Hello and welcome to English class. Starting an English class is exciting and to be most successful, it's important to look at utilizing some strategies throughout the semester.

Be Kind: We all learn differently. Give your peers the time and space to learn. Provide your peers with thoughtful but kind feedback. Remember that positive experiences make a greater impact in everyone’s learning.

Academic Integrity: Be honest with the work that you submit. Academic integrity is conveying your authentic voice. Make sure to properly acknowledge the work of others using APA or MLA format. There are lots of resources on D2L to support you with proper acknowledgement practices.

Read Feedback: You learn from looking at feedback. Read the feedback that your teacher provides on your assignments. Feedback comes in many forms. Some feedback is direct and given to you as you’re completing the work which is called formative feedback. There is summative feedback on your final written assignments and exams. It’s important to listen to both types of feedback for your growth.

Check D2L: You should check D2L every week day. D2L is the learning management system that you will be using as a student. Assignments will be posted online. You will be submitting your assignments in D2L. Additional resources for learning will be posted in D2L.

Practice Quizzes: Experiment with online quizzes to get extra practice with concepts and terms in the course. Having challenges understanding Shakespeare? Try a quiz then.

Read Ahead: Complete all assigned readings prior to class. This means that you will be able to understand the text better and can ask clarifying questions.

Participate in Discussions: Be a part of the community by participating in discussions. Everyone has some valuable insight to contribute. Participate in face-to-face discussions but when given an opportunity to participate in online discussions, you should take advantage of this opportunity as well. Learning from others makes the learning stick.

Communicate: Communicate: Communicate with your teachers and peers if you’ll be away from class for any reason. Sometimes there are projects that require your contribution so it’s important to stay in touch by email. Being diligent in your communication is important for your success.

Cell phones Away: Respect others by being present and this means leaving your cellphones in your bag when someone is speaking or you’re asked to engage in a specific cell-phone free activity. There will be opportunities for you to harness the power of your cellphone but there is a time and place.

Collaborate: Working with others is an important competency in all areas of your life and not just in school. In school we will be developing these skill-sets further so it’s important for you to see working with others as a way of developing your social competency in challenging situations.

Success Time: Use tutorial time for extra help. Success time is built into your mornings so please make sure to seek your teacher’s help during this time. Do not wait until the last minute or before an exam to ask for help. Accessing your teacher’s help regularly will ensure greater success.

Growth mindset: A lifelong endeavour that Dr. Carol Dweck on her research on the growth mindset advocates is the way of being: "The passion for stretching yourself and sticking to it, even (or especially) when it’s not going well, is the hallmark of the growth mindset. This is the mindset that allows people to thrive during some of the most challenging times in their lives.”

Enjoy: Remember it’s important to have fun. Learning should be fun and we will be doing interesting activities together that should challenge you but enhance your appreciation of the world and also improve your skills.