Tuesday, October 20, 2026

Coaching Curling: The Journey

1st Email String:

Attention to any students interested in trying out for the girls or boys varsity curling teams please sign up on the form outside of room 115.  Please speak with Mr. Bono to get the details before signing up. Tryouts will start the second week of November.

2nd Email String:

Attention to all those students who signed up for the boy and girls curling teams.  There will be a brief but very important meeting after these announcements today in room 117.  Please be sure to attend this meeting.

 3rd Email String:

All students trying out for curling please be sure to bring your participation form to Mr. Bono in room 138 sometime today or tomorrow morning by the end of Period 4 (at the latest). Please arrive at the curling club by 2:45pm sharp tomorrow for tryouts with a clean pair of running shoes.  Any questions go to room 138.

OECTA AQ: Religious Ed. Pt.II Module 1.7 Annointing of the Sick

As per task, 

Share a story of suffering and healing that you have experienced, whether it was you who was in pain, you who witnessed or accompanied someone in pain, or you who caused the pain. How did you feel during this experience? What was the outcome? Who or what did you turn to for support, comfort and guidance?

Your reflection may be in any format you feel appropriate.

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Repsonse, 

I had an article submitted to the Dunnville Sachem some odd years ago. I wrote a letter to the editor in regards to the untimely death of our family member, "Angel" a dog with a sweet smile and a great deal of people/friends who will deeply miss her.


"I have written a letter to the editor, I kept it as short and sweet as possible without revealing too much personal information (I really hope that this piece could be published). For the sake of knowing, (as I didn't put details in the piece) our family's long time life companion-Angel was hit by a car.

Many animals are hit by cars everyday, many family pets pass away everyday, but this animal was special for a number of reasons-and however old she was, she was healthy and well, probably had a few more happy years left in her as well. I wouldn't be writing a letter to the editor if my parents had the peace of mind that it was an accident and someone felt as equally bad about doing it as my parents were to find her corpse on the road like a common piece of roadkill. But, that is exactly it-someone who was being careless hit an aged dog and just kept going. They didn't stop to check, leave a sorry note, nothing. Probably some young jackass with more important things to worry about. Nonetheless, had it been a small child-an elderly citizen, would this person have stopped? That is a bit of the kick in the pants. People think, "well, its just a dog," but is it "just a dog?" Not even for the disrespect shown towards the family that rescued and saved her, but what would have happened had this jackass hit a person? Is our community that rural that we should feel unsafe crossing the roads just because no one is there to catch us when we do something wrong? I don't want or expect police to sit near the house because a dog was hit, I don't want compensation, or even an apology (a letter of condolence would be nice for my parent's heartache though),  I am just looking to let people know that when you are on the road, walking down the street-our actions do impact those around us. We may at times, have the cowardly ability to not empathize what may happen after-but it could very well happen to you, and until it does, you really will never know how heartbreaking it is."

The piece got published, we haven't seen any other of our animals hit, but we still see people speeding down the road-from time to time we see police at the stop sign at the end of the road, but I mean, I'd like to say that someone saw the article and understood, I know there are others on out road who spoke about it with my folks after it was published (in agreeance), they shared stories about their dogs/cats or even mailboxes being struck by speeding vehicles.

OECTA Religious Education Pt.II AQ-Module 1: Laudato Si (Reading)

 Chapter 2 Summary (The Gospel of Creation)

Faith and Catholic Social Teachings introduce the stewardship that Catholics are called upon as eucharist people in a world that God created. Likewise, working with thelogians to determine movement forward, with reference to the Book of Gensis and the word of God telling to keep it as it were (it being the ecological status quo. 

This also being exemplified through Exodus when the migrants are instructed to take a day of rest for themselves as migrants and their Donkey as well.

 Belief in the creation of the universe as intentional and with purpose-not chas and not out of chance. The understanding that God/The Creator had actually "created" the universe and everything in it, demonstrates how everything will inevitably-thus, be a subsequent of God's equal love in tangible form.

The understanding of how interdependence is what drives the need to understand and respect the idea that all creatures abide by the laws and love of God, but not to be forgotten that all creatures carry and indefinite distance between themselves and God, accountability cannot be held to the same degree.

We in essence, through existence are a part of a univesal communion that cannot be revoked. Jesus is the embodided Spirit of God and brings with his craftsmanship-experience that utilizes the gifts of God provided through the tangible world.

Jesus is brought to the world with the mission of bringing the human race and the world as a whole closer to God's love/God.

Chapter 3 Summary (The Human Roots of Ecological Crisis)

The human race's need to out perform their limited environments has been noted through the copious and countless technological developments ove time. These developments though comewith a caveat, they are just as much used for good as they are for evi.

Technological advancements can increase the experience of the human and the world in such a way that asetheticism is achieved and observed. Again, it depends on the wielding hand of that technology though.

Material objects should present the means of/for the human race to achieve their missions in parallel to the bible at an enheightened rate but do not, instead create distraction, divide and compete for the title of operator. For example, are we operating computers to achieve our mission or are computers operating humans to maintain their usefulness and circumvate functional consumerism?

Understanding the technological application and risk of falling victim to a changed mentality or potentially even mental state at the hands of the select few privileged enugh to sshape society, will allow people to make discerning decisions that allow a chance to step away when needed and provide a critical voice/observation.

Technocractic paradigm here in this reading generally discusses the ways that the technology has created a functional fixedness to technology and not only limited people's scope of creativity but encouraged and embodied gluttony as well other  harming behaviours of one person to another person or people to their environment.

People's outlook on life are hindered by the use of technology, the idea that technology can provide predicted models or glimpses into the future remove the discerning trust or willingness to be resilient to an unknown "tomorrow". The call for people to take on a "bold cultural revolution" and redesign the pathway that the technological developments are taking is quickly at the front as an immediate are of attention.

Anthropocentrism is when we as humans see ourselves above all other beings and things of existence. In this problematic worldview, we overlook that, as humans, if positioned in a place of supremacy, utlimately further classify within that bracket, an inherent need to control one another. This in itself inherentlly problematic, as it provides a fallacy that one may believe that humans can control other living things/non-living things and yet live harmoniously with thy neighbour. That being said, humans are not to overextend their picket in the place of God's creation.

Ultimately, the idea that Christianity shared through generations to some degree has been reiterated as a false sense of anothropocentrism that gives humanity the impression that as they decide, the world is under their control. The world then employs the use of technological bodies to manage and in result create a new slight. of the understanding that all things created ate interrelated, yet, humans hold supremacy over their made items, in this case, tehcnology, wherein our creations hold a less recognized right to life and the world, biocentrism.

Emploiment needs to be protects. There must be a balance of technology and human capability. If the technology overextends our capablities and understandings it could very well place humanity in a position of need and eliminate creative innovations (aetheticsm). 

Chapter 4 Summary (Integral Ecology)

Humans share a great deal of genetic code with living things in the world, the environment, when spoken about usually refers to the natural world and the society developed within it. 

Ecology and Relationships become more complex as we add layers to society, to the realm of "existence".

Relationships and balances of our daily lives becomes a topic of attention as we prepare through our day connecting and greeitng with others. We become products of our environments and inevitabley become an extension to the ecosystem, whether it be good or bad-healthy or unhealthy. 

The call for common good. Alturistic behaviours that allow for growth and support in the ecosystems.

The idea that the generations are in constant need of reminding of their pecking order. People will live as frivilously as they wish, however when it comes down to a reminder of the shape of things, we ask ourselves, what is left for the world left behind when our time on earth is up? In this people respond with the ideas of a "common good" but with how centralized we become with our daily lives and everything else, it is not easy to keep that conscious mind of the future world at the front of our daily life. Thus, engraining that behaviour and mentality into the actions and rhetoric on a regular basis may allow for meaningful and lasting change if it can be programmed into society accordingly.

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Read Laudato Si Chapters 2,3,4

Choose a current issue that you believe is a crisis in our world. This current issue will be the focus of all three steps in this task. Submit a 1 paragraph proposal to your instructor that identifies:

-The issue you have chosen

-Why you feel this is an important topic to discuss.

-How this issue connects to your reading from Laudato Si.

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Response, 

The current issue I am examining is youth's exposure to social media. 

I feel this is worth discussing for a number of reasons, however on a personal level, my son is becoming a young person in a time that calls upon him to interact socially with his classmates and I expect that in the near future there will be a desire to "connect". Likewise as a classroom teacher, there are an incredible amount of instances wherein students are referencing social media and trying to gain access to their classmates through social media while seated so close or who see their classmates so often. Social media as proven to be a tool of change as well as a tool to harm the world/environment.

While reading Laudato Si, I can recognize that social media's mainstream application calls upon participants to gain the most notable attention though socially accepted "likes" and in some cases, comments in general-not always even socially acceptable. The idea being that the students participating in the actions of this very egocentric social behaviour schematic are building a paradigm of what creates a dependency of function on their daily ecology. This function, this impact on their daily ecology comes as a form of controlled planned behaviour by an institution that is not keen on the "common good" but the over consumption of the human race for their own benefit. this topic and idea spider-web into a copious amount of other aspects that weave a story of future self-harm, vanity, environmental waste and the destruction of aestheticism. 

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Next Step, 

News Sources, 


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Final Step, 

Campaign Model,  Teachers Pay Teachers-Blogger-Youtube (School Account)


Saturday, October 17, 2026

SEAQ: ICE Monograph - Grace for All, A Responsible Citizen OR A Self-Directed, Responsible Lifelong Learner (Required)

 “Foundational to living in the world today, is the ability to take initiative, set direction and build knowledge for one’s own learning. The learner needs to be confident about their gifts and talents and use their gifts and talents to respect the dignity and equality of each person. In a society that technically markets everything, it is important that the life-long learner be able to self-reflect, process and interpret information to create meaning that gets to the truth and advances the common good.”


To Set Direction and Improve the Instructional Program, leaders in Catholic schools must “understand what is needed to implement change and works with all to build trust teachings and values.” 


The leader in a community such as this, needs to undertake responsibility in overseeing development of its members and environment either on a physical or characteristic level. This is seen in the pressing need for UDL, differentiation, guidance counselling and even in regards to disciplinary action. 


As a leader it is important to really understand what it is you are trying to do as a leader and not driving forward with a hard aggressive, progressive mentality outright. People are reluctant to change. Experienced teachers are reluctant to change,, but I mean think about it, how many people one’s staff are excited when a leader says "we have a new way to report term marks, please see the memo in the email", understandably there are a couple things wrong with this example but the point remains-the word “new” just makes people cringe (unless of course its a change to something so horrible that the only change could be an improvement), people's interactions with the word "new" and "work" often carry a lot of negative connotation. As a leader "new" or "change" needs to be met with positivism, simplicity and encouragement that it's actually not "new" but "improved". Sure, some people might get a laugh out of the over-positivism, but would you rather be met with a bit of a jolly joking commentary on word choice, or straight up resistance/resilience to anything said thereafter the word "new" or "change"?


Leaders need to be reflective as well as reflect the aspects of the community that they hope to see, from within themselves. In a manner of speaking, participatory classroom teachers are ground layers for what leaders need to present themselves with in regards to goals and approaches to goal achievement. In some cases, a lack of participatory teachers may be an area of attention to which the particular leader had been selected. This would be an example of another potential challenge a leader may face and need to work with a community to reconcile.

As a leader, only with a community can changes (positive changes) be made. Only with the support of the community can a leader lead. That support comes from the willingness of the leader to front failure in trial-and-error approaches as well as success in achievement of goals that may show progress to the team’s larger goal/purpose.

A group of people need a purpose, as a leader it is their job to work with the group to figure out what that purpose is as well as how to get there. In some cases a leader may need to provide some guidance in decisions at first but can still include the council, team or stakeholders in the decision making process."

The community of a school is built of four essential elements, the parents, the educators, the students and the understanding that binds them into a unit of society. This unit is, “The School Community”, to be a part of the school community there are understandings that one must adhere to and acknowledge as though it were one’s own familial pedagogy. This essence of understanding that binds this community is one that characterizes the function of a leader within that community.

Feedback:
Thank you for your reflection! Your candid point about how the word “new” can make a staff cringe really hits home for me as a newly appointed leader; it is a fantastic reminder that change must be framed as a collaborative "improvement" rather than a top-down mandate. You are beautifully bringing the Self-Directed, Responsible, Lifelong Learner monograph to life by emphasizing that true leadership requires humility, shared purpose, and a willingness to face trial-and-error alongside your community. Thank you for giving me such a realistic, faith-filled perspective on modern school leadership to learn from—keep up the amazing work!

SEAQ: ICE Monograph: Shepherding and Serving OR Understanding Well-Being (Required) (Jan 27)

Instructor: Dan Trainor; Nikki Royer; and Maria Kish

For Module One, candidates are to select one of the listed Monographs from the Institute for Catholic Education (ICE) and reflect upon one of the respective quotes as a Catholic School Leader as it relates to children with special needs.

Understanding Well-Being from a Catholic Perspective
o   “Catholics share a distinct Christian view of the human person; that is, the human is not a construct but a creation, the impetus for his or her birth being love, not accident.”
o   “There is an important relationship between a child’s sense of well-being and his or her capacity to learn”
o   “Catholic schools, therefore, are described not only in terms of knowledge and skills, but necessarily in terms of values, attitudes and actions informed by reason and faith.”

Shepherding and Serving
o   “When understood properly, the metaphor of ‘shepherd’ as an image for a leadership of faithful service to the community provides a powerful invitation for us to choose a way of leading characterized by
       righteousness, care and compassion.”
o   “It is incumbent upon us to come to know who we are by listening with an open heart and mind to those inner promptings of the Spirit calling us to be the person we were born to be.”
o   “Leadership is inclusive, and consistently demonstrates a preferential option for the poor, and those on the margins. (“the shepherd leaves the ninety-nine to search for the one”).”

Consider the following questions as you reflect:
o  What does the selected quote say to you as a Catholic School Leader, relate this to your own personal narrative as well as a Gospel narrative?
o  Relate this quote to the work you do in Special Education as a Catholic School Leader?
o  How can this quote help to move you toward a more inclusive school for all learners?
o  How do leaders in Catholic schools support the creation of learning environments that use anti-oppression and anti-racism as a foundation for success for all?
o  What actions do you need to consider with your school team?

Write a 250-500 (discretion as to length is set by the instructor considering the whole course) word reflection. 
Instructors may modify the final product or permit candidate choice on representation of the learning and reflection. 

Bring a copy of your reflection or assignment and be prepared to share your thoughts with others during Module One.


 “Leadership is inclusive, and consistently demonstrates a preferential option for the poor, and those on the margins. (“the shepherd leaves the ninety-nine to search for the one”).”


What does the selected quote say to you as a Catholic School Leader, relate this to your own personal narrative as well as a Gospel narrative?

  • As a Catholic school leader, this quote speaks to me because it reminds me that your class/school is only as strong as your weakest learner. It is up to us, as leaders and stewards of Jesus, to support those who need help. 

 How can this quote help to move you toward a more inclusive school for all learners?

Relate this quote to the work you do in Special Education as a Catholic School Leader?

  • This quote can help us move to a more inclusive school for all learners by allowing us as leaders to ensure that “accessibility and responsiveness are appropriate, but do not impinge on the learner's personal health and well-being. Effective leaders have balanced, full and meaningful lives.”  As Catholics and followers of Jesus, we must have faith not only in God but also in our neighbours (students, staff, and community). 

 How do leaders in Catholic schools support the creation of learning environments that use anti-oppression and anti-racism as a foundation for success for all?

  • Leaders in Catholic schools support the creation of learning environments grounded in anti-oppression and anti-racism, with a common goal and Catholic school identity, to ensure success for all students. In this, we eliminate exclusionary identities and labels. As leaders, “it is important to recognize that students have important roles to play in supporting leaders in their daily management of the community.” For example, following up on truancy, creating opportunities for learning outside the classroom, and Special Education programs that uphold the idea of integrating and accepting students with disabilities into mainstream classes. “In Luke 15:1–7, Jesus uses the parable of the lost sheep to present a particularly challenging message for leaders: no one should be abandoned.”




Wow, I love the immediate connection to the most vulnerable or the "weakest" learner and the call to be shepherds and stewards. Your "action" items for being shepherds are excellent.

Thank you for sharing,

Dan 


Sunday, August 30, 2026

Was The Juice Worth the Squeeze? (IBEC 2025) Diploma Programme

Greetings ,

Worthwhile. I participated and completed it in an accelerated fashion,. Basically, there are 2 courses you must take before taking anything else, these take a couple months to complete. After those you will complete the other 3 courses or so that are needed there after. You are able to register for the courses prior ro the completion or beginning of any. You need a 75% to pass the class. (if I remember correctly). I hope this information is a good start.

Resource:

https://collaboratingmiette.wordpress.com/ib-pyp/teaching-and-learning/

(someone else who wanted to collaborate the same way I am here, it is nice knowing I'm not the only one)

Friday, July 3, 2026

July 01-04: APSI (Toronto) ENG.Lit and Comp

 AP English Lit and Comp Summer Institute (Presented by Collegeboard)

Dr. Brandon Abrdon, Ap Consultant

Sr. Lectuer WKU (2026)

"Emphasis on -NO CURRICULUM-"

-->Teachers are placed in a learning community to build supports and learning resources to meet the needs and remove barriers of the students in the classroom.

-->introductions

-->Emphasis on removing "cold-calling"

-->Talks of pedgagoy to come

Day 1-Goal: 

-Course Foundations

-Exam

-Introduction to Support Materials

-Reading and Advanced Literacy

-MC Questions

-Starting with Literary Analysis

1) AP Lit  Comp. vs. AP Lang Comp.

Ap Lit (Fiction; Non-Fiction (narrative); Prose and Poetry (Oveall understanding that there is a study of "story")

-->in AP Lit exam, Critical interpertation, expecting students to be able to read and understand/discuss theme and meaning.

-->The two courses are almost identical

-->Ap Lit (Exam is 3 hours) vs. AP Lang (3 hrs and 15 min)

-->AP Lang focuses on the use  and analysis of Rhetorical Language and Format; use of sources and defending the choice of source selection

in both exams, 

MCQ's are 45%

FRQ's are 55%

-->NO OFFICIAL LIST OF AP BOOKS

---->"Books People Read" Better name for the AP Lit and Comp Course

----->but you need to have a range, as the exam is ANYTHING from the 1600's to today

------------->Students need some experience with older texts, but the expectation of that knowledge on the exam

---->No chaucer, no beowulf (There won't be translation of texts on the exam because they cannot decide which is the better translation)

Part 1: Course Foundations

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1g3ehPiPv2TgMeeysWY3RSFgiDOOD7iBf2HNu5atJ_M/edit?usp=sharing 

Interesting, think about the fact that the ovearching approach to literature in this course,

New Critical: No prior knowledge of a particular text needed; other than a reading of their choice for another section of the test

Activity 1: Mining Essential Knowledge and Key Words

-->take a look at the skills essential skills learned, from the framework document.

Identify the keywords from the framework that are most important to the ideas being introduced by the essentials (the singular words only)

For example, category 6 "Figurative language"

What does the group notice about the words that have stuck out the most?

For example, "something I didn't notice before is that theme doesn't appear in the skills"; "Something I notice is that the term ambiguity is identified as something to learn and acknowledge in studies through the course - in regard to a text."

Next, identify the verbs used in the skill decriptions (Higher order thinking skills), how many times (create a tally), do they appear?

For example, "explain" and "identify" occur 4 times through the document  section (category 6)

Activity 2: Write a MCQ section of the exam

Activity 3: Mock Assessing and Evaluating

-->These are not really essays, they are really well-structured responses

--> Usually if the student is not in possession of a thesis, their Row B can still collect points, but will likely not be higher than 3 points.

-->Row B, we are not grading their grammar or spelling in Row B, give them the benefit of the doubt, however it is important to remember that the grammar and spelling need to actually impede the communication in the case where the Row B criteria is not a level 3 or 4.

-->Sophistication in Row C (not even really considered when assessment and evaluation occur if students are in Level 3 or 2).

--> It is okay that the during the writing the  student might not come up with the thesis until varying parts or points of the actual essay.

Acitvity 4: Scoring Essay Samples 

PROMPT Info for Sample Scoring:

2019 AP® ENGLISH LITERATURE AND COMPOSITION FREE-RESPONSE QUESTIONS

GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE.

Question 2

(Suggested time—40 minutes. This question counts as one-third of the total essay section score.)

Carefully read the following excerpt from William Dean Howells’ novel The Rise of Silas Lapham (1885). Then, in a well-constructed essay, analyze how the author portrays the complex experience of two sisters, Penelope and Irene, within their family and society. You may wish to consider such literary elements as style, tone, and selection of detail.


Sample C

[1] From an exercept of his The Rise of Silas Lapham, William Dean Howell portrays sisters Penelope and Irene as dependent on their family yet independent from society through selection of detail, words focused on self-reliance, and a significant shift in tone in order to challenge why we feel the need to constantly seek the acceptance and adoration of others but also warn against the dangers of living an overly sheltered life.

[2] Howell has a careful selection of detail to show how these sisters are different from other girls of that time period. In fact, the excerpt opens with “They were not girls who...” which implies that these sisters deviated from the societal norm. The younger sister Irene “dressed herself very stylish, and spent hours on her toilet every day”, which was not so others could see and admire her, but simply for her own contentment because the Laphams “lived richly to themselves.” Howell shows how in theory there is nothing particularly destructive about the mindset that family can rely on each other and live for each other. In account of the elder daughter, Howell shows how she “went to many church lectures on a vast variety of secular subjects” and “[made] fun of nearly everything,” her wit deterred potential suitors, differentiating her from the marriage-obsessed girls of her day. Through highlighting the sisters' odd social behavior but apparent contentment and peace, Howell criticizes how most girls and families are obsessed with impressing others and climbing up the social ladder.

[3] Howell also uses words like “self-guided,” “self-improvement,” and “mutual affection” to highlight the strong, but isolated bonds that the Lapham family shares. The Laphams are implied to be not of great social status because “a great gulf divided” them from wealthier families; however, the Laphams “had no skill or courage to make themselves noticed”, but more specifically, “The elder

daughter did not care for society apparently.” They are described as “lurk[ing] helplessly... looking on and not knowing how to put themselves forward” in social settings which could be of detriment to the daughters when they want to get married of course a liberal perspective would claim there is no need for the daughters to get married, but as social norms of the day define, it is pure ignorance that the Laphams sheltered their daughters so much from social interaction. Here, Howell warns against overreliance of family and groups for support because once you’re in, you may find it hard to get out.

[4] Howell finally shifts his tone from objective and observant to critical of this excessive sheltering from societal values and mannerisms from line 58 and onwards. Irene attracts the attention of one young man, but is completely at a loss on how to act for “so wholly had she depended on her mother and sister for her opinions”: “she began for the first time to form ideas, which she has not derived from her family.” Howell illustrates the importance in thinking for yourself, for although her family’s noncomformity suited them, Irene was only conforming to her family’s beliefs.

[5] With almost contrasting and ironic messages, Howell calls for his readers to seek a balance of conformity to social norms and individualism, all the while discerning yourself what fraction of each should guide your actions and thoughts.

Score for Sample C: 5/6 Points (A1 – B4 – C0)

Sample GG

[1] People develop understanding of the world and of life in several different ways, depending on who they spend time with and how they spend their time. America has often emphasized learning values from ones family but always making sure to spend time in society to truly cultivate your personality and identity. In his novel “The Rise of Silas Lapham” William Dean Howell portrays an example and experience of two sisters, Penelope and Irene, who [illegible] their main affection and family bond are sheltered from society’s attitudes. The social world and the world of the family sit in opposition. The tension between familial intimacy and the inaccessibility of society organize their experience. Howell utilizes descriptors of and imagery of the sisters family life, the metaphor of a flower to describe the younger daughter, and contrasts the younger daughter experience with the young man at Baie St. Joan with her experience at home.

[2] Howells utilizes imagery of the Lapham family life to portray the insular and idealistic nature of family. For example, Howells describes the coordination of the girls and the mother as “[taking] long naps every day, and [sitting] hours together minutely discussing what they saw out of the window.” This description set up the image of 3 well dressed, sequestered women who slept for long periods of time and simply stared out the window talking about [illegible] things. His description of them spending “hours” together and taking “long naps” makes them look unusually bonded and surprises the reader, given that in the late 1800s there was a lot occurring in society and work to be done. Rather than actively engaging with what was outside the Laphams stared out the window and wanted in it, including passivity and the lack of readiness to engage with the world around them. Looking through a window is symbolic of the Laphams looking out at the world/life that they could not access or understand.

[3] Furthermore, Howells utilizes the metaphor of vegetable and flower to convey the sisters' natural state and contrast it with the artificially organized social world around them. Howells describes the younger sister as “having an innocence almost vegetable” and as eventually “bloom[ing] and glow[ing] with the unconsciousness of a flower.” Through this Howells conveys the importance of engaging with society and actively contributing to it and learning from it; he also lends support to the natural human state, represented by the family. Howells comparing the same girl to a glowing but unconscious flower. The girls beauty was evident but meant little because she had no one to admire her or desire her beauty. Despite her happiness with her family, this shows how her beauty and personality were wasted by her constantly being in the house and with her sibling and family.

[4] Finally Howell utilized the details of the younger daughters interactions to portray the contrast between her home life and the experience she would have interacting with society. The girl’s entire perspective of people and her entire mindset was entirely based off two people, showing truly how narrow minded the girl must be and the extent of her narrative. The girls are unable to exist in the world around them or understand its rules. Her interaction with the boy in Baie St. John shows this clearly.

Sample GG: 5/6 Points (A1 – B3 – C1)

Sample P

[1] Society’s point of view always has a tendency to shape who people are. In the novel The Rise of Silas Lapham, by William Dean Howell, two sisters of different nature both view societal point of view as foreign. Howells uses a plethora of literary devices such as style, tone, and selection of detail when portraying the sisters’ conflicted experience due to society’s influence. Howell shows that the sisters are isolated from the world outside the home and unable to communicate with the people they meet.

[2] Even though the sisters are different they are both isolated, just in different ways. Irene spends lots of time trying to look good. This can be inferred as the passage says, “Irene dressed herself very stylishly...” (line 7). The style used here can best be described as flashy or appealing in appearance due to the adjective “stylishly”. The passage also reads, “...spent hours on her toilet every day.” (lines 7-8).

When oneself usually spends hours in the bathroom, it is predicted that their physical appearance is of large importance to that person. Penelope on the other hand is the opposite, with her style being much more simpler. This is seen as the passage reads, “Her sister has a simpler taste...might even have slighted dress.” (lines 8-10). Even though Irene spends a lot of time on her appearance and Penelope doesn’t know how, it ultimately doesn’t matter. No one will see either sister because they are unable to enter society: “the Laphams had no skill or courage to make themselves noticed.”

[3] The Lapham family differs from the other families when it comes to society as well. The passage says, “where they witnessed the spectacle which such resorts present throughout New England...humbly glad of the presence of any sort of young man...” (lines 32-36). The tone throughout this quote is best described as very picturesque and royal. “Humbly glad of the presence of any sort of young man...”, this shows that the family cares about what others think about them. But really, they don’t know what to do with society because their family keeps society out: “The very strength of their mutual affection was a barrier to worldly knowledge; they dressed for one another; they equipped their house for their own satisfaction; they lived richly to themselves, not because they were selfish, but because they did not know how to do otherwise.” The tone here is best seen as humble.

[4] Because the sisters live in their own world, they have no choice but to live within it, cut off from other people. When one of the sisters meets a boy, she can’t really understand what he’s saying because she’s never seen the world through her own eyes: She took account of everything he did and said, pondering it, and trying to make out exactly what he meant, to the inflection of a syllable, the slightest movement or gesture. In this way she began for the first time to form ideas which she had not derived from her family, and they were none the less her own because they were often mistaken." Because she lives in the world of family, she can’t understand. 

[5] When describing the sisters experience, Howells uses devices such as style, tone, and selection of detail. Irene and Penelope, two sisters with different interest both find pleasing society as unimportant. Societal point of view usually has a tendency of building the way an individual is, but in the case of Irene and Penelope, this does not apply.

Sample P: 4/6 Points (A1 – B3 – C0)

Sample RR

[1] The two sisters, Penelope and Irene, from William Dean Howell’s The Rise of Silas Lapham,have very similar upbringings, yet differ from one another immensely. The author uses selection of detail along with symbolism to convey the differences and similarities between the sister’s life experiences.

[2] Both Penelope and Irene are described as girls who had not “abandoned themselves to needle work,” meaning they were both young girls; stereotypically, older women took to needle work as a pass-time. However, the three year difference between the girls may have made all of the difference in their intelect, as well as their futures. The author includes details on how the two girls dress. Irene spends much of her time shopping for new clothing while Penelope does not see the point in dressing so fancy and prefered a simpler style. The author’s choice to include these details on their personal styles serves a purpose – it shows that Penelope has developed the same values as her parents. The two were so secluded during their childhoods, Penelope does not see the point in dressing nice to only impress her mother and sister.

[3] It almost seems as if Irene was from re-living the boring, seclusive life of her parents before it was too late. Irene refers to her life before meeting a new man as “detached,” saying she “depended on her mother and sister for her opinions.” It’s almost as of if Irene did not meet this man, in three years she would no longer care about the standards of society, just like her sister.

[4] The family is also projected to be a very shallow simplistic family by the author. At one point, maybe before Penelope closed her mind to the possibility of being intelectual, she spent a period of time going to church services to “find herself.” However, it is included that when she came home, she would speak of the lectures “with a comic account for them, and that made more matter of talk for the whole family.” The author most likely included this detail to show that at one point, Penelope was intelectually curious, like Irene is today. However, her family’s lack of intelegence rubbed off on her before she found a way out like Irene did. At one point, it is even mentioned that “Irene complained that [Penelope] scared away the men they were aquainted with.”

[5] The Lapham family is portrayed as an uneducated, unexperienced family with an extremely surface level life through selection of detail. The author includes details that may seem random, such as their vacation preferences, daily habits, and style choices to show how elementary the minds of most of the family members are. Penelope and Irene are only 3 years apart, yet Irene’s attractive features allowed her to escape the simple minded family before it was too late. Penelope, who stayed with her parents for just 3 years longer, has almost completely detached herself from society. Society’ standards of beauty allowed Irene to live an intelectual life, yet left Penelope in the boring house she grew up in, watching people pass by the window for entertainment and huffing her days away.

Sample RR: 3/6 Points (A1 – B2 – C0)

Sample TT

[1] This excerpt from The Rise of Stilas Lapham discusses the lavish yet helpless lives of sister Irene

and Penelope in a satirical way in an attempt to explain the seemingly selfish lives of Laphams “because

they did not know how to do otherwise”. Author William Dean Howells highlights the clueless and

unaware sisters through detailed examples and a satirical tone.

[2] The many satire-based observations in the excerpts prompt the reader to take pity on the

family, especially the Lapham sisters in their interactions with each other and with society. This is

exemplified in lines 38-40 when both Irene and Penelope are so focused on each other that they are

completely unaware of how to be confident with others, especially with men. Their affection for each

other outweighs their affection for anyone outside of their family, which distracts the sisters from

focusing on the rest of the world.

[3] The sisters’ deceivingly self-absorbed nature is simply a manifestation of their contentedness

and complacency in every aspect of their lives. This is shown in Howell’s details about private dance

lessons and European travel, which the girls did not care about because they did not know about it. This

captures the very essence of blissful ignorance, and the role ignorance plays in determining the

happiness and success of an individual.

Sample TT: 3/6 Points (A1 – B2 – C0)

Sample B

[1] In the excerpt from the novel The Rise of Silas Lapham, written by William Dean Howells, it

shows how different the two sisters are. Irene and the eldest daughter have two completely different

views on life and it is described through style, tone, and selection of detail.

[2] There is a certain style of writting the author is using. Throughout the excerpt, the eldest

daughter’s name is not presented anywhere. She is only mentioned as the eldest. The style is also

througout the first paragraph, making it seem as if the two sisters are complete opposites and have

nothing in common.

[3] The tone of the excerpt is very “upbeat and happy”. It is also very informative about sister

Irene in the final paragraph. The tone isn’t competetive, but it is comparing the two sisters. For example

Irene likes to be stylish when the eldest doesn’t really care. The tone is also very “soft” meaning that

there really isn’t any darker than that, It’s just normal.

[4]The selection to detail in the excerpt seems to rely on Irene the most. Although she is the

youngest, she tried to seem much more mature. For example, it states, “Irene complained that she

scared away the young men whom they got acquainted with...” (paragraph 1) to recieve the attention of

boys. The author gave more detail with Irene, and since he did that, we now realize that Irene and her

sister aren’t really the same.

[5] This excerpt portrayed the experiences of the two sisters with style, tone, and the selection of

detail. Although the excerpt was mostly about Irene, readers still understood how the two sisters has

two different views on life.

Score for Sample EE: 1/6 Points (A0 – B1 – C0)

Sample EE

[1] From the beginning of the excerpt from “The Rise of Silas Lapham”, William Dean Howell depicts the way of lives of two sisters: Penelope and Irene.

[2] “They were not girls who embroidered or abandoned themselves to needle-work” (line 1-2) exhibits the contrast of the stereotype of girl with following the girls of with “abundant leisure” (line 3). According to description of first paragraph, the two sisters obssess with shopping. For example, “Irene spent her abundant...far beyond her capacity to wear.” (lines 2-7) Moreover, “They all three took long naps... they saw out of the window.” (line 10-12) showes they have free life and without worrisome. Above description is abundant evidence of their normal life in the family.

[3] On the contrary, they are ignorant in the aspect of European travel. For instance, “they did not know... how to attract it in the sophisticated city fashion.” (line 22-29) It is obivious evidence of their lack of knowledge of outside world.

[4] At next, they coincidently go to New England; but they had gone abount the mountain...humbly glad of the presence of any sort of young man.” (line 30-36) the girls from outside are totally extinctive. They are more attractive, manipulate, and elegant. “They lurked helpless” contrast with life in their family.

[5] In the end, the girls who “she could make fun of nearly everything” (lines 17-18) becomes “she had scarcely lived a detached, ...almost her sensation.” Their personality change with big contrast.

Score for Sample U: 1/6 Points (A1 – B0 – C0)

Sample U

[1] In William Dean Howell’s novel, “The Rise of Silas Lapham, two sisters Penelope and Irene did not care for the views of society but for themselves. Through the use of a self-satfiicd and detail we gain insight to the sisters experience within their family and society.

[2] In the beginning of the passage we see how the girls act within society


Day 2: 

Activity 1: Write of the day

I feel like number 15, fella sitting near the top comfortable. The character is confident but not on top.

Yesterday (Day 1) was full of new information presented in ways that reminisce with me from previous professional learning experiences. I feel coming back today, confident that under the instruction of Brandon and in the presence of my colleagues, I will be sucessful again. I feel I won't necessarily be on the top of the tree for the simple reason that I need to improve the knowledge depth of text and vocabulary that I carry with me as I complete the training.

Row C Conversation

Row C "Sophistication" is an overlooked challenge. It can be taught, it is rare to see point for Row C, a student can score the point in Row C if their Row B is 3 (BUT only if it is well written, even though the analysis is uneven, the consistency of 1 of the four pieces of criteria, throughout the essay, is still eligible).

The overall exam score (approx. 3), can be ahcieve if the Avg on the essay is 4 and the student scores 55% on the MCQ (31/55).

"Students pine for the sophistication point"

Level 3 on the exam, means that you can understand the text; (figurative thinker, can analyze)

Level 4 talk about multiple parts of the text (comparing and contrasting various portions of the text); Abstract thinker, can generate ideas confidently.

Level 5, students can create a metaphor to create their own point/enforce the importance of their argument; thinking about big ideas and reflecting on big ideas that demonstrate course knowledge and concept understanding.

Row C Conversation: "Consistency"

Students question how they can get 3 or 4 in Row B, but in some cases score 1 in Row C. Why can a student with Row B 4/4 get a 0/1 on Row C but then a student with a Row B (3/4) get a 0/1.

Are they demonstrating clearly throughout the essay, the ideas they are saying in their thesis on a regular basis. Referring back to Thesis Statements.

In very technical situations, the instructor can say that there may be a lack of consistency and appreciation for evidence that is not introduced or formatted through the essay.

 One piece of advice, write the essay or thesis in front of the students. 

Part 4: Reading and Literacy

Activty 2: Story of an Hour

Notes available: 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hQ1bvQ4Vd1lftlbufa9g61yJGXgPxnnnkEmgjHJUPU/edit?usp=sharing 

Activity 3: Poetry

From the 2026 selection of prompt and student samples.

*Poetry and Prose rubric for essay are identical*

Poetry Selection, "The Landlady"

1C sample is 1/1; 3/4; 0/1

Sample E


Sample E Scoring: 


Sample EE

Sample EE Scoring: 1/1; 3/4 (barely); 0/1


Sample T

Sample T Scoring: 5/6 Points (A1 – B4 – C0)


Sample OO

Sample OO Scoring:


Activity 4:

Lena Coackley

-->Narration Category 4, (4c) 

Identifyand describe details, diction, or syntax in a text that reveal a narrator’s or speaker’s perspective.

Key Questions

How might a change in tone toward a particular subject over the course of a text indicate a narrator’s or speaker’s change?

Sample Instructional Activity

As students read “Theme for English B,” ask them to identify the diction, imagery, details, connotative and figurative language, and syntactical elements that contribute to the speaker’s tone throughout the poem, noting these aspects on a graphic organizer. Then have groups discuss the relationship of these tones to the speaker’s perspective and what information from the poem contributes to the reader’s understanding of the speaker’s perspective.

Prepared Submission:

Text: "Mirror Image"

Author: Lena Coakley

Year: 1967

online edition URL: 

https://englishwithperez.weebly.com/uploads/2/2/6/1/22610372/mirror_image_lena_coakley.pdf 

Day 3: Instructional Strategies

After reading "Cherry Coke and Pulao Rice" identify the learning skills that would be learned and taught in the classroom (of your choice)

Narration: (4C)

The narrator's first hand experience introduces the reader to the circumstances and details that create meaaning of the short fiction.


Poetry

"Introduction to Poetry"

by Billy Collins

Questions: What have we trained students to do?

Metaphor Examined: "Or walk inside the poems roomand feel the walls for a light switch."

-->Stark connection or allusion to Emily Dickinson (both Dickinson and Collins are Massechustes)

-->Encouraging students to take their time with a piece to feel their way through it versus thinking their way through it.

'What is tree about a tree?'

-->helping students understand  the premise of the metaphor by cold-hard examination of the metaphor itself.

-->The ideas that we have through our experience surpasses and should not be taken for granted while we introduce the text/a text/a poem to students

-->What How and Why? In a paragraph that seeks to explain the meaning of a metaphor (as an example)

Activity 2:

Reading through the Poem "Mother to Son" by Langston Hughs, determine if it were presented as a paragraph of prose, how would you reconstruct it?

Task-->present students with a poem that calls upon them to look at a prose or poetry presented as a prose and construct it into poetry.

Representational Poetry Task

Pauline E. Johnson "The Wolf" 

(see resource link below)

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/11BweDD3AR5GXmMre1IgnLQmSi-p3MfUW?usp=sharing 

Day 4-

Dramas/plays

Activity 1: Watch a couple clips of the drama, "Raisins in the Sun".

Visual awareness demonstrated through verbal discussions comparing and contrasting the way that tone is differentiated between the various players of the part.

Activity 2: Dramatic Situation

Introduce a plot diagram with a middle axis as "0" neutral (tone), below the mid-axis, negative tones/emotions; and above the mid-axis, positive tones/emotions.

Apply characters from within a text, this will observe how the story impacts the characters tone.

Teaching "Longer Prose/Works"

-->The key is the organization of the unit, having less in class reading

(3 formal paper writings, 3-5 pages)

-->Prompts are similar/the same as the AP exam FRQ's

(SO MANY informal writings)

-->comments are supposed to improve student work NOT justify the grade

--->Put the mark and offer to students, if they would like a comment to explain their grade, they need to come to the teacher, sit with the teacher and write down the feedback provided by the teacher so that the students demonstrate that they understand the comments. If the student cannot articulate the comment, is it really worth your time writing it down?

-->Students are given the opportunities to revise the work.

Grading and Scoring Resources, 

1) Rubric and Sliding Scale

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TvrXMZHH48lF_EmzS02k2rwgMYNU4y2XKyrkULSXIQ/edit?usp=sharing 

2) Checkmark Grading and Points

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KF8La1cRFNW8JvPuUMUyR358_6Ekcq9QI8_xbDQAKg/edit?usp=sharing

3) Writing Process and Checklist

https://docs.google.com/document/d/15P8Ntn_hS9SmpiTnYBWBqkRcKhBdjMScnX0TFl7kb0/edit?usp=sharing

4) General Writing Rubric and Sliding Scale

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zAFceaAt0Qr3lDMoeA1HlGkXCNSPZMenUngN9fDYzBo/edit?usp=sharing

5) The Ellusive "Row C"

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1M1igiYm467I9Y4fm_Kq1cOeO36Tg5tQRXDyGylT6aw/edit?usp=sharing 

6) Analytical Writing Process

https://docs.google.com/document/d/16iQhsmOTCio1qZFT7HHy81AHO5q4BPLcWfKL6IaX6s/edit?usp=sharing


Tip: While training students to take the test, the idea/function of a K-W-L chart is a great model or beginning to understand what the thinking that provess most reliable to completing the MCQ of an unfamiliar text will be.

For example, when looking at "Walking through Paris" (1963)

While looking at the content 

The Audit-

Check out sample syllabus materials:

When NOT used the CED (recommended for first time/initial instructors of the AP Lit and Comp), the instructors will NEED to submit a syllabus that maps out and explains everything students will do and learn.

See the final "project" share here, 

Bono's 1st quarter of AP English Literature and Composition