Welcome! The following sections contain useful information for the parents and guardians of this English course's students. You may also wish to visit the "New Student" page to familiarize yourself with the technologies and websites students will routinely be using throughout the school year to access the curriculum, as well as the teacher's page to learn more about Mr. Wheeler and his approach to teaching literature and language arts.
Communication is vitally important to the education process. I strongly encourage students and parents to contact me with any questions, comments, or concerns that they might have. If a student or parent wishes to schedule a meeting with me, please contact me by email to arrange a mutually feasible time. (Please do not contact me by phone.)
- Students and Parents should contact me via email at my district account: mwheeler@mbusdapps.org or through Google Classroom
Course Syllabi
Click on the appropriate course below to access your student's syllabus.
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Course Introduction Videos
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Parents are a vital component of the educational process. To provide support for your child, I suggest the following:
- Check Google Classroom frequently to find out what in-class and homework assignments are being given.
- if possible, encourage your student to buy their own copy of the assigned literary works (preferably the same edition that our library issues) so that they may annotate in them freely.
- If time permits, read along in your own copy of the text so as to be able to discuss the book with your student. (We read some great literature!)
- Help with revision of essays by encouraging your student to read the essay aloud to you (or by reading it aloud to your student) and by helping to identify areas of concern. Please allow the student to revise those areas on his or her own.
- On helping your student with schoolwork… Please do not do any of your student’s work for them nor allow a tutor to do any of your student’s work for them, especially writing. Stepping in to complete your student’s assignments for them will impede the learning this course intends to foster and sends the message to your student that they’re not “good enough” in your eyes. I have provided a list of ways in which you (and other adults) can support your student’s writing on the reverse side of this document.
- On email correspondences... Please do not type your student’s emails to me. Again, you are denying them an opportunity to develop the language and social skills they’ll need to become independent learners, as well as the confidence and self-esteem such interactions cultivate. I consider myself a fair, practical, and personable mentor figure, so encourage your student to turn to me for support when needed.
- On unexcused absences and planned vacations… Families should plan any vacations around the MBUSD academic calendar, which is available on the district website. Note that students will be given a final exam at the end of each semester. Students that leave early for vacations will not be given opportunities to take the exam early or complete an alternate assignment. Remember that non-school-sponsored trips are not excused absences.
- On promoting academic success... It is fair (and healthy) for parents to encourage academic success. It is not helpful to your students to expect high grades or straights As. Our teenagers already have enough stress and anxiety navigating their way through this confusing transitional period in their social lives on top of the maelstrom of hormonal changes roiling within them. Please celebrate and validate their efforts in school and be a lodestar for them should they ever deviate from the path of learning; do not impose impossible standards or outcomes on them (or me, for that matter). If all is well at home, I assure you all will be fine in the classroom.
- As with any skill, writing gets better the more we do it. Let your teenager see you write often and encourage her to write often, too. At-home writing might include e-mails, instant messaging, thank-you notes, scrapbook descriptions, diaries, and what’s-for-dinner notes.
- We write differently for each audience. Encourage your teenager to expand his range and abilities by writing for many different audiences. He could try a letter to the editor or to a legislator, a silly story for his younger sister, or a “list of ten” to cheer up a sick friend.
- Language play and writing can be fun. Have fun with language yourself and share that sense of play with your teenager. Point out new words and phrases you come across in the newspaper or on the radio; share favorite song lyrics; get creative in naming a new pet or writing humorous gift tags or cards.
- Support your budding writer. If your teenager chooses to share her writing with you, point out specifically what you like best about the piece. Rejoice in effort, delight in ideas, and resist the temptation to be critical. Maybe you’ll want to ask your teen to read the piece aloud. Feel free to ask questions about parts that aren’t clear, but leave the answering of those questions to your teen. And make it clear that you are always interested in reading any writings that she wants to share with you.
- While it’s true we learn to write by writing, we also learn to write by reading. Offer your teenager a wide variety of opportunities to read, both educational and entertaining, and pass on your own favorite authors, novels, and magazines to show him you’re a reader, too. Talk about those things you’ve both read.
- The funny thing about writing is that it actually helps the writer think. Encourage your teenager to use writing to think more deeply about things in her life—questions, problems, difficult assignments, hobbies, and topics she wants to learn more about.
- We all have trouble getting started once in a while. If this happens to your teenager, suggest he try brainstorming, jotting lists of ideas, or talking through his thoughts with you or a friend. Sometimes just spending 15 minutes writing anything and everything (including “I don’t know what to write.”) loosens up the very ideas needed for the piece.
- Good writers know how to make any topic their own. They do that in the way they organize their ideas, in the examples they choose, and in the angle, as well as by drawing from their own experiences. Encourage your teen to find ways to make the assigned topic his own.
- Writing is a process of developing and drafting ideas, then revising, and, finally, editing for correct grammar and spelling. Help your teenager see the value of clarifying her ideas, drafting, and revising before she attends to the mechanics.
- Provide a special writing folder or notebook for your teen and encourage him to save writings in it. Nothing can replace the good feeling of reading something we wrote months ago and rediscovering how good it is.
The below description of the five different letter grades should give a clear picture of what level a paper must achieve to receive a specific grade. Notice that a C paper is considered the norm—not an A paper. I use the C paper to serve as the division point between levels of satisfactory and unsatisfactory work. The C paper is satisfactory because it essentially (a) fulfills the assignment, though not remarkably; (b) contains an argument (or thesis) appropriately supported with evidence, and the reasoning used in the argument is clear and makes sense; (c) follows a discernible and logical plan of organization and development; and (d) is written in clear English, though the style may not be distinguished.
The A Paper – Exemplary
The B Paper – Skilled
The C Paper – Proficient/Satisfactory
The D Paper – Developing
The F Paper – Inadequate
The A Paper – Exemplary
- It not only fulfills the assignment but does so in a fresh and mature way. The paper is exciting to read; it accommodates itself well to its intended audience.
- The evidence is detailed and used persuasively and where appropriate; citations are used effectively where appropriate and are formatted correctly.
- The organization gives the reader a sense of the necessary flow of the argument or explanation. Paragraphs are fully developed and follow naturally from what precedes them; the conclusion reinforces the reader’s confidence in the writer’s control of the argument. Organizational guides are used as appropriate.
- The prose is clear, apt, and occasionally memorable. The paper contains few, if any, errors of grammar, mechanics, word choice or expression, none of which undermines the overall effectiveness of the paper.
The B Paper – Skilled
- The assignment has been followed and fulfilled at a better-than-average level. The paper appropriately addresses its intended audience.
- The evidence is detailed and persuasive. The paper may sometimes rely too heavily on the obvious, though the writer does not consistently settle for the obvious. The reasoning is better than adequate: it is thoughtful, with awareness of other points of view.
- The introduction and conclusion are clear, but perhaps not as forceful as they could be. Most paragraphs follow well and are appropriately divided, though one or two could be better placed and developed.
- The expression is more than competent. Not only is sentence structure correct, but subordination, emphasis, sentence length, and variety are used effectively. Some sentences could be improved, but it would be surprising to find serious sentence errors, such as comma splices, fragments, or fused sentences, in a B paper. Punctuation, grammar, and spelling reveal proficient use of the conventions of edited American English.
The C Paper – Proficient/Satisfactory
- The assignment has been followed at a satisfactory level. The paper presents an appropriate thesis. However, the thesis may be too broad or general, or its presentation may be problematic in some way—e.g., the intended audience may, for various reasons, have trouble immediately discerning the thesis.
- For the most part, the argument is supported with evidence. However, while an effort has clearly been made to find and use the best sort of evidence, the evidence is likely to be obvious; the paper may even lack some pertinent information. The reasoning, while generally sound, is predictable; or the reasoning, while generally good, is occasionally flawed. There is some awareness of other points of view.
- There is an implicit sense of organization, but several paragraphs and / or sentences within paragraphs are misplaced to the extent that the organizational structure is recognizable but disjointed.
- Sentence structure is generally correct, although the writer may show limited competence with sentence effectiveness, failing to use such elements as subordination, sentence variety, and modifiers to achieve emphasis. A C paper may thus be characterized by a “wooden” style. Comma splices, unintentional fragments, and fused sentences—errors that betray inadequate understanding of sentence structure—may occasionally crop up. The vocabulary is fairly limited. The paper may contain errors in spelling, mechanics, and grammar that reveal unfamiliarity with conventions of edited American English. (While a C paper may differ from a B paper in containing some errors in mechanics, grammar, vocabulary or expression, note that too many errors of this sort will quickly change a C paper to a D or F paper.)
The D Paper – Developing
- There is a poor sense of audience and a limited sense of purpose. The purpose or thesis cannot be discerned without significant work on the part of the reader.
- Necessary evidence is out of order and / or missing; irrelevant evidence may instead be present. The reasoning will necessarily be flawed.
- The organization is difficult to discern. The introduction is unclear or nonexistent, paragraphs are not well-developed or arranged, transitions are incorrect or missing.
- There are numerous errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation. The diction and / or syntax may be so weak that sentences are sometimes incomprehensible for the intended audience, although experienced readers can make sense of what is written. Lack of proofreading may turn an otherwise adequate paper into a D paper.
The F Paper – Inadequate
- It is off the assignment. The thesis is unclear; the paper moves confusedly in several directions. It may even fall seriously short of minimum length requirements.
- There is virtually no evidence, or the attribution of evidence is problematic or has been neglected.
- The organization seems to a significant degree haphazard or arbitrary.
- Numerous and consistent errors of grammar, spelling, punctuation, diction, or syntax hinder clarity or even basic communication. Some sentences are incomprehensible.