Context for Learning Assignment

High School Placement Information

• High School- Grades 11 and 12

• As far as I know, there is no major requirements made by the district other than selecting books from the approved list for the literature courses. There are only two teachers in the English department and they are, for the most part, allowed to design and teach their own curriculum. 

• Course Names: American Lit and British Lit
• Course Length: Semesters
• Time: 50 min; 55min
• The only ability grouping has been done in AP courses, which I will not be teaching. 
• So far I have been included in teaching The Catcher in the Rye, The Things They Carried, and part of the Satire Unit. 
• Resources: The classroom has a project and doc camera as well as laptop for each student when necessary. 

• Student Breakdown for British Literature (Seniors)
• >5% Free/Reduced Lunch
• 23 Students
• 9 Male
• 14 Female
• No English Language Learners
• 1 IEP (who is mostly out of the classroom in the resource room)
• 10 to 15 underperforming students

The biggest challenge with this class is that they are seniors. And it appears most of them didn't care much about their education before, so now that they are so close to the end, they care even less. There are about 5 students who I can solidly count on to produce work where it looks like they at least tried. There are many students who regularly turn work in late. Most are doing the minimum it takes to get by and graduate. I have also spoken to most of the students and it seems like not many are headed in the direction of college... or at least not immediately.