Michelle Arras

- My name is Michelle Arras. I was originally born in Toronto Canada, where I grew up and went to high school.

- I started my teaching career teaching ESL in Taiwan for 3 years.

- I taught middle school for 4 years in Kentucky before moving out to California.

- I spend 6 years teaching high school in North Hills, CA.

- When I’m not reading or teaching, I enjoy spending time with my dog Snickers, and doing all kinds of crafts and DIY projects.

ENGLISH 9: PERIODS 1 & 5

English 9 is a comprehensive English course of literature, composition, and language, including listening and speaking. The study of literature includes reading and comprehending a wide variety of literary forms including short stories, nonfiction, poetry, drama, novels, and spoken and visual texts. The course offers supportive reading strategies for various purposes. This course also focuses on the writing process through response to literature, creative writing, and connections to real-life situations and problem-solving. The study of language targets usage, mechanics, and strategies for vocabulary development integrated into literature and composition components. In addition, the course will teach grammatical concepts and applications. Students will review punctuation, capitalization, spelling, and usage and work on logical thinking and various modes of composition, including the research paper. Listening and speaking skills are also developed throughout the course.

ENGLISH 10: Periods 3 & 6

Students will read persuasive texts, with a focus on the credibility of an author’s argument, the relationship between generalizations and evidence, the comprehensiveness of evidence, how the author’s intent affects the structure and tone of the text, and extended ideas through original analysis, evaluation, and elaboration. Students will read expository texts, use what they have learned to establish a controlling impression or coherent thesis that conveys a clear and distinctive perspective on a subject, maintain a consistent tone, and focus throughout a piece of writing. Students will read literary texts (e.g., short stories, poetry, and longer works, including novels), recognize and understand the significance of various literary devices, including figurative language, imagery, allegory, and symbolism, and explain their appeal.

EDUCATION

2014: Morehead State University, Morehead KY —Master of Arts in Teaching

2008: Southern Illinois University, Carbondale IL—Bachelor of Science in Journalism

Ms Arras

Taft Charter High School 2025-2026

Teacher Contact Information:

Name: Ms. Michelle Arras
Email: [email protected]
Room #: R181

OFFICE HOURS: Period 2 (Lunch & after school by appointment)