This page will answer questions commonly asked by students and parents.
- How do I seek feedback?
- What is a re-do?
- How do I improve my reading skills?
- What is WS2K?
- Why is summer vacation so short?
How do I seek feedback?
You may talk with me at school when you have questions about your
work. Also, for editing and written feedback, leave your rough
draft in my In Box (on my desk). Don't forget to put your name! I
will have it for you by your next English class. Make sure to
give yourself enough time to use the feedback.
What is a re-do?
Sometimes, for whatever reason, you haven't done your best on a
particular assignment. On the major writing assignments, I will
give you a week to re-do it. You may just need to fix Format
errors (spelling, punctuation, run-on's, etc.), or you may need
to work on the Content (what you've written about vs. the
requirements I gave for that piece). When you submit a redo, I
will grade it, and give you half of the difference between your
two grades. For instance, if you earned a 70% on the first one,
and a 90% on the second, that's a difference of 20 points. I will
add half of that -- ten points -- to your score, and you will end
up with a final grade on that piece of 80%. It's a pretty good
deal, so take advantage of it.
How do I improve my reading skills?
The easiest way is to read more. However, if you are struggling
to read well, here are a few tips.
One, read carefully. If you can't recall what you just read, read
it again.
Two, mark important points. Use a highlighter or a pencil and
underline the important parts of the last page or two you just
read. Remember, highlighting isn't coloring the whole page
yellow, it is finding the most important phrase or word and
marking it to remind you of that part in the book.
Finally, take notes. Keep a sheet of paper handy and jot down
those important points you marked. Brain research indicates that
the act of writing something down increases your ability to
recall it.
All of these methods take more time to do, but if you are scoring
poorly on your reading checks, you need to make the effort to
improve your ability to identify and recall important information
from your reading. It's worth the effort!
What is WS2K?
In the Maniac Magee assignments handout, for Writing #3, I refer
students to something called WriteSource 2000, or WS2K. It is a
writer's manual that we have in class, and which students may
check out from me to learn about, in this case, writing a
persuasive essay.
Why is summer vacation so short?
Because if it was any longer, you'd forget everything you've learned instead of just what you learned in 5th grade.
