Comprehensive English, grade 11
K. Andersen
kandersen@slzusd.org
kandersen@ahs.schoolloop.com
kingsleyandersen.com

With the switch from California Standards to Common Core, the curriculum this year is in a somewhat fluid state.  This syllabus serves as a guideline to what will be covered within the year, with the timing and sequence to be updated online, electronically, as events warrant.

We at Arroyo are a college-oriented culture: this course will focus on preparing the student for any level of college, trade school, or career.

READING
I expect to cover these works over the course of the year:
Death of a Salesman, Arthur Miller
The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan
Into The Wild, John Krakauer
Time permitting, more works from the board-approved list may be covered. In addition, there will be short readings:
Supplemental readings of poetry.
Nonfiction articles in support of persuasive and argumentative writing and college preparatory reading.

WRITING
The essay
This year’s focus will be on the argumentative essay in which the student will state or side with an opinion and support this with evidence, reasoning, experience, and observation.

The journal
A daily informal writing of one hundred words.
The topics will largely be the student’s choice, with the primary focus of reflection, i.e., “What did I learn today? What did I experience today? How does this relate to what I already know?”
Occasionally, topics will be mandatory.

SPEAKING
The student will be expected to present to the class on topics both prepared for and random.
These speeches will be one to two minutes and will be graded on clarity and the avoidance of verbal static, e.g., “Uhhhhh,” “You know?”

LATE WORK POLICY: NO LATE WORK
There are three criteria for the acceptance of late work:
The absence is due to an incapacitating illness or difficulty, i.e., the student is physically or emotionally unable to do the work.
The student is unable to access ahs.schoolloop.com and therefore has not been informed of the assignment.
The acceptance of late work will require a conference that in the least will be a phone call or email, and at the most a personal meeting that may include counselor or administrator.
TO BE CLEAR: If the student has been informed of the due date and the specifications, and has access to the materials, and the student is not incapacitated, the due date applies.

PRINTER PROBLEMS
Printers are not provided in this classroom.
It is advised that any assignment that must be typed be printed 24 hours before deadline, so printer malfunctions such as “We ran out of ink” can be corrected.
An emailed assignment is not a substitution for a hard copy.

ABSENCES
Absenteeism is a pervasive problem in this “mental health day” culture.
Be aware that an hour-long lecture explaining difficulties of the material – often enhanced by the asking of good questions – cannot be reproduced.
In short: some assignments cannot be made up.

ATTENDANCE RECORDING
If I have marked a student absent in error, he or she has 24 hours to bring the error to my attention for correction. Check schoolloop attendance daily, and promptly respond to any Teleparent notification of absence.

If a student is tardy, he or she will be assigned a five-minute class detention at period’s end, at which time he or she will watch as I correct attendance.

ELECTRONIC RECORDING IN THE CLASSROOM
The use of recording devices in the classroom without teacher permission is prohibited (See CA Ed Code 51512 and CA Penal Code 630-632). Additionally, some parents/guardians do not want their son or daughters to be recorded. If a student wishes to record classroom proceedings, he or she must request permission on a case-by-case basis. Simply stated: ask first.
This includes but is not limited to photo, video, or audio recording.

SCHOLARSHIP
Our goal at Arroyo is to provide a student with the curiosity, desire, and ability to advance his or her education as far as possible.
Unfortunately, there is a pervasive notion in America that a formal education is worthless and a “street” education leads to a superior career choice.  This often includes the disparagement of the curriculum, lesson, or teacher in a disrespectful and disruptive outburst. Disruptions of this kind may hinder the learning of serious students or those with special needs.
While the student is free to question lesson design in a respectful manner – which may need to take place during “office hours” or in conference – a disruption of the class may lead to an overall grade no higher that deficient, i.e., D.
A disruptive student will be warned clearly and parent/guardian as well as administration will be apprised of the situation, and corrective action will be expected in accord with the district’s policy of “restorative justice.”
The best rule of thumb: there is an appropriate time, place. and manner in which to express an opinion. If it is not appropriate during instructional minutes, the student and I will negotiate an appointment at class end.

QUESTIONS
The contact information in the header is arranged in order of effectiveness of prompt receipt and return. Please contact me for any clarification you may need.