Tutoring Hours:
What should I bring to be prepared for tutoring?
Well, this depends on what you feel you need. If it's just a quiet place to work - that is perfectly OK. You could also...
- I offer weekly tutoring. Please feel free to drop in! You can also make an appointment for another time if needed.
- Before school tutoring is not offered.
- Tests & Quizzes will have an assigned make-up window and make-ups must be completed in that time frame.
What should I bring to be prepared for tutoring?
Well, this depends on what you feel you need. If it's just a quiet place to work - that is perfectly OK. You could also...
- Come prepared with specific questions about the literature we are reading.
- Come prepared with annotations for Mrs. Jenkins to review and give feedback on.
- Come prepared with your copy of the literature that we are reading so that we can read and annotate together.
- Bring copies or ask to review past quizzes or other assessments with Mrs. Jenkins.
- Prepare a draft of your writing assignment for Mrs. Jenkins to review and workshop with you.
General Study Tips:
Sometimes students struggle with tenth grade English because there is such a shift in how you are asked to think about literature -- not only are you expected to comprehend what you read, but for the first time for many of you, you're expected to analyze author's choices and respond to texts in new, more critical/analytical ways.
Here are some general tips to help you be successful in our class:
General Organization - It will be incredibly hard to be successful in my class if you are not organized. Get in the habit of bringing your assigned readings and binder every day and putting papers behind the appropriate tab at the end of each class instead of stuffing them into your binder pocket. Find a system that works for you for writing down your homework -- you will forget key deadlines if you don't write them down. Have an established place where you put completed homework so you're not shuffling around trying to find it when it's time to turn it in. Check Google Classroom before coming back to class if you miss a day so you're not behind.
Vocabulary - The average person needs to be exposed to a word a min. of FIVE times in order to begin to understand/use/remember it. A strong study schedule means just five to ten minutes of studying across multiple days. This might include reviewing flash cards, looking at each word and composing a quick, original sentence in your head, practicing spelling by rewriting the word, creating mnemonic devices, using QUIZLET (which we already have made the lists for you), etc.
Reading & Annotating - You will comprehend what you read better if you break up your reading into smaller "chunks," rather than trying to read too many pages in one night. At the beginning of each assigned reading, calendar out which "chunks" you'll read on which days and stick to it. After each "chunk", stop and summarize, making a prediction for what will happen next. If you find that annotation is distracting, try a double read strategy -- read once, annotating for comprehension and underlining important areas; then skim back over the reading, revisiting areas you marked and analyzing how the author uses language/devices to develop the big ideas in the text. Some students find audiobooks helpful in keeping a steady pace going for reading.
Writing - Organizing your ideas before you write is crucial. Outlining might not work for you, but a simple two-minute list of what you're going to say and how you're going to support it might be the difference between a well-written organized essay, and a mess that you have to scrap and start over halfway through. Once you've organized your ideas, revisit your thesis at the end of each paragraph to make sure that your essay is on-topic. Once you're finished writing, have a friend, parent, or me look it over for fluency. Read it out loud to yourself - which is a great strategy for finding spots that don't "work". It's also generally a good idea to finish your essay with some lag time before it's due so that you're able to take some time away from it and look at it once more/make adjustments with "fresh" eyes before submitting.
Sometimes students struggle with tenth grade English because there is such a shift in how you are asked to think about literature -- not only are you expected to comprehend what you read, but for the first time for many of you, you're expected to analyze author's choices and respond to texts in new, more critical/analytical ways.
Here are some general tips to help you be successful in our class:
General Organization - It will be incredibly hard to be successful in my class if you are not organized. Get in the habit of bringing your assigned readings and binder every day and putting papers behind the appropriate tab at the end of each class instead of stuffing them into your binder pocket. Find a system that works for you for writing down your homework -- you will forget key deadlines if you don't write them down. Have an established place where you put completed homework so you're not shuffling around trying to find it when it's time to turn it in. Check Google Classroom before coming back to class if you miss a day so you're not behind.
Vocabulary - The average person needs to be exposed to a word a min. of FIVE times in order to begin to understand/use/remember it. A strong study schedule means just five to ten minutes of studying across multiple days. This might include reviewing flash cards, looking at each word and composing a quick, original sentence in your head, practicing spelling by rewriting the word, creating mnemonic devices, using QUIZLET (which we already have made the lists for you), etc.
Reading & Annotating - You will comprehend what you read better if you break up your reading into smaller "chunks," rather than trying to read too many pages in one night. At the beginning of each assigned reading, calendar out which "chunks" you'll read on which days and stick to it. After each "chunk", stop and summarize, making a prediction for what will happen next. If you find that annotation is distracting, try a double read strategy -- read once, annotating for comprehension and underlining important areas; then skim back over the reading, revisiting areas you marked and analyzing how the author uses language/devices to develop the big ideas in the text. Some students find audiobooks helpful in keeping a steady pace going for reading.
Writing - Organizing your ideas before you write is crucial. Outlining might not work for you, but a simple two-minute list of what you're going to say and how you're going to support it might be the difference between a well-written organized essay, and a mess that you have to scrap and start over halfway through. Once you've organized your ideas, revisit your thesis at the end of each paragraph to make sure that your essay is on-topic. Once you're finished writing, have a friend, parent, or me look it over for fluency. Read it out loud to yourself - which is a great strategy for finding spots that don't "work". It's also generally a good idea to finish your essay with some lag time before it's due so that you're able to take some time away from it and look at it once more/make adjustments with "fresh" eyes before submitting.
Jenkins, Nicole. "Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh, Scotland." 2016. JPEG file.