English Teachers
Ms. Lennon has a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from Johns Hopkins University. She is a freelance writer/editor and has several years of teaching and tutoring experience in Montgomery County.
Kathleen Hall Sliwiak holds a degree in journalism with emphasis in teaching English and literature. For more than a decade, she wrote and editing news for the business press on Capitol Hill, later, ghost writing magazine articles as a public relations professional. She has taught high school journalism and, more recently, 6th-8th grade reading and writing. She believes that fostering a love for reading and writing will result in scholars who self-educate, contributing to lifelong personal and professional success.
Mr. Benjamin Murphy is a Maryland Advanced Professional Certificate teacher. He loves teaching language and he feels that integrating use of technology is fundamental in today's world. He is cool, and C&T students love him.
Mr. Matthew Jason Ratz has a Master in Curriculum and Instruction and Bachelor of Arts in English Language and Literature. He had 4.00 GPA. He is experienced in teaching both high school honors and college English. Mr. Ratz is a teacher who can lead students to a high level of English. C&T parents and students really enjoy his class.
Mr. Roman Pazuniak graduated with Bachelor’s degrees in Film & Television and English from Boston University. Later he received a Master’s in Cinema Studies from New York University. In high school and college he was very active in Lincoln-Douglas and Parliamentary debate. Lately he has dabbled in writing articles for magazines. His interests include architecture, cinema, literature, and philosophy. In his spare time he reads, watches movies, or strolls through historic neighborhoods. He hopes to one day become a tenured professor at a university.
English Writing Classes Descriptions
Grade 1-2: We Can Type, and We Can Write!
"We Can Type and We Can Write!" works with students to begin learning the home keys on the Qwerty Keyboard. Using online typing applications, students build skills and keyboarding knowledge through systematic lessons on the computer. Paper practice is also used. This is when students type a handout into a word processing document. This is an important skill we cover because students will eventually need to know how to transcribe notes and outlines for schoolwork. Additionally, we have reading time each class when we discuss a short story or read a chapter book together. Finally, students have time each week to write about a topic based on reading or discussion. Students are encouraged to use their keyboarding knowledge for these assignments. Each student is starting off right with strong keyboarding knowledge they will need in later grades!
Grade 3-4: Writing is Fun!
This course is a wonderful introduction to basic writing skills for students in grades three and four. Students will improve grammar skills and sentence structure, while writing fun and creative exercises. Students focus on vocabulary, punctuation and correct typing practices on the computer. Additionally, students will learn to be comfortable in the writing process and build confidence in writing skills. Careful evaluation and individual attention will enhance their ability to learn in a small workshop environment with emphasis on computer skills and language development.Grade 5-6: Let's write a book!
This course is designed to develop strategic methods for approaching writing assignments in the classroom. Students practice expository and informative writing skills, building on creative exercises and presentations that will result in a completed book they each will have written themselves. Classroom time is devoted to enhancing writing skills in all areas: creative, journalistic, composition and story, with continued attention on improving typing skills on the computer. Students will also be introduced to essay, critical thinking and research practices, using various media to write persuasive essays.Grade 7-8: Enhancing Formal Language
This course explores the theory and practice of effective writing instruction for students in seven and eighth grades. Students will discover ways to integrate fundamental language skills with the use of technological aids. The teacher will develop lessons specifically focused to the challenges of each student. Careful evaluation and individual attention will enhance their ability to learn in a small workshop environment with continued emphasis on computer skills. Students will focus on essay writing, introduction to pre- SAT and comprehension exercises to fully integrate English writing into the cognitive thinking process.Grade 9-10: SAT, College Application Essay & Communication Development
The course is a specifically designed for students preparing for the SAT. It will focus on writing and language assessment, identification of student weakness in respective areas, and writing projects to develop skill level and creative thinking. Areas of study include complex sentence structure, development of vocabulary within the written text and structured elements of writing. Students will become comfortable with the SAT essay process by learning to build on critical thinking and research practices. Students will use various media to write essays and will research information to develop comprehension skills.
English Reading Classes Description
Traditional Reading for G4-5
Our goal is to read together numerous award-winning books from various genres and time periods with emphasis on establishing a daily habit of reading before bedtime.As the famous writer and teacher Nancie Atwell points out in The Reading Zone, “The single activity that consistently correlates with high levels of performance on standardized tests of reading ability is frequent voluminous reading.”
Weekly homework will consist of several hours of reading a 5-6 level book, plus the time necessary to memorize and digest vocabulary words on which students will be tested each week.Emphasis will be on books that expand students’ knowledge of the world and their understanding of themselves and other people. Group discussion will test comprehension and encourage the development of off-the-cuff speaking skills. Students will be encouraged to back up verbal statements with evidence from the book. The mechanics of reading also will be addressed to help students understand how to increase their reading speed.
Classic Reading for G7-9
Students will read and discuss a classic book together during the class. Book choice will be based in part on the preference of participants. Discussions will include themes, literary allusions, symbols, difficult passages and novel structure. Students will take regular quizzes on vocabulary and literary terms. In addition, we will touch on the correlation between comprehension and reading speed; each student will practice established techniques to reduce the blocks to reasonable speed.