And We Are Off . . .

The bad news is that your Summer Vacation is officially over.  The good news is your no longer Freshman!! So take the good with the bad and welcome back to High School and specifically, to Mr. Miller's English II class.  I hope all of you have been able to have a fun and relaxing summer despite the unbearable heat wave and now feel rejuvenated and optimistic about this school year.  Teachers, for the most part, are like students in that they dread getting back into the swing and routine that school demands.  We too, really enjoy our summer break and find it somewhat difficult to "getting our game face on" for our classes.  However, that usually goes away quickly and after our first days with new students, and we are fired up and ready to get on with the business of learning.  This first of many posts is intended to introduce you to myself, this class, and also some of my expectations as we journey through English II.  So, with no further ado, let us begin . . .

Many of you may know me as "Coach" Miller because I have spent the last 13 years as a coach and  teacher.  In fact, I opened Liberty High School in 2006 and have served as the Head Basketball Coach up until this year.  I made a very the tough decision after our banner season last year, to "hang up my whistle" and only teach, so that I could concentrate more of my time and efforts to my family, my classroom teaching, and other ventures in my life.  I am a big "bucket list" guy and coaching took up so much time, I realized that so many of life's adventures I had hoped to do were not realistic if I continued coaching.  My time coaching was wonderful and I will miss many aspects of it very much, but I am really looking forward to the next chapter in my life.  I have been extremely blessed with a wonderful family that consist of my gorgeous wife Stacy, of 19 years, my daughter Claire (11) and son Myles (9).  As you can tell from the picture below, I ""out-kicked my coverage" marrying Stacy, and luckily, our kids get their looks from their mom.  I have included some more tidbits of information about me in the page titled - "Meet the Teach."

Meet the Millers

Now, let's talk some English II.  This year's class is divided into 4 Units of Study comprised over Six 6-Weeks Grading Periods.  We will be kicking off Unit 1 this week where we will explore the elements of Narrative Fiction.  We will be reading different forms of the narrative such as short story and poetry, and also have a project that gives students the opportunity to create their own narratives in a unique form.  Towards the end of the first 6-Weeks, we will start the reading of our first novel - The Pearl by John Steinbeck.  So, for those of you out there who like to get a jump on things, you may want to start reading soon.    

This is the first year I have attempted to have a classroom website and I am excited and also nervous about it.  I know that having this website available and updated will prove to be a great resource for both students and their parents.  Please take time to look at all the different pages links on the website, as you should find anything and everything you need regarding our on-going studies in English II.  It is imperative that you check this website frequently, as I will be updating it at least once a week.    

I am excited to get to know each of you.  One of the best things about being a teacher is developing lasting and rewarding relationships people.  Each year, I get the opportunity to start building a new set of relationships, and before long, we will all know each other very well.  Please try to stay focused and ahead of your studies and get a good start to this year academically, and make sure you see me if you have any questions or concerns about English II.  As we like to say around LHS - Work Hard, Be Nice!!

Go Redhawks!!  

Warning about excuses:  I have heard and probably used them all.