Welcome to English!
It is so much more than words on a page
Words - so innocent and powerless as they are, as standing in a dictionary, how potent for good and evil they become in the hands of one who knows how to combine them. ~ Nathaniel Hawthorne
***Please bookmark this page or save a copy of it so it is easy to find in the future***
Because I want to be thorough, this letter is REALLY long, but don't worry, I will make it as easy as possible for you to navigate.
For PC, use control+F, Mac is Command+F to find anything you may be looking for!
- A Little Bit About Me - my bio
- LiveBinder
- Supply List
- Loom
- Sora
- Co-teachers
- Success vs. Learning
- Becoming an Independent Learner
- Grading Scale
- Grammarly and TurnItIn (TII)
- Taking Notes
- Test and Quiz Unlocks
- General Grading
- Corrections
- Blank Submissions
- Cheating and Plagiarism
- Writing Papers ~ Tips and Tricks
- Absences
- Contesting a Grade
- Extra Credit Rules
- Prayer Requests
- An Extra Credit Opportunity
- Office Hours, Bronze Support Information, Technical Support FAQs, the Knowledge Base
A Little Bit About Me
Greetings, scholars! Welcome to English at Enlightium Academy! My name is Mrs. J (or Mrs. Johnson), and I am excited to be your English teacher! I have been teaching at Enlightium since December 2017, and I love it! Below you will learn a little about me, what you can expect from me, and what I expect from you. I am looking forward to getting to know you better this semester! :D
I grew up in Minnesota, and graduated from Moody Bible Institute in Spokane, Washington, with a BA in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) with an interdisciplinary in Intercultural Communication. In other words, I enjoy spending time with students from all backgrounds, teaching and answering questions about the English Language and American culture, as well as learning from theirs (even other American cultures!). In addition to my degree, I have some practical experience teaching English through World Relief, Spokane College of English Language, and a short-term mission trip teaching English at a camp in the Czech Republic.
In October 2017, I married a wonderful man, Matthew. We moved to Texas at the end of August 2019 because of a job opportunity. My daughter, Lillian, was born in November 2019. She is learning how to communicate right now, and it's been fun seeing her vocabulary grow! Lochlan was born July 2021, and loves smiling and bringing joy to everyone he meets. I will occasionally include pictures of the kids in my weekly updates, so be sure to check them out!
We also have a few pets: a ball python (Lucille Ball), bearded dragon (Ricky), Leopard geckos (Fred and Ethel), a 1/2 mini Australian shepherd/ 1/2 blue heeler (Mia), and a tuxedo cat (Oliver). It's quite a busy household!
When I have free time, I enjoy reading (historical fiction, young adult fiction, biographies, church history, just to name a few), writing (poetry and short stories), gardening, cooking, baking, road trips, cross-stitching/embroidery, and attending Broadway performances (and listening to the soundtracks too!). I also enjoy drinking tea and coffee. >(*-*)<
If I was not an English teacher, I would love to teach the Reformation era history. A few of my favorite reformers are Martin Luther (and his wife, Katharina!), John Knox, and John Huss. I admire their steadfastness in the Lord in the midst of theological and political turmoil.
Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. ~ Matthew 6:34
Mia
My family
Lucy, the ball python
LiveBinder
LiveBinder is a virtual notebook. Your teachers have made and found resources that will further explain concepts or offer additional helpful information to help you do the best you can on an assignment. If you are struggling with a question, it is likely that we already have a source created for you. See if you can find the answer in LiveBinder first. You can also send your teacher a message and ask us to make a source. :)
Loom
Loom is a way for students to make short videos or audio recordings to submit assignments, such as discussions and responses. Any videos you make will only be viewed by your teacher, and you can delete your videos after your teacher has graded your work.
To see more details about how Loom works, check out this source!
Co-teachers
I expect you to treat them with the same respect you have towards me. :)
P.S. My cat, Oliver, is not a co-teacher, but he sure is cute! His favorite activities are watching me cook, play with and eat flies, and watch TV (Bob Ross painting shows are his absolute favorite).
Success vs. Learning
Because this is an English course, I expect all of your assignments, quizzes, and tests to be absolutely flawless. Just kidding! My goal in this class is not to fail you or be purposely difficult, but to help you overcome any challenges and learn!
Storytime: when I was in school (which wasn’t very long ago), I “graded” myself based on the number or letter at the top of the assignment (the grade). If my grades were good, I assumed I was learning. Unfortunately, this is not a good way to evaluate learning. Learning is a process. It requires not only acquiring new information, but processing it as well. Often, it also requires “failure.” I encourage you to learn from your mistakes. Remember, it took Thomas Edison over 1,000 attempts to figure out what materials were needed for the light bulb. I love seeing students persevere to understand a difficult concept, so I may also offer credit for the question even though the attempts have been used. :)
Failure is not the opposite of success. Failure is giving up and not trying again. Learning, however, is success, and I will do everything I can to teach through mistakes. Asking for help and engaging in a conversation with your teacher is a great way to learn! :)
Becoming an Independent Learner
One of my goals as your teacher is to help you become an independent learner. This means that my goal is to help you acquire the necessary tools in order for you to know how to do things by yourself. This is advantageous to you in a few ways:
- You will know how to find what you need when I am not in the office or available.
- You will develop the life skill of becoming independent, which you can take on to other aspects in life beyond your education!
General Grading
The majority of points on an assignment are related to content. When you are working through your assignments, but sure to write using sufficient detail to answer questions fully. Points can be removed if answers are missing important details.
Answers that are thoughtful and written well can earn full points. If there are grammar, punctuation or spelling errors, some credit can be removed from the score. If there are many errors, the question may be reassigned so you can edit and clarify your answer.
Turn It In (TII) and Grammarly
The free version of Grammarly is a resource to help you improve your writing. You can get it by reaching out to principal@enlightiumacademy.com
TurnItIn (TII) checks essays for similarities and allows teachers the opportunity to help students learn how to document their sources properly. TII has a database of over 1 billion essays, which will help EA students become more academically honest, and in theory, grow in integrity as well. 9th-12th grade students are required to have a TII account and will be submitting all of their essays to TII in order to earn credit.
Taking Notes
Test and Quiz Unlocks
Please know that alternate tests are a privilege, not a right. I do not allow tests to be unlocked without a good reason, so if a test is submitted and you do not contact me right away, I may not unlock the test for you.
If you want to take the alternate test, you need to ask me first.
Corrections
Quiz corrections are a way to not only earn some credit back on a quiz, but also help you study for the unit test. You will often find that the concepts from the quizzes are also on the test. I recommend reviewing the quizzes before you take the test because they are a great study guide!
Please note: Because I want you to use the quizzes as a study guide for the test, I do not allow quiz corrections if you have already completed the test for the unit.
For more information, click here.
***I do not offer correction points for lessons or tests.***
Blank Submissions
Tests and quizzes do not receive a 15% deduction if an answer is left blank.
Cheating and Plagiarism
Cheating and plagiarism are both forms of academic dishonesty. Cheating is a broader term to describe using information dishonestly on an assignment. Plagiarism is the act of using someone else's work without giving appropriate credit to them. The consequences can range from earning a zero for the assignment, quiz, or test; having to retake the course; getting expelled from school; losing your job; etc.
There are different types of plagiarism. Please check out this source from TurnItIn to learn more!
If you ever have a question about documenting your sources or need help making sure your sources are documented correctly, please ask me and I'll be more than happy to help you out!
Writing Papers - Tips and Tricks
- Look ahead! Projects are available for you to look at, work on, and complete at the beginning of each unit. Take a look at them as soon as possible so you know what to expect when you get to them.
- Start early!
- Use the Assignment Directions and Formatting Requirements as a check-off list! It may be helpful to print off the directions, then check off or cross off each step as it is completed.
- Review the grading rubric BEFORE turning in a project! Each assignment has a link to its grading rubric. If you take a look at it, you can see what you will be graded on. This will also be helpful to you in case you disagree with the final grade. Some students "self-grade" their essays so they have an idea of what grade they will earn and catch any elements that are still missing.
- Proofread your work! It is very easy to make mistakes in your paper that end up costing points. Check out this source for a few ways you can greatly improve your writing through proofreading!
- Read the feedback! I offer feedback in the form of the grading rubric as an opportunity for you to improve your writing.
- Ask questions! If you are confused about a comment or why you earned a certain grade, just ask! This also shows your teacher that you care about your education and they will do everything they can to answer your question!
Absences
One of the benefits of online schooling is that students have a little bit more flexibility to set their own schedule. Students can work in the mornings or evenings, during the week or on weekends, as long as they complete all their work by Sunday of each week. At EA we want you to be able to have the flexibility and also provide the accountability for students to be able to finish their classes on time.
If your student is planning on being absent, we ask that your student works ahead on their due dates in Ignitia or catches up on work once they return.
If your student is going to be absent for more than 3 days, you can submit this absence form so that the Progress Department is aware of your situation. We still ask that your student works ahead or catches up after any absences.
Please feel free to email progress@enlightiumacademy.com if you have any questions.
Contesting a Grade
For more info on how to do this, check out this resource!
And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. ~ Colossians 3:17 (ESV)
Extra Credit
I send out one extra credit opportunity for each month. By completing all of the EC opportunities, You can raise your final course grade by up to 3%! If you submit EC after the deadline, you will not earn any credit for it. This means that you cannot wait until the end of the semester or course to complete all of the extra credit. :)
Also, if you are looking to significantly raise your grade, please reach out to me and we will create a plan for your success!
Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. ~ James 5:13 (ESV)
Prayer Requests
I genuinely care about you and how God is working in your life. So if you have anything that I can be praying for (request, praise, or anything else!), please let me know. I pray for my students regularly and love hearing from you!
“To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.” ~ Martin Luther
An Extra Credit Assignment
Phew! You made it! YAY! Congrats! Please start a new message to me (Mrs. J) in Ignitia. Copy and paste the following list of questions into the message, answer questions 1-10 to receive credit, and send me your answers.
- Do you have a nickname that you prefer I call you? I will do my best to remember!
- What are three things you enjoy doing?
- What is the easiest thing about English? What is the hardest?
- Does Mrs. J allow quiz corrections on a unit if you have already taken the test? Why or why not? Please write your answer in your own words.
- In your own words, define plagiarism. What are at least two ways you can avoid it?
- What are at least two ways that you can ensure your success when writing an essay? Write your answer in your own words.
- In your own words, please explain the consequences for blank submissions.
- If you get kicked out of a test, what does Mrs. J need from you in order to unlock it?
- Who do you want to become as you grow? (what characteristics do you want to grow and improve, such as kindness, integrity, patient)
- What are you looking forward to the most this school year?
- (optional) How can I be praying for you?
Office Hours, Bronze Support Information, Tutoring, Technical Support FAQs, the Knowledge Base
Office Hours
12pm-2pm PST
Support Level Information
For Bronze support, students should ask their parents for help first. The parent is the primary teacher. If you have questions, I will respond within 72 hours during the work week. Student work will be graded within 72 hours during the work week.
Tech Support FAQs
Here is a link with our technical requirements for families.
For any questions about technical support, we encourage you to review this site.The Knowledge Base has a plethora of useful information for parents and students to help them succeed at Enlightium!