Literature is Life! “The best thing for being sad,” replied Merlin, beginning to puff and blow, “is to learn something. That’s the only thing that never fails. You may grow old and trembling in your anatomies, you may lie awake at night listening to the disorder of your veins, you may miss your only love, you may see the world about you devastated by evil lunatics, or know your honour trampled in the sewers of baser minds. There is only one thing for it then—to learn. Learn why the world wags and what wags it. That is the only thing which the mind can never exhaust, never alienate, never be tortured by, never fear or distrust, and never dream of regretting. Learning is the only thing for you. Look what a lot of things there are to learn.” T.H. White, The Once and Future King

Welcome to Mrs. McGovern’s Senior English: Connecting Literature to Life

A Glimpse at Student Learning Do you know why adverbs are bad for writing? Do you know what language family English belongs to? Do you know what Beowulf has in common with the Dark Knight? Did you know you are quoting words Shakespeare coined EVERY DAY? Do you know what a yahoo was in its origins? Did you know that The Doors took their name from a line in William Blake’s poetry?

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The Goals Essential Goals Students will learn, refine, and polish their proficiency of interpreting literature and evaluating their writing. Students will participate in various graded and non-graded exercises designed to increase their competency in multiple contexts. Essential goals of this class, in addition to preparing students for college and life beyond high school, are to— read critically think creatively and analytically make connections communicate effectively   Borrowing the metaphor of a sculptor, I hope to chisel their sculptures into works of art!

Our Year   The senior year is designed to refine writing skills, especially voice and style, that will aid students with not only the college essay, but also with real-world writing. Our literature unit begins in September with Beowulf (Can anyone guess the year?) and is a comprehensive survey of British literature up to the present. Students sometimes struggle with this shift from contemporary and personal writing to a formal study of literature and writing. Your senior will study myriad types and styles of writing and end the year with a thorough knowledge of historical movements and ideas that helped to form English literature. Your senior will also gain knowledge of language, especially the English language, as we study its evolution and the culture of each period to see the interconnectedness of life. The research paper, written in the third nine weeks, is a culmination of ALL our learning! My approach to teaching is interdisciplinary, and I will use music and art—EVERYTHING-- to engage and enhance learning.

My Expectations   I have very high expectations that these seniors will be responsible and proactive, especially when absences are involved. I expect students to be in contact with me even before absences and will help them stay on top of work in every way I can. I expect them to come to me first for help and problems. This year is a transition year in many ways, and it is imperative that parents help their children to communicate first and foremost with the teacher. A student or parent’s going to guidance or administration first breaks down the relationship between teacher and learner. I am here because I want to help them grow! I expect students to be responsible for communicating with me about their grades and skills. STINOW grade book will look imbalanced as we are preparing students for the real world of papers and products. The formative practice work counts 10% of the grade while the summative work counts 90%! I expect students to check my Canvas page every day! Every resource available will be there, including weekly schedules, notes, presentations, videos, and much more!

Caveats This year is a tough year for adjustments. English and school, for that matter, are often the last things on their minds. Seniors often feel caught between two worlds, and sometimes the stress affects them. The pace of the senior year is often frenetic with the extra responsibilities of looking ahead to college and beyond. Seniors will experience burn out, and some will give up on school work once their college acceptance letters come in. Absences and tardies create nightmarish problems. Please help keep them in school, especially during Alabama rush parties in the spring when we are writing research papers! Please avoid texting your seniors during class. They will be held accountable. Senioritis is a very real disorder that affects home and school life!