What I'm teaching in the Fall of 2009

Unless there's a major, major shift in the next week or so, I will be teaching the following in the Fall Semester. The only possibility of change is in the period that it is offered but that will be indicated on the course descriptions that will be available online and sent to your homes via snail mail later in Aug. Be you a student or parent, please drop me a line if you're interested in more detail or have any questions other questions about the classes.

HS Literature: I'll be teaching a Writing Intensive, High School Literature class in the A3 block. That's the 1st afternoon class following lunch on Monday/Wednesday. .... see "official" course description below:

The End of the World:

What would happen if the world (be it physical, moral, religious, etc.) you thought existed, ceased to exist or changed for you in some major way? Your paradigm just didn't shift, it disappeared. How would you deal with it? Would you be able to adapt? Survive? Thrive? What would it change about you and what might it reinforce? We will explore these issues and others that develop through formal and informal discussions. You will use these discussions, questions and exchanges of ideas with the rest of your class and myself to develop several indepth papers. While every paper (probably 3 or so) will have suggested topics that I think are challenging and interesting to consider, each student will be encouraged to develop her/his own thesis that relates to the texts and discussions. There will also be many "Emergent" small scale homework and classwork assignments.

The texts to be studied will include but are not limited to the following: Night, Death of a Salesman, Hamlet, Parable of the Sower, Touching the Void, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. Much will be asked from every student in this class. From daily participation in our class discussions, to well written papers, and a thoughtful art project in which you must combine several different media and forms of expression, you will be expected to produce your best work possible...and have fun doing it!

MS Daily class:

The Art of the Essay:

In this class we will learn and practice the art of writing a well organized, multiple paragraph essay. We will continually practice the fundamentals of expository, compare/contrast, argumentative/persuasive, and descriptive essays. There will be a mix of assigned and student selected topics. For instance, each student will be expected to write about a short story that we all read or write an essay analyzing poem we have studied and discussed together as a class. There will also be writing assignments in which in each student must choose her/his own topic and essay style. Expect to be challenged to raise the quality of your writing. Expect to become a better writer. EXPECT TO WRITE EVERY SINGLE DAY!!!

The Trillium Drum Choir will be offered in Block B4:

Lower School Drumming will be offered Block A4.