all of that. In the past we knew the threat and knew that, while painful and scary, the threat would eventually end. This is different. We don’t know what will happen next. And that is the scary part.

We do know that the rest of the year may be altered. We do know that we are going to have to adjust to learning in ways we never thought we would have to. We do know that our seniors are mourning their last quarter of high school that will not look anything like they expected.

I am sad too if this is the end of our time gathered together in room 2-101. Digital learning is fine, but it will never take the place of sharing a space with people and learning from one another. I will miss you all and hope that we will find our way back together. Until then, take care of yourselves. And know that I am thinking of you all.

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OK. So here we are. You will be out for sure until 6 April. Here’s what I think.

This is new to all of us. Be patient and help each other.

• You need to keep doing school work. Eventually, school will be back to normal and you don’t want to have lost all the progress you’ve made.

• I will still be working and will be available to you via online office hours. You can reach me at paekman@isd535.org between 10am and 3pm. Outside of those times, I will also respond to email, but maybe not immediately.

• I will start by grading the work submitted in Classroom and posting scored on Skyward. When I return work, I will let you know if something needs revision.

• You can still access the library’s materials using MackinVIA. There are 1000’s of articles in the databases as well as digital books and audio books.

English 9H– Today, take the time to make revisions to your research paper. You should be down to grammar editing. There is a checklist in Classroom. Also in Classroom is this week’s Friday writing, the Research Reflection. Do that and have it in by the end of the week. Keep reading your dystopian book. It will either be a good distraction or a helpful instruction manual. Take home another book (or two). You may need them.

English 9 SWS– Take home a copy of Mango and keep reading and doing your 3-2-1 notes. By now, you know how this should work. Don’t forget the creative project too. That will be actually fun to work on during the shutdown. Also, take home a book (or several) and start working on the Q4 project. If you have online access, get a book using MackinVia and do some reading.

AP Lang– If you are taking the AP test, use the CB Classroom for practice. Between now and 6 April, write at least one argument prompt, one rhetorical analysis prompt, and probably 2 synthesis prompts. Email them to me for feedback. Otherwise, work on the Q4 project.

English 9H– Dystopian book groups meeting–> Decide on a reading schedule that gets the book finished by 10 April. Make sure you turn in FW#22. Work on that research paper and be ready for grammar editing on Monday.

English 9 SWS– Make sure FW#22 is done and turned in. Let’s read more Mango!

AP Lang– Big Magic

English 9H– Revisions and reading. Spend at least 15 minutes reading over your research paper and making revisions. Then read at least 20 pages in your novel.

English 9 SWS– Mango and another messy draft. Revise and type ONE of these into the document for FW#22.

AP Lang– Weaponized Lies, “Science” and “Fallacies”. Any way possible y’all are going to get this paper done early?

Happy Birthday Violet!

English 9H– Research editing. Read some in your book. This week’s writing will be a short response to the first 20 pages.

English 9 SWS– Mango. This week’s writing will be to complete ONE of the pieces for the big project.

AP Lang– WL “Science”

English 9H– “Tears of Autumn” group work. This is in your notebook as Whole Class Reads (purple).

English 9 SWS– Mango. And what about this project thing?

AP Lang– Work time/ peer editing of research paper.  See Classroom for directions.

English 9H–

• Calendar check.

• Paragraph writing continues.

• Comedy paper reflection (in notebook under Personal Reflection)

• Don’t forget the short story due tomorrow when you walk in the door.

English 9 SWS– More Mango! Tomorrow–> a sneak peak at the project for this book.

AP Lang– Counterknowledge. AKA Fake News. Rough draft of your paper tomorrow for peer editing.

Dogs

English 9H– Research check-in. Are you finished with your outline? Ready for paragraph writing? Some helpful hints in Classroom.

English 9 SWS– Check in on FW#21.

AP Lang– Research check-in. How’s that annotated bib going?

English 9H– Keep working on your research. FW#21 is due soon!

English 9 SWS– Spend today’s class working on FW#21. If you finish with that, you can look up more info on the coronavirus. Save links to articles that you think are interesting.

AP Lang– Continue working on your research.

English 9H- Work time! Y’all need to keep working on this paper. Don’t forget that you have another short story for next Tuesday.

English 9 SWS- Continue working through Mango. Introduce FW#21. You will have work time for this tomorrow.

AP Lang- Research paper!