English II Syllabus

Mrs. Tilley
Student Success Code
Respect Yourself and Other People. Each of you is unique and brings diverse, valuable
knowledge to this class. Therefore, you must act responsibly by treating others
(including administrators, other teachers, and substitute teachers) with respect. Be
yourself, but remember self-discipline. Please leave all negative attitudes out of the
room.
Be Present and On Time. Be in your seat by the time the bell rings or you will be
marked tardy. If you have three tardies, you will receive a detention. (You will also
receive one for every tardy after that.)
Make-Up Work: You are responsible for getting information about work you miss
because of class absence for any reason. The best way to do this is to ask me before or
after class, or during work time. If you don’t ask and you don’t make up work, you will
receive a zero.
Academic Honesty: Don’t cheat. Don’t plagiarize. Don’t have someone else do your
work.
Bring All Learning Materials With You and Be Ready to Learn!
What to bring to class each day:
*An English folder *Textbooks, Novel *Note cards
*Notebook for class (DOL/Journal) *Loose Leaf Paper
*A blue or black pen or pencil *Completed Assignments
Late Work: Any assignments that are not handed in on time are considered late. All late
assignments will be automatically marked down 50%.
Grading Scale:
100-93=A 92-90=A- 89-88=B+ 87-83=B
82-80=B- 79-78=C+ 77-73=C 72-70=C-
69-68=D+ 67-63=D 62-60=D- 59-0=F
Grades will be made up of writing assignments, speeches, tests, projects, daily points
(assignments and quizzes), and daily oral language. The final exam is worth 10% of your
overall grade. Prepare accordingly.
Disciplinary Procedure:
Step 1: Student conference...we talk and discuss solutions.
Step 2: Parental conference...I talk you your parental figures.
Step 3: Disciplinary Referral/Office
If the problem is serious, I will go directly to step 3. Use common sense and avoid
trouble.

Gadgets: Cell phones are never allowed in my class. I have no tolerance for texters,
whether blatantly out in the open or in your hoodie or pocket. Don’t try me. iPods and
MP3 players should not be out unless we are doing a project on which you can use them.
The same goes for personal laptop computers.
Please…treat my room and belongings with respect. While I have a pretty open policy
about student usage of supplies, please put them back where they belong and keep things
tidy. Clean up after yourself.
Class Content:
Composition – We have lots of writing assignments in English II. A research paper,
creative writing, and character analysis papers are some of the essays we will write. The
process of writing is important in English II, and we employ the techniques of the Six
Plus One Traits of Writing.
Literature – We will read, discuss, and write about different genres of literature including
short stories, nonfiction, drama, poetry, and novels. The two major novels in this class
are To Kill a Mockingbird and Night.
Media – We will explore the different forms of media and how they influence you and
members of American society. We will also look at how media is created. We use eight
concepts of media literacy.
Speeches – We will learn the communication process and give speeches in several genres
including informative, demonstration, and persuasion. We will also give a speech
including parts of each of those.
Grammar – Every day we will be doing a daily oral language (DOL) activity, as well as
other grammar exercises.
Overall:
I hope English II is a rewarding class for you! If you come to class with a positive
attitude, are willing to try, do quality work, and engage your brain, I am sure you will
enjoy this class, whether English is your strong suit or not. I’ll be willing to work with
you if you are willing to be taught. ☺