Welcome to English Two



Welcome to Film as Literature with Mrs. Cocksedge

cocksedg@libertyuhsd.k12.ca.us (925) 634-3521



Tell us about this class, Mrs. Cocksedge:

In my English classes, I tell my students why studying English is important, and then I tell them that there is more to life than academics and professional growth. The historical reason all educated people study literature is to help them think about the big issues in life, to understand themselves, and to gain new perspectives on their world. Also, throughout history, people have wondered about “the meaning of life”. It is the driving force behind literature, philosophy, and religion. The theme of a story gives us insight into our questions about the meaning of life. Stories can help us better understand ourselves and other people as well as help us develop our relationship with society and the world around us. I believe with every story we read, and so with every film we watch, we have the chance to learn something about life and ourselves. This class will expand your English skills while providing an opportunity to gain new perspectives on your world. In this class, we will be analyzing films the same way your English classes analyze literature; with common core concepts such as theme, symbolism, allegory, metaphor, foreshadowing, etc. But always in our focus will be this idea: how does each film tell a story? How does each film help us understand our lives and/or our society?

Also, I would like to point out that this is a new class. A lot of the syllabus and assignments will be created as we go along. Our discussions on the films will help generate our essays assignments. I hope that you are all willing to participate in the discussions and give feedback as we develop the course of the year together.

How can I succeed in your class?

First of all, be here! It is crucial that you attend class every day because you will miss the film viewing experience as well as the valuable discussion points and insights to the films and our analysis of them. Many times, your peers will have insights and opinions that you did not consider. Missing the discussions will limit your development of critical thinking skills as well as your appreciation of the films.

Next, Do the Work! Completing all the assignments to the best of your ability and turning them in on time is the best way to ensure you pass the class. Get your make-up work from absences as soon as you return. Don’t hope that there will be some super emergency assignment that will pull you out of the black hole of failure at the end of the term. You will have to work with discipline and method in order to pass the class. Passing this class is rather easy if you just do the work!

Last of all; be nice to everyone in class! There are two principles that govern my teaching and the rules of this class: 1) Everything we do must promote learning and 2) the classroom must be a safe place for everyone. We will do a lot of in class discussion and it is important that you all feel valued. I will not be using the “equity sticks” as required in the lower grade levels. This is a college-prep class, and you are all young adults. I expect you to respect each other during class and class discussions.

*Physically Safe means no throwing things, no fighting, no pushing or shoving each other or the desks, and no roughhousing.

*Emotionally Safe means no hate language, no racist remarks, no put-downs or insults, no profanity, and no teasing each other.

What do I do if I am absent?

Much to our dismay, the world does not revolve around us, and class will continue even if you are absent. There are several ways you can find out what you missed:

1) Check the website: , click on Teachers, click on Margaret Cocksedge.

The daily agenda and homework will be posted here, as well as copies of any documents and files that are available on the computer.

2) Check with Mrs. Cocksedge

If you still have questions, you may come and ask me what you missed. Please do not ask during very busy times, such as the passing period, the beginning of class, or the end of class. There will be time during class when you can ask.

You are responsible for your absences! Late work is not accepted. If you miss two days of school, you have two days to complete the missing work, not two weeks. We will be watching a lot of films, and even one absence can make the assignments difficult. You should strongly consider a subscription to Netflix or other online movie sites so that you can watch the movies at home when you are absent.

What if I am struggling with the assignments?

If you are having trouble with any of the assignments, please come and ask me for help! Many of you are involved in sports, or you have an IEP or are on a 504 plan, or are simply struggling with emotional issues at home. Believe me, I understand. We all have hidden pain. I can work with you to ensure that you are able to complete the assignments, I can help you with any assignments you don’t understand, and I am here for you. I can simply listen if you just need a sympathetic ear. I am in my room every day at lunch, although Wednesdays and Fridays are the best days, and we can schedule to meet before or after school.

Late work is usually not accepted, but I can make exceptions for any of the above reasons if you let me know. I cannot help you if you don’t tell me you need help!

How will we be graded?

That is a great question. This is a UC approved English elective course, and we will be doing a lot of work. Daily assignments, tests, essays, and participation will form the basis of your grade. We will move quickly so be here and keep up! Grades are posted frequently so check them often.

The SYLLABUS is as follows:

1. Textbook Assignments: We will be using the textbook The Art of Watching Films in addition to the films. There will be assignments on film terminology, film analysis techniques, as well as journal writing assignments.

2. Film Units: We will be viewing a lot of films. Assignments will vary as the focus of each film unit will vary, but you can expect to have to take notes, complete analysis assignments, and complete journal writing assignments for each film. You can expect to some of the following titles: A Beautiful Mind, Castaway, Dead Poet’s Society, Finding Nemo, The Fisher King, Gran Torino, Grease, Memento, The Patriot, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, The Truman Show, Sixteen Candles, The Sixth Sense, The Village, etc. We will try to cover a variety of genres as well, such as Romance, Horror, Comedy, Drama, Gangster, Political Thrillers, Westerns, War Movies, etc.

3. Essays: There will be at least one essay per quarter. The topics will vary, but you can expect to write expository, persuasive, analytical, and comparative essays.

What supplies do I need for this class?

Supplies are vital for this class. You will need a binder dedicated to Film Literature, lots and lots of binder paper, pens that work, and pencils that have been sharpened. You will also need to bring your book to class everyday! Again, I highly recommend you get a subscription to Netflix or other online movie sites. You will need to be able to view the movies when you are absent, and you may want to view parts of the films again as you work on the assignments.

How much homework will we have?

I cannot predict how much homework you will have. It will depend on how long it takes us to progress through each film unit. I will say that standard operating procedure in my classes is that whatever work you are unable to finish in class becomes homework and is due the next day. We will do a lot of work each day, and you are given class time to complete the work. However, not everyone works at the same pace, and some people work better at home. If you do not finish an assignment in class, it is homework. So even if I collect it from everyone else, if you’re not finished, just keep it and complete it at home and turn it in the next day. You will need to remember and keep track; I may or may not ask for it directly the next day. Also, you will not be given class time for essay assignments, so each quarter, the essay assignments will be homework.

I need more detail on your rules. Can you help me out?

Sure! As you know, rules are important in keeping our learning environment safe so that everyone can learn and pass the class. Here is a list of rules that I expect you to follow.

1. No Talking without permission. You are not allowed to talk during the movies! You are also not allowed to talk during lectures, tests, study time, silent reading/listening, and when working on individual assignments. There will be times when you are allowed to work together and talk, so following this rule should not be difficult.

2. No throwing of any object, EVER: This is very important. This room cannot be safe if you are throwing things; even if it is a tiny little ball of paper! You can get up to put your trash in the trash can. ‘Throw your trash away’ is merely an expression, not a command.

3. Cell Phones: Believe it or not, I am not opposed to you having our cell phone in class. However, I expect you to recognize and respect appropriate usage of your phone:

a. Always keep it on silent. If your phone disturbs class in any way, I will confiscate it and you will pick it up at the office at the end of the day.

b. Please do not use your phone during the film viewings. The light of the display can disturb other students, and you should really be paying attention to the film, even if you have seen it before.

c. Do not use your phone until you have finished any in class assignments. Your classwork comes first.

4. Eating in Class: I actually do not mind if you eat in class, but you must keep the room clean! No food left on the floor, no trash on the floor or on the shelves or in the drawers, etc. Also, you must be respectful! Do not “play” with your food, or make a lot of noise with your food, or trash, and do not disturb others with your food. If we start having problems, I will ban eating in the room for the rest of the year.

5. Tardy Policy and Truancy Policy: I follow the school policy. You must have a tardy pass when you come in late and a readmit slip when you come back after an absence. The school will assign OCS based on the policy rules. However, it is very rude and disrespectful to be late, so you will lose 10 points for every tardy. If you are more than 30 minutes late, it is counted as a truancy (unexcused absence), and you will not be allowed to make up the work you missed, even if it is a test. Don’t be tardy!

6. No Swearing, No Fighting, No Stealing. This is also very simple.

7. Bathroom Passes: You are allowed to use the restroom, but you are limited to one pass per day. I have a bathroom pass on the wall near the door. You may not leave without that pass and you must bring it back! If we are in the middle of the film, you may just hold up the pass quietly and wait until I acknowledge you, then you may go.

a. Only one person may use the restroom at a time.

These practices are not meant to make the class a prison, but a safe, productive learning environment. I hope it is a comfortable place without surprise rules or boundaries. Remember that I have dedicated my life to helping you get the education you need to open the doors to your future!

Wait, Mrs. Cocksedge, what about our headphones and iPods or MP3 players?

Another good question! As you know, the school rule is that these are not allowed, just like cell phones. However, I feel that we are receiving mixed messages about needing more technology in the classrooms while banning iPods and headphones. Also, I recognize that many of you, like me, prefer to work with music in the background. So, I have special permission from the administration to allow you to listen to you headphones and iPods/MP3 players. But, there are rules!

1. You must keep the volume low enough so that only you can hear your music. If I can hear it, or if it disturbs the class, then you must give me your headphones and iPod/MP3 player and I keep it for the day just like the cell phones.

2. You may only listen during individual work/study time. You may not listen to them while I am talking, and you may not listen to them during tests, and you most certainly may not listen to them while we are watching the films.

3. You should take them off when an administrator enters the room. Even though we have permission, they may forget and think you are violating school rules, plus it is disrespectful not to give them your full attention when they are here.

Wow! Mrs. Cocksedge, that’s a lot of information. Is that it?

Almost! I have one final thing to say, regarding technology. As you may or may not know, our school has a very limited access to technology. We have one computer lab that only accommodates 30 students, one portable laptop cart that also only accommodates 30 students, a handful of computers in the library, one color printer in the library (yeah, one), and absolutely no money available to improve the situation. I have the document camera and projector, but it is still limited.

Now I know that most of you are computer and technology savvy. Therefore, if at any time you want to complete an assignment using technology instead of the paper requirements, please feel free to do so. You can create a webpage, a podcast, post a video on YouTube, or whatever you can think of to complete the assignment. I am pretty skilled myself and can easily grade whatever you do using the technology I have at home. All I ask is that you tell me first that this is what you are planning to do, and that you make sure you are still meeting the requirements of the assignment, i.e. spelling, or organization, or demonstration of meaning, or whichever standard we are addressing.

Share the information!

Now that you have read the rules and guidelines for our class, it is important that you share this information with your parents. Please take this home and ask your parents to read it with you and discuss it with you. They may email me if they have any questions. If your parents do not have email access, they may call the school and ask the secretary to send me an email, and I will contact them.

Ok, that’s it! Do you have any questions?

I sincerely hope you enjoy this class this year. As long as we all follow these rules, we should not have any problems. Your education is important to me, and I will do my best for you. I ask that you do your best for me.

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About Mrs. Cocksedge:

I have been teaching at Liberty for 13 years. I have a Bachelor’s Degree and a Master’s Degree in English. I have attended UC Santa Cruz, San Jose State, and Flinders University in Australia, where I lived for one year. I enjoy reading, watching and analyzing movies, watching TV, hiking, playing video games, cooking, and spending time with friends and family.

I am the Advisor for the California Scholarship Federation (CSF) and the National Honor Society (NHS). I encourage you all to join! I am also the Advisor for the First Priority Christian Club, which meets here every Thursday at lunch. You are welcome to join us.

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