Steve Feiden 12 th Grade English/Reading

1. Welcome, Parents and Students! Steve Feiden12th Grade English/Reading

2. Welcome to 12th grade! Let me introduce you to our classroom. If you have any questions, please raise your hand and I will be happy to answer anything you want to know. (well, almost anything)

3. A Little About Me My background • I grew up in St Joseph Mo. • I attended Mark Twain Elementary, Truman Middle School, and Central High (Go Indians!) I received my English Education Degree from MWSU My experience • This is my inaugural year as a teacher • Student teacher at Platte County High School • I have been involved in youth sports for the last 8 years and am excited to turn my passion for teaching and coaching into my profession

4. My Family My wife Heidi & our two children – Garrett,11 Noelle, 8 We have a dog, Dexter, he’s a Hungarian Vizsla (Veezlah)

5. My Goals This Year • To provide your young adults with exceptional knowledge of poetry, short stories, novels, and non fiction writing. • To offer this information in a supportive and fun classroom environment. • To help my students make new friends, discover new interests, and above all else make LEARNING THE ART OF READING FUN!

6. First Unit – POETRY! Authors and Works Robert Frost’s Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening and The Path Not Taken Maya Angelou’s A Brave and Startling Truth and A Phenomenal Woman Emily Dickinson’s A Bird Came Down and I Have Never Seen Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven and To My Mother

7. Second Unit – SHORT STORIES! Authors and Works Edgar Allan Poe’s -The Tell-Tale Heart and The Cask of Amontillado Shirley Jackson’s -The Lottery Herman Melville’s – Bartleby, the Scrivener

8. Class Rules Our room is a communityand in our community, we have rules to help us manage our time together. The 3 B’s BE willing to participate in class discussions and contribute ideas BE prepared, organized, and on time BE respectful of peer perspectives – NO HUNTING!

9. Homework I will assign about 30-45 minutes of homework nearly every evening. This includes 15-20 minutes of reading and 15-20 minutes of writing/response. Homework will be due at 9.00 am the following morning. If students find themselves needing extra time to work on assigned homework, they must notify me so we can work together in making appropriate accommodations.

10. Grading & Points System 1000 Points are possible per semester • Participation = 10% of the overall grade earned • Exams = 30% • Homework (poems, short stories, reflection papers, etc) = 30% • Quizzes = 15% • Daily Journals = 15% (as you can see, I value the daily effort far more than the exams)

11. Tardiness School starts at 8.45 a.m. If students aren’t in the classroom by the time the second bell rings, they must check in at the office before coming to class. If students are tardy four times, the school will contact parents/guardians to discuss the incidents.

12. My “Style” In my class, I value original thoughts, ideas, interpretations, and opinions. Robust discussion is critical (in my opinion) to the learning process and in developing positions and opening our minds to other points of view that may be far different from our own. I also believe in peer feedback and the idea that we learn best from practice, (hence the daily journals and homework) and that happens best in an environment free from fear. Whether it be fear of speaking, fear of being laughed at, or just plain afraid to say what we think; we will work hard to reinforce this from the very first day in the door. Remember NO HUNTING! This is a PRESERVE!

13. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to share some of the greatest literature ever written with your young adults and I couldn’t be more excited to get started.I am looking forward to a GREAT YEAR !!!

14. “Your time is valuable, and so are your kids. Investing a little time in them is critical to their success!” (Getting them to admit it is another matter) THANK YOU!!!