September 2nd

School's already passing by at a quick pace;  Here is an overview of what we're doing in my class.

HS English 8-  We're doing weekly vocabulary units starting the beginning of each week culminating to a Friday quiz.  These quizzes will always be Friday.  In regards to grammar, we're studying the various types of nouns and to use them in our reading and writing.  Every Friday, we also have TeenBiz, an online non-fiction reading program that helps students develop reading comprehension and writing skills.

Speech 10-  We did our first speeches last week and each student recorded themselves, so if you're interested in seeing how they did, ask them to see it;  Thank you for giving a friendly ear as students practiced these; this will continue the rest of the semester;  We're studying concepts related to intrapersonal communication and some communication basic concepts.  We're having a test over these this Thursday, and the students' next speech is the "Communication and Me" speech, which we're beginning next Monday.

English 9- We've been reading and discussing fables;  Each student did a presentation over an individual fable they read and will be creating their own fable as partner this week and the week afterward.  We're also doing TeenBiz 3000 each Friday, which is a non-fiction reading program designed to increase reading comprehension and writing skills.

Brit Lit-  The class is currently consisting of three primary strains:

Anglo-Saxon Period-  We've investigated some background into the Anglo-Saxon period, read some literary examples from the period, and will start with Beowulf this week.

Vocabulary- We will have tri-weekly vocabulary tests over fifty words;  Students were assigned three words a piece to collaborate on a review power point using Google Docs.

Sentence Composition-  We're starting a new program this year trying to improve sentence style holistically.  Instead of focusing on grammar concepts, we're focusing on different writing tools and techniques to improve sentence style.

If you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail at bmohr@esu8.org or call me at 402-340-3049.

Welcome

Dear Parent or Guardian,

Welcome to my blog site I've created to communicate with you about what we're doing in my classes.  Like my students, I'm trying to harness the immense potential our 24/7 Initiative gives us as consumers and producers of information.  Some of you may already know me, but let me give some background about myself.  My name is Brian Mohr, and I am entering my fourth year teaching English and Speech at O'Neill High School.  Each year brings new possibilities and revelations, and I am sure the same will be true this year.  I'm excited to help your student in their individual learning journey. This summer, I took a couple classes through Doane for my Masters that I hope  I can implement in the classroom to enhance student learning.  

Home support is an integral part of a student's learning journey.  There maybe some projects that I ask for your input and help from home.  I want to keep communication lines open between the classroom and home; so if you have any comments, concerns, or suggestions, please feel free to contact me.  You can do this via several avenues.  First, you can leave a comment on this blog; second, you can call me at the school or afterschool at 340-3049; and third, you can e-mail at bmohr@esu8.org.

I  plan to update this blog every week with the major projects and assignment we're doing in class every week, so you know what is happening in the classroom.  Once again, feel free to contact me at anytime.  I'm looking forward to a great school year!!

Sincerely,

Brian Mohr