Ms. PohanEuro Lit 2017

Stuyvesant High

Minutes Guidelines

Every year, I struggle to find ways to avoid slipping into a rut with Minutes. I wouldn’t have us do Minutes if it weren’t a valuable and potentially rewarding practice, and there is no excuse for a valuable and potentially rewarding practice toget a half-assed treatment.

Here are some new guidelines for Minutes gifts that are popular but fall flat and require little effort:

If you want to bring in an inspiring quote…

You must write a 5 sentence minimum response addressed tothe quote or the author of the quote

ORwrite a 5 sentence min. response connecting it to some other piece of art or literature

OR write a poem inspired by the quote

OR draw something inspired by the quote.

You must tell us who said the quote and when.

You must neatly handwrite or type the quote on a sheet of paper so that it may be put on the wall. (You may, but do not have to, include your response.)

If you want to bring in riddles/jokes/weird facts…

You must draw something to illustrate the riddle/joke/weird fact to be put up on the wall.

If you want to share an “interesting article”…

You must type or handwrite one paragraph in which you…

  • provide any relevant background information
  • summarize the article’s main points
  • explain why you are sharing it with the class.

On the same page, you must type or handwrite at least TWO interesting quotes from the article.

At the bottom of the page, you should include the link to the article.

This must be presentable enough to go on the wall.

If you want to bring in a bucket list…

You must include at least one item that has to do with art or literature. Be specific! For example: not just go to the Louvre, but rather see the sculpture of Aphrodite at the Louvre.

If you want to bring in a book recommendation…

You must create a mini poster to go up on the wall. It must have:

  • Book title
  • Author
  • Year published
  • Brief plot summary
  • Why you are recommending it
  • A quote from the book

If you want to bring in homemade food…

You must make it from scratch, not from a pre-made mix.

You must tell us where you got the recipe and if there are any special ingredients.

You MUST bring in napkins and any required serving utensils

We are officially retiring the following minutes gifts:

  • Rubix cubes
  • Weird body tricks (like double-jointedness)
  • Math problems or tricks
  • “You can ask me any 5 questions”
  • Trivia challenge
  • Movie recommendations (unless it bears a direct connection to the material we’re covering)

This is what your Minutes sheet must look like. NOTE: Minutes presentation (recap + gift) should last no more than 3 minutes.

Date: [insert date you are delivering minutes to the class]

Name: [insert, duh, your name ]

Minutes

Hello, my name is [insert name here] and these are Minutes for [insert the date of the day you are reporting about, not the date it is when you are reading this to the class].

Yesterday’s aim was [insert aim].

[Insert your report about the class here: major points raised, interesting moments, any conclusions we came to, questions raised, surprises and revelations, etc. Do NOT detail every single step we took to get from first to last bell; this is an exercise in capturing the meat of the lesson.]

The homework due today was [insert homework description here, as well as a reminder of any major deadlines coming up].

Minutes tomorrow will be delivered by [insert person’s name here]

And now, for my gift! [present gift to class]

** When you finish, hand over your Minutes sheet to Ms. Pohan

Examples of some gifts that work (though you are by no means limited to this list):

  • Reading an original piece of writing specifically written as a Minutes gift.
  • Creating a piece of art – to leave in the classroom or not – that relates to what we’re reading/writing.
  • Writing and then reading a letter to anauthor we’ve read who has influenced/inspired you.
  • Writing and then reading a letter from one character to another, or a character’s diary entry.
  • Performing a song or piece of music.
  • Reading/performing a poem (your own or someone else’s)
  • Bringing in homemade food. (If you forget napkins and/or serving utensils, we will not be able to eat it!)
  • Demonstrating a skill: breakdancing, juggling, martial arts, etc.
  • Drawing a portrait of the class.
  • Doing a magic trick. (This should be on the no-no list, but I am a sucker for magic.)