Ninth graders enter high school full of energy and trepidation, usually eager to learn but often distracted by their own hormonal upheavals. The aim of this seminar is to introduce participants to the challenges of teaching English to adolescents caught between polarities. The seminar is mostly exploratory and discussion-oriented, relying in large measure upon the questions and interests of the participants.

• Getting Ready: An overview of the ninth grade curriculum and how it meets the needs of freshmen
• Establishing Rhythm: The value of an opening exercise; classroom routine; the three-part lesson
• A Look at Main Lesson Blocks: Comedy and Tragedy, The Novel
• Building Skills: The Power of Organization: study skills         
• The Power of Precision: vocabulary-building, overcoming sloppy speech, bringing grammar to life         
• The Power of Observation: journal writing
• Working with Literature: helping students understand character, enter into discussion, shape ideas on paper