Fresh English: Back in my Day...

Monday, November 10, 2014

Back in my Day...

You should definitely have a book out on your table.

Today we get to talk about time shifts!

When a character thinks about and describes a time in the past, or imagines the future, that is a time shift. It is also a time shift if there is a significant jump in time in your novel.

Types of time shifts:

Flashback:

Flash forward:

Time jump/time manipulation:

Seventy Years Later....

Creative Commons pictures accessed/modified via Pixabay

There are other ways to play with time in your novel. Those are common examples.

Phrases that might signal a time shift in your novel:

I remember when...
Once...
Long ago...
It reminds me of...
He thought back...
I was only __ years old when...
I imagined what would happen next week when...
Here's what would happen:

Today, I DARE YOU to include a time shift in your novel. Have a character remember a fond (or terrible) memory that relates to the current plot, or have that character imagine a day 5 years in the future. The catch is that you have to be descriptive. The reader needs to feel like they are in the memory as much as the character is (so use sensory details and strong verbs to show action.)

Before you leave:
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The password is "character."

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Gradebook Explained

My grade book is on Power School for you to view. There are some things you need to know.

If you have a blank score or missing score that is not bad. Often scores are left blank when I do not grade an assignment right away. Sometimes blanks mean a student was absent for an in class experience. The point is do not panic about blank or missing scores.

Zeros however, are a real problem. Students get zeros when they do not turn in an assignment that they should have done. Zeros usually appear after I have asked the student several times to get the work finished. Students can sometimes undo a zero by turning in the work late. Some assignments can be regraded. See the button at the top of the blog to request a re-grade.

Often I do not enter many assignments until the end of the grading period when projects we have been working on for a few weeks become due. I try to enter progress grades every few weeks into the "progress category." Note that the progress category is only 10% of the total grade. Low scores on progress grades indicates that a student needs to improve their work before the final project is due.

Grade categories are weighted as follows:

50% Writing & Speaking (Essays, some in class assessments, and speaking assignments.)

40% Reading & Listening (Book reviews and reading progress and some listening assessments.)

10% Progress (writing draft grades, turning in required paperwork, some formative assessments)

Student grades are based on meeting grade level standard proficiencies. This is not a points or numbers game. There is no extra credit, but there may be additional opportunities to show proficiency.

I hope this will resolve some confusion. Of course if you have questions about grades please e-mail me.

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Monday, November 10, 2014

Back in my Day...

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