• Luke McFarland                                                              jlmcfarland@jasper.k12.ga.us

    MFA,  University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop                   BA in English, University of Georgia

    14 years middle school experience                                  12 years gifted experience

    2 years college creative writing classes                           4 years college language tutor

    15 years restaurant experience (because food)

     

    Christina Hess                                                                chess@jasper.k12.ga.us

    Educated at:

    William & Mary                                                                UNC-Chapel Hill

    Kennesaw State                                                              University of Montpellier (in France) University of Chicoutimi-Quebec     Mrs. Hess digs pistachio ice cream

    Has a strange neighbor                    Worked in archaeology for 7 years Interview Division for Ms.NC Pageant during the late 80’s     

       

    Conducts different, Interesting classes, allows for freedom in arranging work load, encourages independence and discovery, expects students to learn and use correct grammar and punctuation, holds students responsible for their own learning. I will push you to learn how to make your writing better through your attention to it.

     

    Grades

    Grades will come in the form of:

    Daily Grades  (10%)

               Formative    (30%)

    Summatives   (60%)

    We will have 4-6 Summatives per semester, a minimum of 8 formatives, and a minimum of 3 daily grades  

     

    Hurricane Writers’ Workshop

    Above most things I value creativity. The Hurricane Writers’ Workshop is your chance to write creatively when it matters. You will be required to turn in a minimum of 6 polished pages of creative writing. This includes any type of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or song lyrics. This will be a summative grade due in May.  We will have visiting published writers who will read select student writing and comment on ways to improve it. Look for author Jamieson Ridenhour to visit and perform his spooky podcast Palimpsest during the week of Halloween.

     

    Supplies

    Blue or black pens, always

    Science fair type composition notebook with your name on the outside and inside cover written

    with a Sharpie. No spiral notebooks and no binders allowed.

    Colored pencils (or pen)



    Google Classroom--Code e2uhve

    I require your presence in Google Classroom, where I will post lesson plans, assignments, helpful links, and occasionally quizzes or tests. You will also often turn writing in to Google Classroom.

    I post unit or lesson plans to Google Classroom almost always by Sunday night. I will post assignments, helpful links, quizzes and tests. Additionally, students or you can ask questions regarding assignments. It is a must for students and the best way for you to know what is going on.  

     

    Google Docs

    Most writings will be in Google docs. I encourage you to have your student share documents with you in Google Docs and to comment on his or her work. I emphasize revision and learning from others and would love for you to be part of that process.

     

    All student work will be kept either in a folder in the classroom, in their composition notebooks (in class), and on Google Docs in a folder.

     

    First assignment:

    Find the poem “Theme for English B” by Langston Hughes in Google Classroom. Read it. Read it again. Get to know it a little bit. “Then write a page, and let that page come out of you. Then, it will be true.”  The only rule is that the last two lines must end rhyme. This is due on Monday in your composition notebook.

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    What former students are saying about this fall’s hit, Mr. McFarland’s Class:

     

       ”Looking back, I’m glad I took Mr. Mac’s class. It got my ready for writing in college and beyond.”---Megan Conley, North Greenville University Journalism Graduate

     

        “I’m weird, and I like weird things. I like Mr. McFarland.”---Tyler Cook, Ohio State University graduate student in philosophy.

     

        “I thank Mr. McFarland for introducing me to literature that I love, when I had thought that I didn’t like any of it.”-- Reagan Reilly, senior in Morgan County, very good writer

     

         “Mr. McFarland uses words---some of them, anyway.” ---James Martin

     

    *These are all paraphrased or made up.