Clayton High School

Knowledge is like a garden: if it is not cultivated, it cannot be harvested.

––African Proverb

Welcome to College Prep English II. We will look into all genres: short story, novel, play, poem, and nonfiction. We will also learn a lot about the structure of language. And we will learn when it is appropriate to start a sentence with “and” or even “because.”  Because you can start a sentence with “because” if you know what you are doing. You can even start a sentence with “but”—but not until you have mastered sentence structure.

Our texts for study are: George Orwell’s 1984, Ackerman’s Bible as/in Literature, Richard Wright’s Black Boy, J. D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, Eli Wiesel’s Night, Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried and Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis. We will cover other texts as well. Periodically, I will ask you to select a student choice book, so you can explore books that are of high interest to you.

You will need a notebook, something with which to write, and an open, inquisitive mind. You will need discipline. The way our class starts is extremely important. I require quiet and focus when you walk in, and the moment you do, you will have a seat and copy the daily quote up on the board. You will do a quick analysis of the quote:  function, structure, language (figurative or literal), and then you will write a brief explication. I’ll teach you how to do this during our first few days together. You will have a chance to wrestle intellectually with the likes of Shakespeare, Gandhi, Mozart, Hurston, Dickinson, Malcolm X, MLK, Socrates, Einstein, and Alice Walker. We will also look at proverbs from around the world. The daily quote will lead us thematically to our main topic of study for the day.

We will utilize the writing process. We will meet in conferences, and I will help you become stronger as a writer. In our written work, we will analyze, persuade, and create. Because everyone arrives as a sophomore at a different level in terms of writing, it makes perfect sense that each of you will get individual attention (conferences) regarding what you need to work on to become more fluent and powerful in your writing. By the end of the year, you will be able to explain to me (or anyone else) how you have grown as a writer in concrete terms. You will be writing on a higher level. How much you want to improve will be up to us.

In terms of grades, each assignment will be given a number value. Typically, an essay or an exam will be worth 100 points. Any unexcused late work will lose 10% of the grade. Grading Scale: A+ (98 and above); A (97-94); A- (93-90)—and so on down the alphabet. If you get anywhere below a C, we will be working very hard together (with your parents/guardians) to help you do better.

I guarantee you know all the rules and regulations for a class that operates at the highest level. If you have any questions/concerns regarding the two-way street of respect, we will discuss those together. Our classroom must be a place where everyone feels comfortable and respected in terms of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, and political thought. We will not tolerate bigotry, bullying, racism, misogyny, heterosexism or hate speech in any form. We are in class to support and care for each other and learn. Together, we will create an environment that is challenging, honest, and inclusive, where we push each other to do our best each day. If you have any questions or concerns, contact me any time. I am best reached by email at adamhayward@claytonschools.net. My office, 3C, is in the English Department.