Nov 7, 2025

 Hello! Here's what we're up to today:

• Checking in
• Background on Shakespeare
• Discussion: What do you know about Shakespeare? How do you feel about Shakespeare?
• What we know about him
• Language
• Iambic pentameter
• Thee/Thou/Est
• Theater at the time
• The Globe
• Elizabethan England
• Quick video on who he was
• Much Ado About Nothing - 1599
• Looking ahead to the next three assignments
• Note the pun in the title
• Note how the numbers work. Today is 1.1.1-155
• Character chart - to be completed by Monday
• Reading a summary of 1.1
• Read aloud 1.1.1-155
• Time to work on your character chart
• Student mid-term interviews
• On Monday, we'll practice acting out this scene, and watch the film

Nov 6, 2025

 Hello! Here's what we're up to today:

• Checking in
• Note: I'm delaying the due date for the essay, as well as the start to the play
• Time for essay!
• How to peer review
• You need to show physical evidence of THREE peers offering thoughts on your essay. This might look like:
• Track Changes on Word
• Different colours and font on google docs
• Good ol' pen and pencil on a physical copy
• Pictures of people studiously considering your essay
• When editing, consider:
• Spelling, commas, and essay structure
• Mr. McLean's Writing Tips
• Compliment sandwich at the end
• Reminder about final copy:
• Good copy (a title page is always a nice touch)
• Works Cited Page
• Rough copy (should feature evidence of three peers editing)
• Original plan (can be different from what the end result is)
• Mid-term report card interviews!
• Tomorrow, we'll begin Much Ado About Nothing, and work on a character chart.

Nov 5, 2025

It's Bring Your Kids to Work Day!

If you're here, then this is time to work on your essay.

Nov 4, 2025

 Hello! Here's what we're up to today:

• Checking in
• Time to work on your essay. Your goal is to complete your rough draft before Thursday's lesson.
• For those who signed up to be interviewed today during the last class: unfortunately, this class has not demonstrated enough maturity for me to leave the class to conduct these interviews. We'll have to reschedule for Thursday/Friday

Nov 3, 2025

 Hello! Here's what we're up to today:

• Checking in
• List of missing assignments
• Tomorrow is a the due date for all missing and redone assignments (particularly the independent novel project)
• Tomorrow will be a "remedy" day for me, so you'll have a TOC, but I'll be lurking around, somewhere
• Report Card Comment and Mark Sheet - Due Thursday
• Distributing Much Ado About Nothing
• A heads up: our approach to this story will be considerably different. This is not a serious play
• Quick summary of the story
• How we'll approach the play - from multiple angles
• Read summaries
• Watch movies
• Read modern English
• Read original Shakespearean (your assignments will need to use the original language, but you may use Modern English whenever it feels right)
• Time for essay
• I'm delaying it one more day, to Friday
• How to peer review
• You need to show physical evidence of THREE peers offering thoughts on your essay. This might look like:
• Track Changes on Word
• Different colours and font on google docs
• Good ol' pen and pencil on a physical copy
• Pictures of people studiously considering your essay
• When editing, consider:
• Spelling, commas, and essay structure
• Mr. McLean's Writing Tips
• Compliment sandwich at the end
• Reminder about final copy:
• Good copy (a title page is always a nice touch)
• Works Cited Page
• Rough copy (should feature evidence of three peers editing)
• Original plan (can be different from what the end result is)
• Your goal is to complete your rough draft before Thursday 

Oct 31, 2025

 Hello! Happy Hallowe'en!

• Checking in
• Note: I think today is your last day to get in permission forms for Take Your Kids to Work Day. Otherwise, you'll be awkwardly hanging out with me in class
• Note (2): Tuesday is the deadline for missing and redone work that counts towards your midterm. Next week we'll be conducting interviews to determine your midterm mark
• In the news: congratulations to your generation on the Word of the Year
• Film?
• Time to work on essay
• A note on plagiarism
• There will be one more in-class paragraph before the end of the year. If I find significant differences between that one and this essay, you'll have to redo both. So make sure this is your voice.
• How to do a Works Cited list
• What is the purpose of a Works Cited list?
• Your goal by Monday is to write the intro and the body paragraph
• Checking in with everyone's work

Oct 30, 2025

 Hello! Here's what we're up to today:

• Checking in
• Student presentation
• Film!
• Time for the essay: your goal is to come to class tomorrow with a plan ready
• 3rd block - stay here for FIT