Musings

A fabulous student in period 3 suggested reading William Faulkner's Nobel Prize Speech and I found it referenced on Brain Pickings so if you're interested...Massive shout outs to the period 7 group whose study sheet is gold.  The final line in their chart was essentially that everything is interconnected.  And I spilled my secret to one of them...so I'll share with you too. When I sit in my empty classroom in August I do something called "backwards planning" - beginning with the end (in this case, the AP test, in mind).  When I sat alone in room 853 back in August of 2015, I wrote on my paper...Interconnectedness:  Everyone & Everything.  I am so beyond pleased that she (and many of the rest of you) see now what I saw then.

On a different note, I have many thoughts on the amount of work and effort some of you put into this class.  Nothing personal but finishing your work in class like 10 minutes before it's due is a bit lame to me.  I see so much and sometimes it hurts more than my eyes.

Tomorrow's SAS is an OPEN TOPIC so I fully expect all of you to be prepared to share.  This is your LAST OPPORTUNITY before the end of the 6 weeks to share a SAS (remember that next Friday's is devoted to Create Something 2.0).

I'll see y'all tomorrow.  And seriously, massive shout out to that trio of girls, to my lunch buddy today and for all of you who let me borrow pencils.  Oh and to that row in period 4 (you know who you are) who heard all the things I was muttering.

xoxo

Cheat Sheets - Making Some Lemonade

Sorry to be posting later than usual.  I thought I had already written and then boom.  Such is life....thanks for sharing what y'all did today.  It was all over the place but I will be rounding up the best of the best and sharing with you tomorrow (if presentations wrap up) and next week.

See y'all then.
xoxo

TED Talk Tuesday

Today's TED Talk is located here. 

Be ready to present your Cheat Sheet "stuff" tomorrow.

xoxo

Why Not Me?

So test prep season has officially commenced.  Super boring, I know, but very needed for those of you lovelies sitting for the exam.

TED Talk tomorrow (and periods 3 & 4 test booklet stuff in the library).  Wednesday you will be presenting some test tips and info for a class cheat sheet.  Thursday we will practice MC or work on my additional tips for the test.  And Friday is SAS - OPEN TOPICS - as long as they are useful for the exam and for our brains in general.

xoxo

"Because confidence is like respect; you have to earn it." ~Mindy Kaling

Happy Weekend

Have a great weekend.  Read something and prep your brain for all the glorious AP exams that await. Thank you for presenting and perhaps one day soon, confidence will seep from all of your pores.  Too cool for school usually doesn't work out so great.

See you Monday.

xoxo

SAS Tomorrow

Current Events SAS tomorrow.  Please have something written and prepared regardless if you present or not.  Harriet Tubman on the $20 and Prince's death will no doubt be covered so find something different.

Thanks for working on Multiple Choice today.  The AP test is in t-minus 19 calendar days and counting.  Woot woot.

Excited to see y'all tomorrow.

xoxo

Call for Glitter

Seriously, I need glitter.  I'll have a bag outside of my classroom in the morning.  If you have any glitter, bring it to class.  We'll need it for the Multiple Choice.

Thanks for your effort today - prepping for a big exam is never fun but it is what it is.  If you missed the notes, get them from a friend or stop by to take a picture of them.  I have them on my desk.

I'll see you tomorrow.  Oh and don't forget, SAS Current Events style on Friday.

xoxo

TED Talk Tuesday

Bryan Stevenson's TED Talk can be found here so please re-enjoy at your leisure.  Tomorrow we will be working on your last essay and creating some cheat sheets for the exam.  Come ready.

xoxo

Timed Write

I know.  Sorry to make you write on a Monday.  Yuck.  It's all over soon though - the test prep I mean.  I'll have your essays back to you Wednesday.  :)

As a reminder, Friday's SAS is all about Current Events so make sure you have something that fits under that umbrella.

And if you are looking to feed your brain some quality "stuff" before the test, might I suggest reading a couple things from The Norton Reader?   Check out Joan Didion's piece "On Going Home" (page 9) and if you haven't read Jonathan Swift's satirical piece "A Modest Proposal" you can find that on page 499.

Book wise, a short oldie but goodie is Animal Farm  or even 1984 by George Orwell.

But like I said in class, either you've been connecting the dots since September or you not.

See y'all tomorrow for TED Talk Tuesday.

xoxo

TGIF

Happy Friday, y'all.

I hope you have a beautiful weekend.

Before I forget, 2 things:

1) Pre AP Sessions for booklets and paperwork stuff will be Tuesday 4/26. Period 3 = Last Names A-K and Period 4 = Last Names L-Z

2) Create Something 2.0 due in class Friday May 6th.

xoxo

SAS Tomorrow

Open topic for SAS tomorrow.  Please be prepared.  I'm excited (honestly) to learn from you.

Thanks for the effort in today's class discussion.  I appreciate your attendance and your intellectual presence.

See y'all tomorrow.

xoxo

Debate Tomorrow in Periods 4, 6, 7

Periods 2 and 3, I will catch you up...promise.  But the other classes, be ready.

Pd. 4 topic: the vital (or not) role of humorists in society

Pd. 6 topic: function of polite speech

Pd 7 topic: America is great

xoxo

Sorry So Late

Life has been keeping me busy today.  I have a phone call in 15 minutes that I need to take and this moment is the first time I have stopped moving since the bell rang at 2:15.  Forgive the tardiness of the post.

Here's the TED Talk - enjoy again at your leisure.

I'll see you tomorrow.

xoxo

Thank You

Your effort today was much appreciated. Thank you for being prepared and showing me again who you are. I'll see you tomorrow for the TED Talk.

Xoxo

Be Ready

Monday come prepared.

And have a happy weekend.

Xoxo

SAS Tomorrow & Debate Topics

For tomorrow, the SAS topic is open so be prepared to share some good "food" for our brains.  I thank you in advance.

As for Monday, your job is to prep for your debate/discussion.

Period 4:

Defend, challenge, or qualify the view of the relationship between wealth and justice. Support your argument with specific references to your reading, observation or experience.

"Through tatter'd clothes small vices do appear;
Robes and furr'd gowns hide all.  Plate sin with gold,
And the strong lance of justice of justice hurtles breaks:
Arm it in rags, a pigmy's straw does pierce it."  

Shakespeare, King Lear

Periods 2, 3, 6, & 7:

Contemporary life is marked by controversy.  Choose a controversial issue with which you are familiar.  Then, using appropriate evidence, carefully consider the opposing positions on this controversy and propose a solution or compromise.

2nd: Educational Gap
3rd:  Abortion
6th:  Refugees
7th:  Death Penalty

xoxo

Debate/Discussion on Monday - Be Ready

Below you'll find the topics your individual class periods are prepping for Monday's class discussion/debate.  Be ready please.

TED Talk Tuesday

Here's the sweet and simple TED Talk for today.  Rewatch and do a little research on the guy.  Very interesting.  Tomorrow we will launch into Argument with some practice debates/discussions.  We shall see what you know.

SAS on Friday is open topic so bring something that will feed our brains.

Love and light to you all,
xoxo

Back At It

Thanks for the fun discussions - I ebbed and flowed and kinda shut off my brain at 2:10pm.  Sorry 7th period (but that last laugh was fun!).  Here's the link to the Brain Pickings piece by Popova. It's a nice read to go along with the book.

Tomorrow we'll have a TED Talk and a brief piece of writing for EoE.  Bring your book (if you have one) and any notes.  Nothing like a test - more like an opinion piece.

This Friday's SAS is an open topic so bring something good.  Here's to a good week back and an enjoyable last 53 school days together!!!!!!!

#bittersweet

xoxo

Oh, baby

John Frickin' Steinbeck, y'all.

Brain Pickings Weekly Digest, y'all.

Synchronicity.

Make sure you have your book with you tomorrow.  And if you didn't read, all I can truly say is IT IS YOUR LOSS.

xoxo