Fall 2001

Welcome to A. P. Poetry!

This semester we will be grappling with essential questions and reading poems that answer, ponder, or continue these questions, ranging from “What is the nature of love and love poetry?” to “Why do we read poetry?” We will read poetry bridging four centuries and many authors, from Shakespeare to Adrienne Rich. Through our inquiry, you will develop advanced analytical skills to enrich your understanding of poetry, preparing you for college literature courses and a lifetime of reading satisfaction. We will formally and informally prepare for the A. P. exam, which may earn you college credit depending on your score and the policies of your college.

To achieve these goals, you are expected to read and write actively, contribute productively to class, and closely examine your performance on a regular basis.

Coursework:

·        Daily readings as assigned.

·        Weekly reading quizzes; usually response to the reading, not detail questions.

·        Weekly journal response essay turned in every Wednesday, rain or shine. These are ungraded, but every journal not turned in will result in the loss of one point from your quarter grade. Late journals will lose a half point.

·        Independent reading of one poet’s work per quarter (your choice, read at least 200 lines or 10 poems) and an essay analyzing that work.

·        Classwork, formal facilitation of one class discussion (second quarter).

·        About one graded in-class essay per month on class poets; about one per quarter, ungraded, for AP practice.

·        One out of class essay per month, thesis- or inquiry-based, on work read in class.

·        Writing workshop for poetry and essays, about twice a month.

·        AP multiple-choice practice--language for juniors, literature for seniors.

·        We will most likely have a final paper or project, not an exam, for this class.

·        Quarter Grade (subject to change):
·        Essays 70%
·        Quizzes 20%
·        Classwork (self-evaluation)10%

Course Requirements and Miscellaneous Policies:

All work done outside of class MUST be typed.

Organization/Motivation: Keep this syllabus. Make note of all due dates; I may not remind you, but you are still responsible for work due on those days. Remember that this is a college level course and take responsibility for your education accordingly. Please save all work completed for this class and all handouts; you may need them for your final project.

The Elements of Style: It’s not just for tenth grade anymore. Learn it, use it, and save us lots of time and aggravation.

Absences are your responsibility, not mine. Please see me to make up work or find out what you’ve missed; I will not hunt you down. Please also tell me when you know you will be absent. Absence is not an excuse for turning in major assignments late. Please turn in all work on or before the due date, whether you are here or not, via friend, parent, email, or carrier pigeon. If you are absent on a major due date and want me to accept your paper late, you must have a note from a parent.

Late work will lose one full grade (10 points) per day of lateness, up to 30 points. Please see me in advance for extensions if needed or if you have several assignments due on the same day. I am far more lenient when you talk with me in advance. Late essays may not be revised for a higher grade (see below). You are entitled to one (1) free computer/technical emergency that will buy you an extra day, free of penalty, on one assignment.

Email/voicemail is to be used judiciously. If you can’t make it to school on a due date, you can email your assignment as an attachment (Microsoft Word is best, otherwise Clarisworks). Please do not cut and paste! It messes with the spacing and margins and makes your work look sloppy! If you will be absent, email or leave a message in my voicemail (call the school and ask to be connected to it, or press 315 when you get the school’s message).

Meetings. Occasionally I will ask you to come see me, or you may need to do so on your own initiative. I’ll be most available periods 5 and 7, though others are possible. If you want to be sure I’ll be in my office, make an appointment.

My pet peeves: lateness to class, late assignments, rudeness, bigotry, random inappropriate comments in discussion, not telling me something I need to know.

I appreciate people who say thank you, open-mindedness, positive attitudes, balanced time management, well-rested students, a sense of perspective.

Grades are not as important to me as they are to many of you.  It’s important to me that you learn in this class; your grade will be based on the skill you exhibit in that particular assignment, which may or may not reflect how much you’re actually learning (you probably learn more from revising a C paper than an A one, for instance). In order to keep both you and me focused on your learning rather than your grade, you will have assignments that are “ungraded” in the traditional sense, meaning that I will write comments and give you credit for the work but not a grade.

You will have the opportunity to revise each essay once, to improve your grade and to learn more. The new grade will be averaged with the old grade. Please remember, though, that it’s more efficient to do your best work the first time out instead of falling back on this policy to dig you out of a hole.

In general, if you earn an A from me, it will be because you have done truly exceptional work that brings in fresh ideas or perspectives. B’s signify that you are completing assignments adequately but are lacking an element of control, depth, risk, or clarity that would give your work a needed edge. C’s mean that you have completed the work, but it is seriously lacking key concepts, thought, or effort. D’s are reserved for work that is done with little effort on your part, usually at the last minute. F’s are usually earned on poor quizzes or late papers. It’s rare that an essay would earn an F, as I believe you really have to try to get an F. If you’ve actually written an essay, you’re not trying hard enough to fail.

If you have questions or concerns, please ask me now or at any time in the future. Please ask if you don’t know why we’re doing something or if you have a better idea.

I expect each of you to make a solid, good faith effort to do your best in this class (as I expect the same from myself). I know, however, that this class is just one of many aspects in your life so please come talk to me if something is preventing you from doing your best work.