Sample 11th Grade Honors English syllabus

Instructor: Kendra Nielsen

Email: knielsen@mpsaz.org
Tutoring Hours: Monday-Friday, 7 AM-8 AM, after school by appointment
Course Description:
This course will cover the major literary eras throughout American Literature, including
fictional pieces, historical documents, and nonfiction works. There is a strong emphasis on
reading and deep analysis, with a wide scope of genres and points of view examined. Students
will be learning and using 21st-century skills that will promote their success both inside and
outside of the classroom.
Curriculum:
The curriculum designed for this course is derived from Arizonas College and Career
Readiness Standards. Over the course of the year we will be covering the following units.

Enlightenment
Romanticism
Transcendentalism
Realism

Modernism
Harlem Renaissance
Literacy Circles on Contemporary
Works

Classroom Procedures:

Bell Work: At the start of class, students will have a prompt, poem, or piece of
artwork to respond to. Students will be expected to enter into class, take their assigned
seat, and beginning responding to the prompt of the day. At the end of each week, they
will turn in their bell work, which will be graded for completion.

Tardiness: Students that come in to class after the final bell rings will be
considered late and marked tardy on the attendance sheet. There is a basket by the door
for students with late passes. Students who are chronically late will be given a warning,

then a detention, and then the parents or guardians will be contacted about the situation.
Student Work: Students will pass their homework to the first person in their row
and the row leaders will pass it up towards the front of the classroom so that I can collect
their work. This will happen after their bell work is done and before we begin the
activities for the day. Work that is turned in late will be accepted up to a week after the

original due date, but will lose 5 participation points.

Student Absences: When a student is absent, he or she is expected to refer to the
class Website or contact one of their classmates to determine what they have missed. I

will have copies of any worksheets or handouts passed out during those days available for
the student upon their return. If the student is absent for an extended period of time, we
can arrange for a parent or guardian to pick up homework, classwork, and notes on a
weekly basis. For short-term absences, the students will have the same number of days
that they were absent to make up what they missed. Exceptions can be made on a caseby-case basis.

Late Work: Regular work and assignments will be accepted for up to one week
after the original due date, with 5 points taken off for participation. It will still be graded
for content. For long-term projects or unit essays, no late work will be taken except in
extreme cases. When I assign these projects, I will clearly state that this particular
assignment will not be graded if it is late. The instruction sheet handed out will also state
this.

Plagiarism/Academic Dishonesty: Plagiarism and academic dishonesty will not

be tolerated in this course. If a student has plagiarized, they will automatically receive a 0
on the assignment and further disciplinary action will be taken. If a student has cheated
off of somebodys paper, both students will receive a 0, unless the other student was not

complicit in the act.

Grading: Students will be graded on academic achievement, in-class

participation, homework, and improvement in this course. I will be using that standard
grading scale:
A = 90% - 100%
B = 80% - 89%
C = 70% - 79%

D = 60% - 69%
F = 59% or below

Assessments, essays, and projects will be weighted more heavily than homework

or participation. Students will be provided with a specific, measurable rubric for each
large assignment so that the expectations are clear and explicit. They can also ask for
clarification on any part of the rubric at any time. If there are any issues with a grade,
students may inquire about it before school, after instructional time, at lunch, or after
school.

Restroom Use: There will be a restroom pass and a clipboard with a sign-in sheet.
Students will not have to raise their hands in class to go to the bathroom, but they will
have to write their name and the time they left on the log and take the pass with them.
Upon returning to class, they must write what time they returned and return the pass to
where it belongs. If a student wishes to go to the restroom but the pass is in use, they
must wait for the other students to return. If a students restroom use becomes an issue, I
will address it with them personally. This would include taking more than 5-7 minutes or

leaving class an excessive number of times each week.

Classroom Rules and Consequences:

During the first week of school students will be introduced to Lawrence

Kohlbergs Six Stages of Moral Development. Then, as a class, they will come up with a list of
rules that everyone agrees with, based on a foundation of respect for the self, their peers, and
their environment.

Unless there is a serious misbehavior, the consequences for breaking one of the
class rules will be determined between the teacher, the student who broke the rule, and any
student that there misbehavior affected (e.g.: if a student interrupts one of their peers to voice
his/her opinion, the peer who was interrupted will be included in this discussion).
Communication with Parents:

If you or your parents/guardians have any questions pertaining to this course,

please email me! I will respond to email communications within 48 hours, though usually
earlier than that. Every student and guardian will have access to the class website. The
site will contain the course calendar, homework assignments (including downloadable
worksheets in case one is lost), project information, announcements and more! The link
for the site is www.classcoursepage.weebly.com.
Needs of Diverse Learners:

My classroom procedures, rules, and consequences may be modified to meet the

needs of diverse learners. For students with IEPs, the appropriate accommodations will be made.

These students as well as their parent or guardian are welcome to email me or talk with me in
person about the accommodations being made and any difficulties that the student is having.