Honors English 9
What to do and what not to do
A Fresh Start
Hello! If you are reading this then you have made it through the first few steps of Honors English 9. Congrats! Bad news: it only gets harder from here. The class, contrary to popular belief, is not that hard of a class if you stay focused and on task. I, unfortunately, did not follow my own advice at first and had a rough time throughout the beginning of the year. After getting my assignments together though, the class became easy, even a little fun! This class can be great as long as you let it!
What are you going to be doing all year?
The class is pretty standard for an English course, except for a few things. One, it has a bigger workload than you've ever had before. However, it only gets overwhelming if you let it. Two, there are new projects that won't bore you to death like the standard essays and notes. You will get really in depth into multiple pieces of literature. These include but are not limited to:
- Divergent
- Romeo and Juliet
- The Odyssey
- Poetry
Divergent
Chances are that you already read this book as it's pretty popular. If you didn't, then you're in for a treat. This book is thrilling, and Mrs. Allen's projects lead to a competition among your factions that you take a test to join. Your factions will be your group members as you do multiple projects that show what your factions stand for and how well you understand the book.
Romeo and Juliet
I'm pretty sure that everyone has at least heard of this book, but not many have read it. In reality, you learn about William Shakespeare in general instead of being limited to just the text. This helps you understand what you are reading. You will keep ongoing logs as you read the book to make sure you understand what is going on. Also, acting the play out loud is incredible fun!
The Odyssey
This is probably the most dreaded text of all year. The Odyssey, with its complicated lore and extensive assignments, is actually pretty fun. The story is interesting, and the work you do is more akin to a normal English class. She has revised the projects you do so it is not near as bad as it used to be.
Poetry
Mrs. Barron's poetry unit will not help you here. Instead of following the normal rules of poems that you learn about, you are given the opportunity to pour your heart and soul into a progressive poem that is not restricted by guidelines. This is a great moment to express yourself. You have to also study literature in depth, and not just look on the surface. You may even find that you were harboring a love for poetry and didn't even know it!
Independent Reading
This is actually a nice bunch of projects that you can do at your own pace. This is very important to her and actually do the reading, as it will make your life a whole lot easier. You might even like it! The book genres that you read are:
- Dystopian- These books are set in a messed up future and are typically make you think about your morals.
- Historical- As you can probably guess, is set in the past. It will give you a bit more information about the past.
- Whatever you want- You get to pick this last book for whatever you want to read for a while. This is probably the best of them all because you have the most freedom.
My favorites
I would have to say my favorite part is Mrs. Allen herself. She's really funny and will not skirt around certain topics which I respect. Also, she is a proud feminist that will butt heads with any self respecting man in the class over "typical men".
My Not-So-Favorites
I will be the first to admit I am not a very motivated person when I am not interested in the object at hand. I am not an English kinda guy, so it was tough for me to stay focused with my projects. I was not too excited about the work load.
My Advice
No matter how good of a procrastinator you think you are, don't. The work isn't that bad if you do it early. Also, always keep a positive attitude. Mrs. Allen's class is only bad if you let it be.
Top 5 Ways to Survive Honors English 9
- Remember: It's OK to cry.
- A hot bath is a good stress relief, but so is actually doing the work that's stressing you.
- It's good to plan out all of your work so you can manage it all.
- Actually follow through with said planned.
- Don't get overwhelmed; it isn't as bad as you think.
Inspirational Quote That I Am Required To Put In
"Whatever you are, be a good one."
-Abraham Lincoln