| Assignments | English 9 Syllabus |
AP English Language and Composition |
Grades |
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Philosophy
Students often question Why read? or Why write? There are so many sources of information and entertainment available, so many issues to worry about, so many alternatives for filling a day, so many audiences to address, so many tools that can do the work for us: Why bother with reading or writing?
We read for many reasons: to experience alternatives; to recognize shortcomings; to gain ways of thinking; to expand our means for communicating; to escape and then to return stronger; to find entertainment; to understand our important place among others; to question ourselves. We read as an inquisitive act that is distinctly human.
Similarly, we write for many reasons: to release tension; to communicate what we know or believe; to examine what we think and feel; to encourage, dissuade, understand and persuade others who believe differently than ourselves; to establish our importance among others; to proclaim ourselves. We write as an expressive act that makes us human.
Students will experience two basic principles underlying our time together. The first is a quote from President John F. Kennedy: We choose to do these things not because they are easy, but because they are hard. Our goal is to make our lives better in the future and not merely easier in the present. The second is anonymous and applies to the whole of life: Leave it better than you found it. There is always more to know and achieve, no matter how much we know or have achieved already.
Students are challenged to become increasingly self-reliant, proactive and responsible for their education. Class conversations and assignments are merely the tip of the iceberg. It is up to each student to determine the size, depth and scope of the berg and to decide how far beneath the surface it is worth exploring.
We each determine the greatness of our future. What are you going to choose to learn today?