Syllabus takes Shape!

I've had all kinds of ideas running through my head about what to include in my syllabus and lesson plans. Today all of the ideas finally came together to form a syllabus! I also created 8 writing invitations that draw inspiration from The Canterbury Tales. It's interesting to me that I chose The Canterbury Tales to go more in depth with because it's not really my favorite piece of literature. I don't necessarily dislike it, rather I feel indifferent towards it. But, as I've learned while writing my invitations, there is a lot of stuff in that book!

I created my syllabus for an AP Lit class, mostly because the texts appropriate for that class are texts that I've recently read in some of my college classes. I really underestimated the amount of effort that goes into a syllabus. Mine isn't even real and I spent hours trying to put it together! Here are a few highlights:

Showcase Days:

Showcase days are designed to be more laid back and fun than regular classroom days. We will start out with a writing invitation designed by a team of two students. Then, the show turns over to you! Everyone will have a chance to share either a piece of polished writing or talk about a piece they have in progress. As a class we will gain an idea of what everyone is working on and help each other work through difficulties.

Reading Groups:

We will be reading some difficult texts throughout the semester but I don’t want you to feel discouraged if you don’t understand what some of the passages mean! In our reading groups we will be discussing important literary elements, deciphering meaning, and speaking about what effect the text has had on us as readers. Groups will change after we’ve read through two texts so you can be exposed to the ideas of all of your classmates throughout the semester.

Writing Groups:

Writing will be an integral part of our classroom as you can see from the daily structure. Writing is an activity that requires feedback, revision, and editing. These elements will all be provided through your writing groups as you each develop your personalized writing process. In our writing groups, we will share writing that is in process along with finished pieces. Group members will ask questions, offer constructive criticism, and make suggestions to help enhance each piece of writing produced.

Day to Day Classroom Schedule:

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
15 Min.	Writing Invitations!
20 Min.	Teacher Talks	Teacher Talks	Student Showcase	Teacher Talks	Teacher Talks
35 Min.	Reading Group	Silent Writing		Reading Group	Silent Writing
20 Min.	Class Discussion	Writing Group		Class Discussion	Writing Group

Edited to add: Ok, I see that my schedule doesn't quite fit onto the webpage. Don't worry, you're not missing too much! Thursday and Friday are designed to be mirror images of Monday and Tuesday, respectively.