TODAY IN CLASS
Some hypotheticals involving a young person facing personal loss and a host of other family-related troubles.  We tried to imagine the response that anyone might have (even you, for example) in such situations.  We stopped before the action became really strange.

Expectations during our reading of Hamlet:

• Everyone will take part in reading in small groups by part,  "popcorn"-style reading, and at least one "blocked scene."  Some people will read more than others because they are enjoy it and typically read in ways that help the class understand better.
• Everyone will take part in class discussions/answering questions; these will range from the most specific kinds of "what does this chunk of Early Modern English actually say here" to big questions about the meaning of the work as a whole and to our understanding of the human condition.  Easy/hard; point-blank/deeply interpretive; character-based (within the play)/human motivation-based (how might anyone respond in this situation)--plus language-poetry based questions in terms of all the imagery, motifs, and specific devices that make Shakespeare's writing so rich.  It's all fair game, and you will learn by contributing both your ideas and your points of uncertainty.
• Everyone will keep notes that contain both your own choice of elements to write down (to remember, to connect with something else, to ask about later) as well as specific text-based tasks you will be asked to do from time to time--sometimes several times within the same class period.  These will be spot-checked often.  

We began reading with Act I, Scene 1--accomplishing only about 90 lines.  This will pick up starting tomorrow! So if you were not here today, read that for tomorrow.  Use the notes along the side of your book to help you.  Do not go to summaries/outside sources, because that won't help you read Shakespeare's direct language.

On-going expectation if you miss class; you will do your utmost to read on your own whatever we covered in class that day and to do any written work assigned if it's described/accessible via the blog or GoogleDrive. If you are extremely ill, of course, you shouldn't try to do this.  Rest and get better.

But people sometimes miss class because they feel unwell early but greatly improve during the day; because they have a dental/doctor's appointment; because there was a field trip; because there was a personal non-sickness related reason for choosing to miss school . . . . do not turn one day of being gone into two days of not keeping up because you didn't read or do something intended to help you learn.