In Introduction to Literature, students have covered what must feel like a
marathon's worth of content and skill acquisition in two short months! Using
Tobias' Wolff's memoir, This Boy's Life, students have learned and applied seven
kinds of imagery, Freytag’s Pyramid (a plot analysis tool), and a "formula" for
analytical sentences. These tools have helped students move from plot summary
and generalized thematic discussion toward analysis of how authorial style choices
support theme and characterization. Students completed a rigorous drafting process
for their first full-length essay, and have applied their analytical skills in the passage
analysis sections of their tests as well.
The fall term will culminate with twentieth century short stories, completion
of the first half of our vocabulary curriculum, and polishing of writing skills through
SMARTboard-based grammar instruction. In grammar lessons, students
demonstrate their real-time understanding of rules and concepts using clickers.
Assessment activities range from multiple-choice questions to free-form text
responses. Summative grammar assessments will occur as part of the mid-term
exam, and as a separate test in the spring term.
Intro to Literature A
Matt Davis
Overall:
Effort:
Matt's memoir piece provide a wonderfully written insight into the calm, reticent
yet intense intellect that resides three seats away from the door in room 105. I
appreciate his recognition that as students, we are all works in progress! I am
curious about how Matt is experiencing workload this year--whether he is having
difficulty balancing it all, or whether other activities offset his ability to be fully
prepared. On his end-of-unit "quest" for This Boy's Life, for example, Matt had
difficulty identifying key details or themes for three out of five of the short answer
questions. On the passage analysis sections however, Matt deftly applied the
"formula" we have been using for writing analytical statements connecting stylistic
elements to themes and characterization. Most students who have difficulty on the
first (and seemingly, simpler) section had not maintained the reading schedule, and
had therefore note been able to contextualize in a timely way characters, events, etc.
I encourage Matt to remain current in the reading as we embark upon our short
story unit; these pieces will generally span only one or two class discussions,
making daily preparation imperative. Matt had also not completed two of the three
last vocabulary assignments (8/15; 0/15; 15/15). Since these activities are well
within his control, and since these lost points dramatically impact his grade, I
encourage Matt to remain current in his work and to show me late work when he
has completed it.
Alec Frey
Overall:
Effort:
Alec's gorgeously written memoir revealed both his wonderful character traits and
his amazing writing talent. In class, Alec brings a refreshing quirkiness and sense of
fun to an animated (yet still on-task!) class. I love that he insisted, for example, that
monument names are NOT capitalized, against to all textual and teacherly evidence
of the contrary. (I trust that he will always apply this rule correctly in his English
work, feeling free to break rules with good reason in his future poetry
compositions!) On Alec's most recent "quest," (36/40) he demonstrated his ample
understanding of This Boy's Life, as well as areas for potential "polish," including
setting up quotations to include the mention of the author, "Wofff writes," using the
genre-specific text designation (e.g. memoir, novel, etc.). I am glad for the good
fortune that landed Alec in my Intro to Literature class. Onward!
Eric Haab
Overall:
Effort:
Eric has done excellent work so far this term with organization, preparation, asking
clarifying questions, and generally managing his own studies for maximum learning.
In the short answer section of his recent This Boy's Life "quest" (36.5/40), Eric
demonstrated good general recall of details, but occasionally overlooked a key
character trait or theme. In his passage analyses, Eric is working toward presenting
his ideas in a clear, clean fashion, eliminating vague or extraneous language.
Drew Hopkins
Overall:
Effort:
Drew is making wonderful progress in English, as his most recent This Boy's Life
"quest" (36.5/40) demonstrates. Drew has worked hard to implement the analytical
skills we have been working on in class, producing two passage analyses that earned
him 19/20 on the quest. Drew did not have completed his last two vocabulary
assignments (0/15, 10/15); since these activities are well within his control, and
since these lost points dramatically impact his grade, I encourage Drew to remain
current in his work and to show me late work when he has completed it.
Nellie Konopka
Overall:
Effort:
Nellie continues to bring her unique insights to English class, a warm home for her
musings. She even seems to be taking to the idea that editing her thoughts, both in
spoken and written form, ultimately transforms them into something even more
powerful. In her test-taking, Nellie stops just short of providing the level of detail
necessary to identify the significance of events, characters, etc. I encourage Nellie to
prepare a study guide that notes key elements of the text and then traces their "arc,"
both in terms of plot and significance. Nellie's creative writing demonstrates
boundless potential, and her long-form analysis shows solid understanding and
interpretation of our texts. Nellie did not have completed her last two vocabulary
assignments (0/15, 10/15); since these activities are well within her control, and
since these lost points dramatically impact her grade, I encourage Nellie to remain
current in her work and to show me late work when she has completed it.
A.J. Lotsis
Overall:
Effort:
If I could bottle A.J.'s work ethic and positive attitude, I would--and I would offer it
to all of next year's freshmen! A.J. remains consistently prepared, aware of areas
that require clarification, and willing to put time in coaching sessions to polish
particular skills. I always look forward to a conversation with A.J. because of his
sincere engagement in his studies and ownership of his progress. On his most recent
This Boy's Life "quest," A.J. deftly applied the analytical paragraph structures we
have been practicing in class, scoring 19/20 on that section of the assessment. In the
short answer section, A.J. sometimes had difficulty connecting events, items, and
characters to themes in the memoir; before our next assessment, he is welcome to
prepare a study guide with these kinds of elements and share them with me or with
the class to gain feedback. Overall, it is a great joy to work with A.J. Keep up the
great work!
Leah Marchant
Overall:
Effort:
Leah arrives in English class with spectacular flair--wonderful energy and
personality--and great dedication to her studies. She has patiently helped me as
we've implemented our SMARTboard grammar curriculum, reminding me in her
kind way to "Start the question, Ms. Turner . . . you need to start the question." My
sense is that Leah has encountered some good challenges in her first semester of III
form English; she is a student whose diligence and willingness to grapple with skill
development will yield results that will make her proud. Though I have been giving
Leah feedback about adding detail to her test responses, for example, I hope that she
will connect with me to clarify what kind of information could be added to enhance
her work, and how she might prepare to ensure that she has these ideas "at the
ready." On her recent This Boy's Life "quest," (33.5/40) Leah wrestled a bit with
connecting key items, characters or events to themes or plot structures in the
memoir; her passage analyses contained solid content overall, with a bit of vague
wording. I would love the opportunity to work with Leah on strategies for
"polishing" these elements of her test taking, as I know that she has high goals for
her English work. Leah's wonderful enthusiasm is a great asset; her willingness to
work through challenge will make this year feel especially rewarding.
Ellie Neilson
Overall:
Effort:
Ellie's vivid depiction of her forbidden visit to Mom's dressing closet set the tone for
English this year, and caught my attention straight away. A deep and vibrant
intellect lurks beneath her lovely smile! Ellie has brought a wonderful intensity to
her English studies, most recently scoring 38/40 on her This Boy's Life quest, which
demonstrated recall of key details from the text as well as application of new
analytical writing principles.
Arianna Pompei
Overall:
Effort:
Arianna's memoir piece about being a small softball player, and using that apparent
incongruity to her advantage, provided the perfect window into her approach to her
studies. Initially, Arianna's demeanor suggests a kind of reserve; it is only upon
reading her work on paper--in formats ranging from tests to essays--that I have
come to realize the power and potential of Arianna's intellect. I can only assume that
Arianna carries a parallel will and strength onto the ball field--and knowing this, I
feel a little sorry for her opponents! Arianna's thorough passage analyses on her
recent This Boy's Life quest demonstrate how regular practice and application of
new skills can yield success (she scored 19/20 points for that section).
Haley Potter
Overall:
Effort:
Haley is meticulous about drafting her writing. At times this year she has appeared
to have some difficulty managing assignments (timing, whether to print something
out to hand in, etc.), but her strong drive to excel in her schoolwork is evident. I
want to encourage Haley to know that part of pursuing excellence involves moments
of challenge and imperfection--and these difficulties are ultimately what make
learning worthwhile. I encourage Haley to see me if a writing or test concept seems
difficult. In her analytical writing on both tests and formal essays, Haley should use
the literary present tense and set up quoted evidence with the phrase, "[Author]
writes," or "[Character] says." Haley is well positioned to do great things in English
class this year. I look forward to our ongoing work together!
Alexis Reape
Overall:
Effort:
Alexis lands in III form English with a highly developed and unique writing voice.
Her memoir account of playing The Old Pepper in the Coffee Trick demonstrated a
flair for dialogue. On this assignment, Alexis shied away from the assignment outline
to write about three episodes that evidenced a change or development; I am curious
about this choice. On her recent This Boy's Life quiz, Alexis made excellent use of the
close reading/literary analysis skills we have been practicing in class; I encourage
her to continue to hone this type of writing, where she would benefit from
eliminating all vague language and paring back her quoted examples to include only
the most pertinent language. Lastly, in the upcoming weeks, I will invite Alexis out of
the periphery, as it were, so that she might take both a literal and metaphorical
"front seat" for our class discussions. I believe that Alexis generall attends to the
discussion, but would like to hear her strong ideas more often.
Claire Smith
Overall:
Effort:
Claire seems to have traveled light years since the time she wrote about in her
memoir piece! Her voice gets stronger and stronger each day in English class, where
her willingness to engage and her sense of fun have illuminated our class.
Cole Testaiuti
Overall:
Effort:
From his first major quiz in the class and on to his creative writing work and most
recent unit-end "quest," Cole always presents a unique way of thinking or
structuring his ideas. He possesses laser-like insights into our reading, especially in
free-form analysis. (In short-answer responses requiring specific details, Cole
sometimes misses opportunities to connect events, characters, etc. to plot arcs and
major themes.) In his writing, Cole's main goal will be to bring the mechanics--e.g.
focused sentence structures and punctuation--in line with his level of analysis and
synthesis. As we move through our SMARTboard grammar curriculum, I encourage
him to both enjoy the treat of "classroom clicking" AND to seek out the points that
will bolster his writing in particular. As mentioned in an earlier report, Cole has a
healthy sense of realism when it comes to balancing his work and outside
commitments; I encourage him to strive to balance both, but also to continue
communicating when he encounters difficulty. I anticipate great growth for Cole this
year.
Benjamin Valdes
Overall:
Effort:
Benjamin is working hard to master the analytical skills we have been practicing
thus far this year. His writing improves steadily, especially as he employs literary
terms and reaches to extend beyond the literal aspects of our works, connecting
style elements to overarching themes. On a recent homework assignment
challenging students to write two strong, original sentences reflecting the
grammatical principles we had learned in class that day, Benjamin wrote four
sentences. This single gesture represents him in many ways. In class, Benjamin's
attention never wavers; he defines active listening. I'd love to know more about
what is happening inside his head--dive into the discussion, Benjamin!
Intro to Literature Z
Step Cannuscio
Overall: B+ Effort: E
Step has done an excellent job acquiring the main skill we have been practicing so
far this term: writing analysis in passage identifications and thesis-support essays.
Deftly employing annotation, literary terms and themes in his discussion, Step
scored 37/40 on our most recent "quest." Step will need to take this skill and apply
it to his longer analytical writing, he will have the opportunity to revise his This
Boy’s Life essay (B) to address this element. Step’s personality shone through our
peer feedback exercise; in addition to providing lovely encouragement (“mindblowing third paragraph”) he painstakingly changed all of the author’s past-tense
analysis to present tense.
Kaitlin Croney
Overall: B Effort: E
Kaitlin's strong work ethic and intellect have helped her progress so far this year as
an analytical writer--even in the wake of her absences for illness. If Kaitlin
experienced stress from this hiatus, I would never know it; her calm emails
inquiring about missed assignments and signature smile provided evidence of her
maturity and ownership of her studies. As Kaitlin continues to build her analysis, I
encourage her to strive for strong wording, eliminating all language that is vague or
hedging, and choosing short, precise quoted sections for evidence. In her longer
analytical writing (This Boy’s Life essay: A-), Kaitlin has demonstrated wonderful
command over the structures we have been practicing; she needs only incorporate
context statements into her paragraphs.
Nolan Delaney
Overall:
A- Effort: G
Nolan arrived in III form English as a strong thinker and consistent worker; he has
acquired the new skills of analytical sentence formation quite readily. In his passage
analyses, Nolan should add brief quotations to support he assertions (e.g. "Wolff
uses organic imagery [include quoted words here] to display how Jack and his
friends feel while watching Mickey Mouse--they return to their normal, dependent
selves.") I am also marking on Nolan's quizzes and papers words that he should add
to a spelling journal in his notebook to ensure that he is progressing on that front as
well. In class, Nolan remains unflaggingly attentive, but rarely participatory. I
encourage him to raise his hand when the discussion allows us inside his wonderful
mind! On his longer analytical writing (This Boy’s Life essay: B-), Nolan should
eliminate wordiness, add context statements, and proofread carefully using the tool
distributed in class.
Christian Feliziani
Overall: C+ Effort: G
Christian has made important progress in vocabulary study, shifting his preparation
to steadily improve his scores on semi-weekly quizzes. [SCORES] Christian has also
made important progress in his analytical writing, setting up his statements to begin
with the author's name and to include a literary element. The third step in statement
formation--connection of the literary element to a particular theme or
characterization--is Christian's next area for improvement. He and I can work on
this skill together in our next coaching session. Christian also has difficulty, at times,
identifying the significance of particular characters or symbols in the text; I can help
him to add one more layer of nuance to these discussions in our next conference as
well. As I mentioned in my note to Christian, his maturity and work ethic make him
a leader in class; he has great potential as an Episcopal Academy scholar-athlete!
Christian has been diligent about making up vocabulary assignments he has not
prepared for class; however, I encourage him to stay on track with these
assignments because our class review impacts student understanding of the words
in advance of the quiz. I also hope to meet with Christian regarding his essay (B-) so
that he can bolster his analysis statements in that form as well.
Austin Helms
Overall: B- Effort: G
Austin has worked hard to steadily acquire analytical skills so far this year; he
earned 19/20 on the passage analysis section of his final "quest" on This Boy's Life
(36/40). In short answer identifications, Austin could add more detail, describing
the entire arc of significance for a particular object, event or location. Austin’s essay
demonstrated good understanding of analytical writing, with some need for focus
on context and incorporation of literary terms in the revision (B-). Austin should
aim for consistent preparation of homework assignments as well, and continue his
great attention and participation in class.
Leigh Lacy
Overall: B+ Effort: G
Leigh distinguished herself early this year as a writer of great depth and detail. Her
literary potential appears limitless, as she demonstrated on her most recent end-ofunit assessment on This Boy's Life (39/40). If Leigh brings this level of intensity and
commitment to her swimming, as her wonderful memoir piece suggested, I will
need to see her in that arena as well! In her analytical writing, Leigh has had trouble
transferring her strong analysis into the longer format of the essay; I encourage her
to attend specifically to the “C” (context) and “A” (literary terms/analysis) section of
her body paragraphs, and to turn in her drafts following the guidelines for
submission.
George Maltby
Overall: B Effort: G
After a short adjustment period to the expectations of III form writing, George has
mastered passages, as demonstrated by his perfect score on that section of his final
This Boy's Life "quest" (37/40). In an analysis of one of the scenes when the boys
are watching Mickey Mouse Club, George writes, "Wolff uses the repetition of the
word "we" to exemplify how the boys come together when they all enjoy the same
thing." This kind of sophisticated sentence construction will serve George well as he
continues analyzing literature at Episcopal and beyond. In a recent peer feedback
exercises, George provided wonderful corrections for his peer’s citation formatting;
however, he did not fully incorporate the feedback another peer had provided. He
needs much work on the “A” step (analysis) of analytical essay writing (This Boy’s
Life essay: C), as his paragraphs consist mostly of summary at this point; I am happy
to provide support in this area.
Meghan Manley
Overall: A Effort: E
I look forward to seeing Meghan in an athletic context; if her determination to work
through frustration is any indication of her "grit" on the sports field, she is sure to
deliver a fabulous performance! I am thinking in particular of Meghan's approach to
our first major essay assignment. Meghan missed one of the early, incremental
homework assignments--a thesis statement and list of six quotations--making the
task of beginning to write her paper difficult. Within a day or two, however, she had
made up lost ground by rigorously following the structure provided for analytical
writing; she turned in a pre-draft that evidenced that she had worked through the
stress of this new kind of work to let her wonderful ideas shine through in her
writing. I appreciate Meghan's willingness to let me support her in this process by
providing her with advance feedback; her employment of the strategy of working
ahead demonstrates Meghan's commitment and maturity. The full draft of Meghan’s
This Boy’s Life essay (A-) proved very strong, with only eliminations of wordiness
and incorporation of exact wording for literary examples as grounds for
improvement. In her writing, I have begun noting words that require particular
attention for spelling; I encourage Meghan to track and correct these words by
maintaining a spelling journal in her notes.
Misha Melnik
Overall: B Effort: E
Misha distinguishes himself every day by saying "thank you" and wishing me a good
day. He lives the stripe of courtesy in a way that does not always come naturally to
his peers. I believe that this consistency has earned him their respect, as it has mine.
For all of these reasons, it was a delight to read his memoir piece describing his
radical change in outlook and demeanor in recent years; I would surely not
recognize the boy he claims to have been then! As Misha works diligently in his
analytical writing, I encourage him to apply literary terms in his work, identifying
the particular kinds of imagery and other stylistic elements such as similes and
metaphors. We will continue to practice this skill as a class. Misha will have the
opportunity to address this particular part of his writing in the revision of his This
Boy’s Life essay (B).
Grace Norley
Overall: B Effort:E
Grace has appeared a bit fatigued in class lately; she takes some time to transition
into our class space, but catches up on copying the assignment and asking questions
before leaving. I was worrying whether Grace was doing OK until I read her recent
This Boy's Life test (37/40)! It is hard to describe Grace's work other than this:
reading her analysis of literature is like getting a peek into "a beautiful mind." Here's
an example, in her description of Arthur's dog, Pepper: "Pepper is significant
because he is the realization of Toby's true self, and shows the hatred Toby has
towards himself." Grace's work bubbles with these deep and unique observations;
she Grace thinks in ways that are a joy to discover, and earned a perfect score on the
passage analysis section of her recent test. Her conscious preparation and attention
to detail have clearly helped to provide a strong foundation for her keen intellect.
Given Grace's written work alongside her class affect, I am curious about how she
feels about her current balance of work and self-care (stress management, rest, etc.).
Having demonstrated mastery of several key skill sets in English, I wonder if it is
possible to "dial down" incrementally the time spent devoted to that subject area.
Grace’s peer feedback on another student’s paper was among the highest quality in
the class; in her own writing (This Boy’s Life essay: B), she need only incorporate
context, add quoted examples of imagery, and ensure that she follows submission
guidelines.
Margaux Paolino
Overall: A- Effort: E
Margaux's idea formation and passage analysis in English class remain consistent
and strong. Her main areas for improvement lie in writing mechanics such as
sentence focus (subject-verb connections), possessives ('s), and spelling--and we
will cover some of these concepts in the grammar curriculum we have begun this
month. I have begun noting words that Margaux can add to a spelling journal,
tracking the errors and their corrections so that she might manage them in future
assignments. Margaux’s This Boy’s Life essay was especially strong, earning a rare A
on her initial draft.
Grant Plotkin
Overall:
B
Effort: E
As I mentioned in my note to Grant, his arrival at EA is one of the great gifts that the
school has given itself! I recently emailed admissions specifically to thank them for
their gift of this wonderful class; Grant ranks among the students who inspire this
sentiment. Grant has made good adjustments to his approach to vocabulary study,
yielding better results with each quiz. His memoir-writing piece was a tour-de-force
of drafting, revision, and commitment to presenting his wonderful experiences in a
meaningful way for the reader. In class, Grant contributes his thoughts consistently
and enthusiastically. On his This Boy's Life unit "quest," Grant missed some
opportunities to outline the full significance of some objects and events; I encourage
him to develop a study guide for himself , connecting significant items to major
themes or characterization arcs. When writing passage analyses, Grant should
ensure that he includes exact wording of examples of the imagery, repetition, and
other literary elements he notes. These same skill areas come into play in his essay
writing (This Boy’s Life essay: B), in which he needs also to add context for his
examples.
Will Rau
Overall:
B+
Effort: G
When Will asked me on the day after the first This Boy's Life quiz whether I had
corrected it, I didn't understand why--then I graded it (46/48), and it became clear!
Will is actively implementing some of the structures we've studied for analytical
writing, with much success. In passage analysis Will should be sure to end each
statement with a connection to a theme or characterization arc. He should also
practice the convention of writing all analysis in the literary present, and include
brief quoted wording to demonstrate the kinds of imagery he includes in his
discussion. Finally, by organizing his ideas, perhaps jotting down a brief pre-write
for each analysis, Will may be able to eliminate wordy or vague phrasing. Will
provided high-quality feedback to a peer in our essay review workshop, but
overlooked some of the feedback his peer provided him! Will's great attitude and
work ethic ensure that he will make wonderful progress this year. He should aim to
keep up his energy and participation as much as possible in class. I am happy to
clarify or review analytical structures if he would like to schedule a coaching
session. Will’s essay writing (B) is generally strong; he mainly needs to incorporate
quotations to support his statements about imagery.
Will Scott
Overall: D Effort: S
Will's tests follow a very revealing pattern: for complex skills like passage analysis,
which require students to delve into the language, identify literary elements, and
then connect these elements to themes and characterization patterns, Will offers up
solid responses. For short-answer questions, such as describing the significance of
one of a character's dog, for example, Will sometimes cannot provide sufficient
detail. I attribute this latter difficulty to Will's work habits outside of class; I am not
sure that he always completes the reading, or that he is annotating consistently as a
means of capturing and recalling key information. Will has had fewer missed
assignments, a sign of good progress, but still has difficulty directing himself to
write down the assignment and demonstrate readiness for learning at the beginning
of each class. He will also need to remain consistent to offset the earlier part of the
term; on his most recent "quest," which follows the pattern outlined above, he
earned a 28/40. I encourage Will to set and meet this goal for himself: land, take out
his planner, copy down the assignment (it is always displayed on a SMARTboard
slide as students come into class). Taking ownership of this key phase of classroom
time will ensure that Will does not miss other key content at the beginning of the
lesson. Will’s series of “zero-point” assignments this term has greatly suppressed his
grade; however, his last several assignments (0/10, 12/15, 15/15) represent a
positive trend that I’m confident Will can manage and maintain. Will’s recent This
Boy’s Life essay (B- to C+ for late Turnitin.com submission) helped to raise his
grade to passing. I encourage him to continue this momentum.
Courtnie Williamson
Overall: B
Effort: G
Courtnie has submitted great work so far this year, including her memoir linking her
switching schools and homes to her decisions around her own identity. On her most
recent This Boy's Life "quest," (35.5/40), Courtnie stopped short of sufficient detail
or connection to themes in some of the item identification questions, but showed
very sophisticated analytical work in the passage analysis section ("Wolff uses the
visual imagery of Franz waiting for Toby to show the first time that others have
actually stood waiting for him and serving him; the usual Toby serves others, is
bossed around, and abused”). In her longer format analysis (This Boy’s Life essay: B C+ for late Turnitin.com submission), Courtnie must attend to missing context
statements and revise analysis to adhere to the same “formula” she has employed in
her test analyses. I will work with Courtnie on the best ways to structure and
punctuate her complex ideas; I am pleased that she arrives at III form English with
great depth of observation. In upcoming grammar units, I encourage Courtnie to
seek out the rules and practices that will enhance her writing. I enjoy having
Courtnie in class!
Matt Woods:
Overall:
B + Effort: G
Matt seems to have adjusted well within his III form year, and is clearly hitting his
stride in terms of test-taking, analytical writing, and class discussion. Matt possesses
the great gift of getting to a key point without the "extra" language that other
students employ. His concision illuminates his unique thinking; Matt bears all the
qualities of a strong English scholar, including his earnestness about his reflections
on the literature. In his analytical writing, Matt’s strength came through as well,
earning him a B on his This Boy’s Life essay.