This is the opening lesson for the year for the course.  I am always struck by how often students reference what we do that day - not only later in the school year, but years and years later when they come to visit.  Because this is also the first lesson to be published on this website, I'm hoping to... 

A chance to get to know each other - students bring in essays about profound experiences in their educational history (good or bad) and they have read the Mary Poppins text - "John & Barbara's Story" - about how we lose that great enthusiasm that we once had.

One of the most important handouts that I give out all year.  I pass it out before we do our first major novel - Grendel.  I am lucky enough that most of my students were able to buy the novels and plays that we read, so they could write their annotations directly in their books.   I also give students printed copies of most of the poems and short texts that we read in my class (and these handouts can be found on this website), and they are expected to take notes (annotate) on these handouts when we go over these texts in class.  There are three lessons that are extremely helpful in this endeavor:  1) The Beowulf Circle   2) The Macbeth Circle  3) The Twelfth Night Circle.