2015 Moleskine academic planner

After many years and many planners, I've finally found a process that works for me. However, I've been playing around with different organizers: Moleskine and an A5 Traveler's Notebook (TN) from LeatherPlannersPlus on Etsy. During the school year, I used a large squared Moleskine journal that I customized. I find that academic planners just don't have what I need to keep track of everything for teaching.

The first thing I do when I get a new planner is customize it! For example, I glue in end papers and an additional bookmark.

Next, I set up my monthly calendars. I've seen them drawn as a regular calendar, but I find that this works better for me:

Then, I set up my weekly pages. It took me a little bit of experimenting to find what works for me.

You see that I have my weekly task list on the left, including the weekly quotation that I put on the board for students. On the right, I have daily notes. This is usually where I write my lesson plan...very brief I know. I keep a blog for my students, and those daily blog posts are much more detailed, so I don't really need to write it down in a planner. I also use the daily notes to keep track of things that students need. I can't remember everything and it's really important for me to write things down.

I'm still in the process of setting up my TN, so when I get it how I want it, I'll post pictures.

What do you use to keep yourself organized?

English 101, section 2162 at MJC

Basic Information for Summer 2015 English 101

I will have the full syllabus posted soon. I may take some students from the waitlist depending on how many no-shows I have on the first day. If you are not physically in class on time on day 1, you will be dropped.

It’s going to be very important to have your books in the first week as we are on a very tight schedule. The 5 week time period means you are going to be KILLING IT in this class. So if you don’t have time to devote to outside reading, writing, and visits to the Writing Center, this may not be the section for you.

The MJC bookstore should have our books.

You must have the fifth edition of the Everyday Writer by Lunsford. The fourth won’t do. Check used bookstores, Amazon, and Craigslist.

The Quiet Time, written by MJC professor Dimitri Keriotis, will be needed at the latest in week 2. This is a newer book, so there may not be used available on Amazon.

Other materials you will need:

1. A notebook (spiral or composition), at least 70 pages.
2. Two large Greenbooks (8 ½ by 11)
3. Writing utensils (pen is preferred)
4. A Google Drive Account (if you have Gmail, you already have this, otherwise sign up for an account with whatever email address you have that’s appropriate for communicating with bosses or professors)

Tuesday 3/24

Handouts on Grammar (quotations, ellipsis points, hyphens)
Curzan article-link to web article
Return midterms; handout on editing marks

Homework: 
Write the summary for Curzan that would be needed to include in an introduction of an essay about the topic of technology in the classroom. 

How to Use Commas Correctly

Week 5

Tuesday 2/10

Article: Read Kids Read, by Frank Bruni
Read and annotate. Identify intro, conclusion, and body paragraph chunks. 
Write a brief summary and purpose for each chunk: 1-2 sentences summarizing what the chunk SAYS, then 1-2 sentences explaining why the author included the chunk.  What does the chunk DO for the reader's understanding? We finished the Says/Does for the intro and the first paragraph chunk. 

Homework:
Finish the Says/Does for the remaining paragraph chunks. 

Thursday 2/12
Write a thesis statement for the essay on Read, Kids, Read. Discuss 3 benefits of reading. Then, compose a body paragraph that incorporates the following:

• Topic Sentence- one benefit of reading
• Evidence #1- a Quote, or a Paraphrase, or a personal Experience/observation
• Explanation of evidence
• Explanation of why evidence matters. How does it support the benefit of reading?
• Evidence #2- Q, P, E
• Explanation of evidence
• Explanation of why evidence matters. How does it support the benefit of reading?
• Concluding sentence- should mention the benefit of reading again. 

Homework:

1. Finish the body paragraph
2. Watch the 5 minute Youtube video on Commas. Take notes on the ways we use commas.
3. Complete Commas D handout

Week 4

Tuesday 2/3

• Dixon Wells presented her Supplement Instruction study group. See a classmate for more information. 
• Crary article- work on summary. 
• Prompt for next in-class essay (Thursday). 
• Bubble-cluster/Brainstorm (get notes)
• Work on a thesis statement.
• Returned Admirable Person essays. Journal: What did you do well? What do you need to improve?

Homework: 

1. Greenbook for Thursday
2. Brainstorm filled out, article annotated. 
3. Read Ch. 4 TSIS for next week. 

Thursday 2/5
In class essay- 2 prompt choices for article "Students Lie, Cheat, Steal, But Say They're Good."

Homework:
Read Ch. 4 TSIS

English 49, Week Three

Tuesday
Handouts:

• ICE handout
• Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing
• Article 

Unfortunately, I don't have the documents uploaded to link yet, so you may have to get them from me on Thursday...at the least, print out the article.

Agenda:

1. Review reading from TSIS and answer the questions posed in class in your notebook
2. Read Zinczenko on pg. 241 and discuss how to break the article down into comprehensible pieces. 
3. Read Article in class. 

Homework:
Read Ch. 2 TSIS and review the QPS handout

Thursday