Oct 2, 2026

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

• Eng 9
• Checking in
• Reminder about A2 - Independent Novel Assignment (note that I made a mistake on naming earlier)
• Returning A1
• Try to see this as the start of a conversation
• My apologies for my writing
• A circle means a mistake
• Feedback is on Teams, in the third person
• You have the right to challenge
• You have the right to redo, under the same conditions
• Novel unit
• Distributing The Hate U Give
• Literature presentation description
• Establishing the order or presentations
• A3 - due date pushed back to Wednesday
• Time to write - your goal is to come to class on Tuesday with a rough draft
• Recapping A3
• Mr. McLean's Writing Tips
• Eng 12
• Checking in
• Reminder about A2 - Independent Novel Assignment (note that I made a mistake on naming earlier)
• Pivoting the "The Yellow Wallpaper" - finish it
• Reaction
• First thoughts
• Analysing for literary terms
• Analysing for critical lenses
• First thoughts:
• What will you write your A4 about? On Monday you'll hand in A3, and then we'll begin brainstorming in class
• Recapping A3
• Time to work on your visual

Oct 1, 2026

 Hello! Here's what we're up today:

• Checking in
• Eng 9
• Recapping A3 and the texts
• How to write a paragraph, and an example
• Time to brainstorm
• Your goal is to walk in tomorrow with:
• The literary term you're using
• The argument you're making
• The two or three examples you'll be using
• Tomorrow, we'll write the rough draft
• If all goes well, tomorrow I'll be returning your A1
• Eng 12
• Time to focus on A3 - I'd like to see everyone's work
• Literary terms
• Atmosphere
• Imagery
• Narrator
• Paradox
• Personification
• Point of view
• Background on "The Yellow Wallpaper"
• Background on the history of feminism
• Gothic horror
• Women and medicine
• Final text (first half) - "The Yellow Wallpaper"
• Reaction
• Literary terms
• Critical lenses
• Time for A3

Sept 29, 2026

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

• Checking in
• A note on Truth and Reconciliation day
• Recapping yesterday
• Eng 9
• Connect the painting to the other two texts
• Introducing our final text!
• Discussion on stereotypes
• Distributing speech - sorry it's not staples or hole punched
• Introducing Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
• "The Danger of a Single Story"
• Reaction:
• Like/dislike
• What is a "single story" that has affected you?
• Begin brainstorming for A3
• Eng 12
• Returning to A3. Tell me:
• Which quote you'll use
• How you'll depict it
• Discussion: when you think of Indigenous art, what do you think of?
• The Art of Kent Monkman 
• Context of the curriculum
• The character Miss Chief Eagle Testikle.
• Introduction by Kent Monkman's book - Read aloud as a class
• The original painting: The Fathers of Confederation
• The painting we're studying
• Note the scale - it's a giant painting, though smaller than the original
• Offer a reaction
• Analysis
• Literary terms
• Critical lenses
• Connect to the other texts
• Time for A3

Sept 28, 2026

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

• Checking in
• Recapping last week
• Eng 9
• Update to A3
• AM: Finishing up "The Veldt"
• Analyse for literary terms
• Tone
• Foreshadowing
• Symbols
• Characterization
• Thematic Statement
• Connect to "Freedom"
• The Art of Lawrence Paul
• A note on Indigenous vocabulary
• Discussion: what comes to mind when you think of Indigenous art?
• The Raven and the First Men
• Background on Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun (pass around the book)
• Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun - video from MOA
• Ovoids
• "Solid Cement Indians"
  "On the Other Side"
  "Haida Hot Dog"
  "Neo Totem Pole"
• Red Man Watching White Man Try to Fix Hole in the Sky
• Activity
• What do you see?
• What are some possible symbols?
• Offer a thematic statement
• Offer your opinion
• Freewrite
• Eng 12
• Returning to "This is Water"
• What literary terms and critical lenses can you apply?
• In what way are you the young fish?
• How does this connect to the other two texts?
• Returning A1 - yay! A few notes:
• Your feedback is in the third person. This is because I'm selfish, and am using this as an opportunity to create your interim report card comment at the same time. Everyone got a positive note, and a note on what to focus on for the future
• I'll be collecting this assignment today - feel free to take pictures
• I encourage you to see this as the beginning of a conversation about marks - the value of this assignment is purposefully low
• I usually don't tell you what mistakes you've made, but rather circle them. Your task is to figure out what's wrong, and fix it. If you can't, ask, and I'll let you know
• I am truly sorry about my bad writing
• You have the right to challenge!
• You have the right to redo!
• A redo would mean starting from scratch under the exact same conditions, without notes and without my feedback.

• Update on A3 - I've changed the task, to avoid too much emphasis on literary analysis
• Examples and rubric
• Time to begin planning

Sept 25, 2026

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

• Checking in
• Reviewing the last few days
• Eng 9
• Returning to yesterday's discussion: is technology moving too fast?
• Discussion: predict the world 5 years out, 50 years out, and 500 years out
• Introducing "The Veldt"
• Listening to the audio
• Initial reaction
• Analysing for
• Tone
• Symbols
• Foreshadowing
• Characterization
• Thematic statement
• Freewrite
• Connect this text to "Freedom"
• Eng 12
• Literary terms
• Nonfiction
• Parable
• Didactic
• Irony
• Intro of a parable
• "This is Water"
• Initial reaction
• Connect to other texts
• Freewrite: in what way are you one of the two young fish?

Sept 24, 2026

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

• Checking in
• Update: I'll likely be pushing back the due dates coming up
• Eng 9
• Freedom
• Live performance
• Time to analyse lyrics
• Discussion
• Leave notes for yourself for A3
• Literary terms
• Characterization
• Tone
• Theme/Thematic Statement
• Foreshadowing
• Freewrite: Technology is moving too fast. Agree or disagree?
• Background on Ray Bradbury and "The Veldt"
• Eng 12
• Update: your Monday FIT is an assembly
• The Lottery (page 227)
• Initial thoughts and discussion
• Analyse for literary terms
• Symbols
• Tone
• Characterization
• Foreshadowing
• Thematic statement
• Analyse for critical lenses
• How does this connect to "APE****"?
• Consider:
• Feminist lens
• Marxist lens
• Historical lens
• Thematic statement
• Symbols
• Freewrite: When society runs into troubles, is it better to look to the past for lessons, or to imagine a better future?
• Background on David Foster Wallace and "This is Water"
• FIT is a lesson on Truth and Reconciliation Day

Sept 23, 2026

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

• Checking in
• Recapping yesterday
• Eng 9
• Background on "Freedom" - note Kendrick Lamar
• Listening to "Freedom"
• First impressions
• Second listen
• Analysis
• Third listen
• Live version
• Brainstorm
• How might this work in your assignment 3?
• Distributing "The Veldt"
• Eng 12
• So many elections! A primer.
• Return to "APE****"
• Worksheet discussion
• Analysis - how might you use this in your assignment?
• Literary terms
• Characterization
• Tone
• Theme/Thematic Statement
• Foreshadowing
• Introducing "The Lottery"
• Shirley Jackson
• Listening to the story
• First response - what did you think?
• Second response - analysis for literary devices and critical lenses
• Third response - how might this connect to "APE****"?