Contact Information

 

Michelle.Wagner@springbranchisd.com
 


About Me

 - BA Psychology, Texas A & M University, College Station

 - M.Ed, Educational Administration, University of St. Thomas

-  Certifications:  English, psychology, principal

This is my 11th year as an English teacher at Stratford, and my

second year as the English department chairperson.  I also serve

as the Campus Technology Representative and co-coordinator

of Spartan Time homeroom activities.  I am the faculty advisor

of the Best Buddies Lifeskills program and the Gay-Straight

Alliance Club.  I am also a member of the Love & Logic Cadre

and the Teaching Well Cadre.  I am a mother of six wonderful

children, and in my "spare" time I also teach classroom driver

education. 

      

 

 

GATSBY PROJECT INFORMATION

Please scroll to the bottom of the page for EXTRA CREDIT PROJECT INFO.  Do NOT use Dropbox to turn in this assignment - DUE NO LATER THAN 5/23/13

Below are the DROPBOX links to submit your GATSBY MULTIMEDIA PERSUASIVE AD PROJECT.  Click on your class period to access the Dropbox folder.  The Gatsby Multimedia Project is due no later than the date of your final exam.

 

3rd period project DROPBOX

 

5th period project DROPBOX

 

6th period project DROPBOX

 

8th period project DROPBOX

 

 

 

Welcome to English I PAP, English III GL, and SAT Prep.  We're going to have a great year!  Below you'll find a current syllabus for each class that is updated each six weeks.  Please don't hesitate to contact with questions. 

 

 

English I PAP

English I Pre-AP is a fast-paced, multi-faceted, college prep course that prepares students for AP English taken in the junior and senior years of high school. The focus of the Pre-AP English class is the study of artistic use of language in works of increasing complexity. In this study, students will build skills in analysis, organization, and composition while studying major works of literature, both with the class and independently. Students will read many novels, one drama, several short stories, mythology, and numerous poems during the course of the year. Extended vocabulary lessons will expand students' knowledge of words and the ability to use them in their daily lives. Students will write at least one major paper each grading period.  Students will also learn time management, priority-setting, and self-discipline as they complete challenging reading and writing tasks that address the objectives of the course. One of the goals of this class is to develop independence in learning; therefore, it is the students' responsibility to be aware of assignments and to meet the due dates for those assignments. 

 

English III

English III provides students with a chronological overview of American Literature and teaches students a variety of writing skills.  Students will understand how literature is influenced by social environment as they read selections from each time period.  Students will learn the art of using rhetorical devices in persuasive writing as well as creative techniques in narrative writing.  Students will learn how to analyze literature critically, how to construct a persuasive argument, and how to write a research paper.  Students will be prepped for success on the exit-level TAKS test, will receive instruction to help improve SAT scores, and will develop college-readiness skills invaluable to their post-secondary pursuits.

 

SAT Prep

The SAT Prep program at Stratford is a one-semester class that is divided into three six-week periods.  Students will receive six weeks of ELA prep, six weeks of math prep, and six weeks of College Fundamentals.  The subject area preps are designed to provide students with strategies that allow them to answer the timed SAT questions more efficiently combined with some content instruction as needed.  The final six weeks of the semester targets college fundamentals such as college admission essays, college applications, letters of recommendation, and college applications.  Students are administered two diagnostic exams throughout the semester given in realistic testing conditions to help identify areas of needed instruction.

Students are responsible for inquiring about any work missed and will be allotted an adequate amount of time to complete makeup assignments. Late daily work will not be accepted from PAP students.  Late daily work accepted from grade level students will assess late penalties and will not be accepted one week past the assignment due date.  All grade levels will receive 10 points off per day for late major-grade assignments. Any work not completed by the end of the six weeks will be averaged into their six weeks grade as a zero. 

 

Tests and quizzes can be made up most days from 3:00 -3:30 p.m or during the tutorial times listed below.  The English department also has weekly generic makeups  in a posted room on Thursday afternoons from 3:00 - 4:00.  Please make arrangements with me in advance if you would like to makeup tests or quizzes during the generic department makeup session.

Tutorials will be offered in my room every Monday morning from 7:15 - 7:45 a.m  (upon request) and on Friday afternoons from 3:00 - 3:45 p.m.  I'm also available most afternoons after school until 3:45 upon request.

 

Upcoming Assignments, Tests, and Quizzes

 

 ENGLISH III

Online textbook info:

http://my.hrw.com

username:  sbranch85

password:  juniors

 

 

 SIX WEEKS UNIT:  The Great Gatsby

 

Students are reading this novel in class only.  Absent students are provided a novel to take home to catch up.  Students have received a study guide and vocabulary list for the novel.  Students will take vocabulary quizzes, reading comprehension/analysis quizzes, and a unit tests.  Students will also complete a multimedia project over the novel.  We will also incorporate a college essay into this six weeks to aid students in the preparation of college application packages over the summer.

 

Vocabulary quizzes:

Ch. 1-3 - 4/26 - 4/30

Ch. 4-6 - 5/3 - 5/6

Ch. 7-9 - 5/9 - 5/10

 

Unit test:  5/17 - 5/20

 

 

 

GATSBY EXTRA CREDIT CREATIVE RESPONSE PROJECT
Due May 23, 2013 - NO EXCEPTIONS 
Students can earn an extra credit TEST grade by creating a detailed visual aide that depicts a lesson/theme and a personal connection to The Great Gatsby. Examples of themes that students have discovered in the novel include the carelessness of the wealthy in regard to the lives/feelings of others, the fact that the American Dream is not always a possible goal, the fact that people should not be judged based on their socioeconomic status, etc. The visual aide can be created using any medium imaginable. Some students use art (elaborate drawings, sculptures, dioramas, paintings, etc.), some write poems or songs, some videotape skits/reenactments that include costumes and props, and some use online multimedia websites like Xtranormal, Animoto, etc. Students are given complete creative license to produce their visual aide, but all submissions must also include a brief written analysis (2-3 paragraphs) explaining their interpretation and connection to the novel.
 
PROJECT DUE NO LATER THAN MAY 23, 2013 – NO EXCEPTIONS