Captain Mitchell
Captain Sharon Mitchell
email:
sharon_mitchell@srqit.sarasota.k12.fl.us
“We don’t receive wisdom; we must discover it ourselves after a journey that no one can take for us or spare us. –Marcel Proust
Every year our tenth grade cadets enjoy their final leap into and out of FCAT Land! Reading comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, speaking and listening skills, as well as writing proficiency, is the English II heartbeat. This rigorous curriculum prepares our students to have the capability to pass the FCAT writing and reading tests. The Grade 10 FCAT must be passed to receive a regular graduation diploma. More importantly, in this class our cadets prepare for their futures with a base that kindles further intellectual growth.
“Creativity comes from a conflict of ideas.”
Not to worry; English II is not about teaching to the test! It is much more. Students develop critical thinking skills through journals, debates, class discussions, and literature circles. Creativity is encouraged and nurtured through an assortment of reading, speaking and writing assignments.
“If there is no struggle, there is no progress.” – Frederick Douglass
My classroom is equipped with twenty computers to facilitate students with their research, writing, and editing. Thought-provoking journaling and a variety of fun writing exercises encourage students to embrace and share their “works of art.” They learn that writing is hard, but rewarding, and that words are powerful.
“You don’t have to destroy books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.” –Ray Bradbury
Students read a number of short stories, articles, and books in class, as well as participate in the Read 900 program. This program is research-based: the more hours a person reads, the better reader he/she becomes. Vocabulary grows, critical thinking and imagination kicks in, and the added bonus is a higher IQ.
“Only the educated are free.” –Epictetus
Add Links: reading program; poetry café articles and pictures. Previous Journal entry examples.
Links