Critical Instruction in English (CIE)Robin Tupa – Room 2206

Syllabus 2017-2018

“The students in the public education system will demonstrate exemplary performance

in the reading and writingof the English language.”

— Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for High School English

COURSE GOALS

Critical Investigations in English is an academically rigorous course specifically designed to help students achieve success on state End of Course Exams. To achieve this goal, students will read engaging, challenging texts across multiple genres and write in a variety of modes, with a special emphasis on analytical, expository, and persuasive writing. Beyond the state exams, this course is designed to foster the necessary skills for academic success.

EXPECTATIONS

Students in this classroom will:

  • Come to class on time, prepared, and willing to participate in the day’s instruction.
  • RESPECT fellow classmates, the teacher and the classroom.
  • Complete assignments on time.
  • Expect the same behavior from classmates.
  • Cell phones and other electronic devices should be put away in class – neither visible nor audible - unless permission for BYOT (bring your own technology) has been approved BY THE TEACHER.
  • Plagiarism, passing off someone else’s work as your own – is a crime. I can’t help you become a better writer if your work isn’t genuinely yours!

SUPPLIES

Each student is expected to bring the following supplies to keep in class:

3 Subject Spiral- THIS STAYS IN THE ROOM

Each student is expected to bring the following supplies to class to use personally:

Pen or pencil

Paper

Library Book

Grades

Because of the largely participatory nature of this course, students who genuinely attempt all assigned work, who join in the small- and large-group discussions, who produce pieces of writing of growing skill, and who read critically both independently and as part of our day-to-day activities can expect to receive grades that reflect that genuine effort. The nine-week averages will be reported on a 100-point scale, just as any other class would do, but the grading that goes into that score will not necessarily reflect “right” or “wrong” answers; instead, student’s grades will reflect hard work in class, completion of assignments, and the building of an in-class portfolio of critical reading activities and academic and creative writings. Students who choose not to participate sufficiently in assigned activities can expect less-than-satisfactory grades and possible removal from the CIE course entirely. This policy is meant to take the GPA pressure off of students who may already lack confidence in language arts and focus instead on growth and accomplishment.

Absences

Students are expected to get assignments by consulting me before or after school, checking my website, or utilizing the absent bins. While you will receive extra time to complete missed assignments, at the end of the 9 weeks, missing grades will result in a “0” if not attempted.

***The Late Work Window will close every THREE weeks once school wide Progress Reports are distributed***

EXIT CRITERIA

Students participating in the CIE course have been specially selected because of both the student’s need for supplemental instruction in the areas of critical reading and writing and because of each student’s willingness and ability to work hard to achieve not only success on the state test (EOC), but to become prepared for the future demands of college and career literacy. As such, our focus is not just on test scores.

10th Grade— Students who successfully meet the standard for Reading and Writing on the EOCs are expected to remain in the CIE course for the duration of the year in an effort to boost skill and confidence not only in the ELA classroom, but across all classes, becoming more effective readers and writers for the duration of high school and beyond.

11th Grade—Students who successfully meet the standard on the December round of EOC testing may choose to exit the CIE course and return to an elective of choice for the second semester of the 2015-2016 school year. Exiting the CIE course is not mandatory or automatic. Students may choose to stay in the CIE course even after passing the necessary EOC tests, if desired, to continue working toward college and career readiness goals. Any schedule changes due to success on the EOC still require approval from both the counselors’ and the principals’ offices.

MOVIES

We do get to watch several movies based on novels/units that we work on in class.

Someone Was Watching SpeakA Christmas CarolThe Blind SideLife of Pi

FOR YOUR PARENT/GUARDIAN