Welcome to English 10B, one of the two English courses you'll take in Grade 10.
In ELA 10B we will be exploring some really interesting topics - Equity and Ethics, and Interacting with the World Around Us. We will also be studying the classic play Macbeth, which is the shortest (and bloodiest) of Shakespeare's many plays.
Here are some things you should know about English 10B to help you be successful:
1) Do your homework and assignments ON TIME. All of homework assignments and other projects are designed to help you learn and practice specific concepts, terms, and ideas. They are not just "make-work," I have created them and assigned them to you at this particular time so that you can learn and practice these things at the right time. In addition, if you get things in on time then you will get more timely feedback, and more opportunities to fix mistakes and improve your writing and other skills, AND get things re-graded to show that improvement. Doing assignments late and at the last minute means you won't have these opportunities - it's as simple as that. Try your very best to stay on top of things - it is much easier to keep up than it is to catch up!
2) Ask for help when you need it! Needing help is not a sign of weakness, it is a sign of self-awareness which is a really important thing to develop. I cannot read your mind, so I won't know what you need help with unless you let me know. This extends to writing assignments and other projects - if you want feedback on your work or to check to see if you're on the right track, then PLEASE come see me (outside of class time is probably best since we probably won't have time during class) and I will be happy to give you some feedback even before you hand it in.
3) Don't give up! I find that the main thing that separates students who do well in high school, from those who do poorly, is NOT "being smart" - it's perseverance (sticking to it, even when it's difficult). Learning new things can be difficult, but you can do it - sometimes it takes several tries!
4) Work on becoming an independent learner and taking responsibility for your own success. High school means increased responsibility for your own learning. Your teachers and parents and other adults in your life are here to support you, but ultimately it is YOU who must decide if you want to be successful.
5) Proofread, Proofread, Proofread! I can't even explain how many marks are lost in my English classes because students didn't read over their work carefully before handing it in. Typos, missing or inserted words, awkward sentence structures, sentences that simply don't make sense... it's really hard to see past these to your great ideas! So here's what you do: Read it slowly to yourself. Read it out loud to yourself. Read it out loud to a friend. Ask your parents to read it over for you. Ask a friend or classmate to read it over for you. Don't hand it in until you have done at least 3 of these steps. Sometimes we will even have time in class for some peer editing - so make sure you have a draft ready for your classmate to look over on those days!
Another tip I can offer is to stay up to date - you should check this blog and our course calendar regularly, and I strongly suggest that you sign up for Remind, to get the latest reminders on the go!
Sign up for Remind
Students and their parents (and other caregivers of course) are encouraged to sign up for Remind, which is a service that allows me to send mass text (or email) messages to my students, all without sharing personal phone numbers or email addresses.
To sign up:
Option 1: Click on the link below to sign up for texts or emails
ELA 10B: https://www.remind.com/join/mishela10b
Option 2: Sign up by Text
Send a text with the course code @mishela10b to this number (902) 701-9279 and then follow instructions
Option 3: Sign up by Email
Send an email to this address from the email account you would like to add to the list.
ELA 10B: mishela10b@mail.remind.com
In ELA 10B we will be exploring some really interesting topics - Equity and Ethics, and Interacting with the World Around Us. We will also be studying the classic play Macbeth, which is the shortest (and bloodiest) of Shakespeare's many plays.
Here are some things you should know about English 10B to help you be successful:
1) Do your homework and assignments ON TIME. All of homework assignments and other projects are designed to help you learn and practice specific concepts, terms, and ideas. They are not just "make-work," I have created them and assigned them to you at this particular time so that you can learn and practice these things at the right time. In addition, if you get things in on time then you will get more timely feedback, and more opportunities to fix mistakes and improve your writing and other skills, AND get things re-graded to show that improvement. Doing assignments late and at the last minute means you won't have these opportunities - it's as simple as that. Try your very best to stay on top of things - it is much easier to keep up than it is to catch up!
2) Ask for help when you need it! Needing help is not a sign of weakness, it is a sign of self-awareness which is a really important thing to develop. I cannot read your mind, so I won't know what you need help with unless you let me know. This extends to writing assignments and other projects - if you want feedback on your work or to check to see if you're on the right track, then PLEASE come see me (outside of class time is probably best since we probably won't have time during class) and I will be happy to give you some feedback even before you hand it in.
3) Don't give up! I find that the main thing that separates students who do well in high school, from those who do poorly, is NOT "being smart" - it's perseverance (sticking to it, even when it's difficult). Learning new things can be difficult, but you can do it - sometimes it takes several tries!
4) Work on becoming an independent learner and taking responsibility for your own success. High school means increased responsibility for your own learning. Your teachers and parents and other adults in your life are here to support you, but ultimately it is YOU who must decide if you want to be successful.
5) Proofread, Proofread, Proofread! I can't even explain how many marks are lost in my English classes because students didn't read over their work carefully before handing it in. Typos, missing or inserted words, awkward sentence structures, sentences that simply don't make sense... it's really hard to see past these to your great ideas! So here's what you do: Read it slowly to yourself. Read it out loud to yourself. Read it out loud to a friend. Ask your parents to read it over for you. Ask a friend or classmate to read it over for you. Don't hand it in until you have done at least 3 of these steps. Sometimes we will even have time in class for some peer editing - so make sure you have a draft ready for your classmate to look over on those days!
Another tip I can offer is to stay up to date - you should check this blog and our course calendar regularly, and I strongly suggest that you sign up for Remind, to get the latest reminders on the go!
Sign up for Remind
Students and their parents (and other caregivers of course) are encouraged to sign up for Remind, which is a service that allows me to send mass text (or email) messages to my students, all without sharing personal phone numbers or email addresses.
To sign up:
Option 1: Click on the link below to sign up for texts or emails
ELA 10B: https://www.remind.com/join/mishela10b
Option 2: Sign up by Text
Send a text with the course code @mishela10b to this number (902) 701-9279 and then follow instructions
Option 3: Sign up by Email
Send an email to this address from the email account you would like to add to the list.
ELA 10B: mishela10b@mail.remind.com