Mr. Hall's English Class - Announcements

Week 6

9/20/2020

Please sign in before every class!
Tip of the Week: Zooming in and out.
"Save" is not "Submit"
Don't put messages in the chat!
I have updated grades on Synergy.
If you have a D or an F, please stay in the Zoom meeting until I have had a chance to check in with you.
And now, for the awards!
This week I'm assigning 200 additional points.
That means that by the end of the week, you need a total of 900 points.
The Orange Belt level is now (mostly) available.
And now, for the reading of the names!
Before you go . . . a brief lesson on how to sign the attendance sheet.
It's not to late to join a study group. Just sign up! If you're not sure how, ask me!
If I did not call your name, and you do not have a D or an F, and you do not want to be put in a study group, you may now leave the meeting. Wave goodbye!

Week 5

9/13/2020

Reminders and Announcements

Thank you to everyone who remembers to sign in!
Reminder: Always sign the attendance sheet before every class!
Thank you to everyone who turns their video on (or at least has a picture of themselves on Zoom).
Tip of the Week: Get a Mouse!
When doing written assignments, be careful to always click "Submit". (If you click Save, don't forget that your work has not been submitted yet!).
I have updated grades on Synergy.
And now for the awards!

This Week

This week I'm assigning 200 additional points.
That means that by the end of the week, you should have a total of 700 points.
I've started putting the orange level up, even though most of you won't need these lessons for several more months.
For the next few weeks, my primary concern is:

Helping students who are building a website.
Helping students who have fallen behind.

While I help students individually, I expect the rest of you to work independently.
Students often ask me: "Can I leave the Zoom meeting?"
The answer is "Yes, but only if all of the following things are true:

You have already signed the attendance sheet.
Your current grade is a C or higher.
You don't have any questions about your grade.
You know exactly what you're supposed to be doing.
You do not need any help with your website.
You don't need any help with anything.
You do not want me to be put in a study group.
I did not call your name from my yellow list (the list of people whom I want to talk to).

If all of those things are true, then yes, you can leave (but please wait until after I've formally dismissed the class).
So now . . . I'm going to read the names on my list. (If I call your name, please stay in the meeting).
The rest of you, class dismissed! Get started on your independent work!
And now, I'm going to put you in study groups.

Week 4

9/5/2020

Announcements and Reminders

Always sign the attendance sheet.
What should you should put between paragraphs? A blank line!
I have updated your grades on Synergy.
Congratulations to all of you who earned an A+!
The Green Belt Level has now been posted.
This week, I'm assigning 159 additional points.
By the end of this week, you should have a total of 500 points.
When I dismiss the class for independent work, please do not leave the Zoom meeting if you currently have an F or a D!
You can sign up for a study group from my Google Classroom.

Help List

Ask me to add you to the help list if:

You don't know how to check your grade on Synergy.
You don't understand your grade on Synergy.
You don't know how many points you have.
You're not sure what you're supposed to be doing.
You have any other questions.

Week 3

8/29/2020

Reminders

We always start class by signing the attendance sheet.
I never use Zoom Chat. If you want to communicate with me, unmute yourself and give me a shout. Or you can send me an email.
We have a new schedule. This week is a "Week B", which means that this Wednesday you'll go to your 4th, 5th, and 6th period classes in the morning. In the afternoon, you'll be doing independent work for all your classes.

Agenda

1. Check Your Grade, and Check for Teacher Comments

Sign in to your Quia Homepage.
Check to see how many points you have earned. Remember, on Quia, percentages aren't important. What's important is the numerator of the fraction called "Overall Score". This is number of points that you have earned.
The points that you earned on Typing Club can be found in a Quia quiz called "Typing Club."
Scan the "View Results" column to see if I have left a comment on any of your quizzes.
Next, check your grade on Synergy. The numerator of your score on Synergy should be the same as the numerator of your score on Quia. The denominator of your score on Synergy should be 141, because that is the number of points that I have assigned since the beginning of the year.
A few of you have raced ahead and earned far more than 141 points. That's great! However . . .
If you have already earned more than 282 points, those points won't show up on Synergy (at least not yet). That's because Synergy won't allow me to give you a score of more than 200%. But don't worry, those points are still stored up on Quia for when you need them.
Remember: At the beginning of the year, grades can be volatile. (They can change quickly). If you have an "F", don't worry about it (at least not yet). I'm going to help you catch up.

2. Check the Weekly Schedule

Check the Weekly Schedule.
Notice that I have assigned 200 points for this week. By the end of the week, you should have earned a total of 341 points.

3. Check the Belt Levels Page

Study the Belt Levels page. (It's new!)
Complete the lessons that will take you to the next level.
You can always continue to earn points by working below your current level. For example, even a black belt can continue to earn points on Typing Club.
With each new rank, you'll get more options for earning points. For example, by the time you finish the blue belt level, you'll be able to earn points by completing lessons in any of the following units:

Typing Club
Basic Writing Skills
Intermediate Writing Skills
Journal Writing
Blog
Vocabulary
Grammar

Have fun!

Weeks 1 & 2

8/10/2020

Welcome back!
My name is Mr. Hall. I will be your English teacher this year.
I have two websites:
I use this website for attendance and announcements.
For most everything else, go to my main website: tefelhall.com
I rarely use Google Classroom.
I rarely use Zoom group chat.
To communicate with me, talk to me in class or send me an email.
The easiest way to send me an email is through Synergy.