It is not about higher grade point averages and accumulating degrees.
It is about life itself, and its impact is on the heart. -- Rodney Smith
1) Read the overhead to see what we will be doing in class that day and whether or not you need to pick up a handout from the front table.
2) Find your seat and take out the materials that you need for class.
3) Start the entry task on the overhead, if there is one, BEFORE the bell rings. I teach bell to bell :)
4) After the bell rings, quiet down without being asked.
First and last name
Period and subject
Assignment name and teacher name
Due date
1) Homework (so you don't lose it coming and going from school)
2) Class Handouts (you'll refer to these throughout the year)
3) Graded Work (I require you to keep all graded work until the end of the quarter).
1) Immediately stop what you're doing, and listen to my instructions, which may include getting up calmly and quietly and walking quickly out of the room to the upper field.
2) Go to your 4th period teacher for roll. If you are in my 4th period class, meet me at the far side of the field, at the 25 yard line on the right side of the field
3) If you're in MY 4th period class, once you are there I expect you to form two straight lines, quickly. When I arrive you must be silent and LISTEN. When I shout your name you shout back "HERE!" loudly. If you have a soft voice, stand near me so I can hear you on the noisy field.
4) There will be NO talking during roll or while listening for instructions from me or from the principal. There is absolutely no cell phone use on the field -- your life may depend on how closely you listen for safety instructions from me. Students who cannot follow these safety guidelines will receive a phone call home to parents and may be assigned to detention.
1) So, after instruction is finished, you may quietly get up and leave to get a drink of water from the fountain in the hallway without filling out your planner (this is with agreement of our Security staff for my students). Just be sure to signal me that you are leaving for that reason and return quickly.
2) Bottled beverages are OK, but no food in the classroom.
3) If you're in first period, be sure to eat at home or in the cafeteria before school.
4) No bottled beverages are allowed out in computer labs.
1) Usually, I will let students use the bathroom one person at a time as long as it doesn't get out of hand and become an irritation, an interruption to instruction, a disruption, or a distraction.
2) I prefer that you drop your bag in the classroom during the passing period, check in with me quickly and use the bathroom. If you check in with me first, I won't mark you tardy if you're a few seconds (less than 30) late to class. I too was once a 9th grader :)
1) Handing your cell phone to me.
2) My turning your cell phone in at the office as our school policy states, no matter how much I adore you.
3) Your parents being called by one of our principals to let them know your cell phone was out / on / being used during instruction.
4) Your parents will have to come to the school to pick up your cell phone every time it is taken to the office.
5) However, you WILL get a really cool "Mrs. Mygatt Caught Me Texting!" pencil as a consolation prize!
BTW, I know the tricks: the "I'm looking for a book in my backpack" text, the "I'm studying in my binder" text, the "My hands are cold so I'm putting them in my sweatshirt" text, the "I'm reading my AR book" text, the "I'll hide my phone behind my knee" text, the "I'll text from the bathroom" text, and the not so sly "One hand in my pants pocket" text. Don't try it in my class. You'll lose :-)
1) I allow gum UNTIL the first time it falls out of your mouth and you don't pick it up to throw it away, and I find it or someone else steps in it.
2) Once that happens in ANY of my classes it's no more gum for ALL of my classes for the rest of the school year.
3) If we have a NO Gum policy in effect in my room and you HAVE gum, I'll ask you to throw it away AND invite you (require you) to stay after school to use these really cool, gross gum scrapers to scrape 5 pieces of gum off the bottom of the desks. It's a once in a lifetime experience, believe me! ;-)
1) Click on the button for your class to see what work was assigned while you were absent.
2) Downloaded handouts from the class's web page and print them before you return to my class.
The Web page is always current. After an absence you have as many class days to turn in absent work as you were days sick. Of course, exceptions can be made with a phone call from your parent within that week. For extensive absences, such as hospitalizations, or a death in the family, including the death of a pet, I will likely excuse you from making up work. Keep me in the loop -- I am happy to work within the needs of your family.
Students who fail to do this will receive a zero for the assignment.
1) I will accept late work until the Friday of the following week.
2) "Late work" is defined as this: When you are present in school, if you're turning in an assignment that day and it isn't printed when you enter class, or it isn't ready to turn in when I call for it, or is incomplete when you bring it up to the podium, it's late.
3) Late work will be downgraded one full letter grade. Example: if you earned a B on the assignment, because it is late it will be downgraded one full letter grade to a C.
4) Additionally, missing the original deadline when you are present will automatically result in a teacher phone call or e-mail home to your parents.
5) You will be assigned to attend the next Thursday School, not as a punishment, but as an academic support, and I will hand you the Thursday School form during the period. Your parents must sign it and you must return it to the Thursday School teacher. If you complete the missing assignment and turn it in before the date of your Thursday School, you do not need to attend Thursday School, and I will excuse you. Simply turn in your assignment along with your signed form to me in order to be excused. Students who do not attend Thursday School when assigned will be assigned to detention. Students who do not attend detention when assigned will be dealt with by the Dean of Students. It's much easier on you to just get the work done and turned in on time.
6)If you reach the Friday of the following week and I still do not have your missing work, I will no longer accept it for grading, you will receive a zero in the grade book for that assignment. It is the student's responsibility to keep track of the calendar and the late work deadline.
1) Are not talking
2) Are walking quietly. Individuals who choose not to follow these expectations will be responsible for the entire class heading back to the classroom and trying again. If the entire class is noisy in the hallway, the entire class loses computer time that day.
Sharpen your pencil BEFORE the bell.
Bring to class pencils, red correcting pens, highlighters, and notebook paper.
Bring handbooks and your AR books daily.
Repeatedly coming to class unprepared will result in you making a phone call to your parents informing them that you are unprepared to participate in school.
2) Quite often we'll have class discussions on the novels and poetry we read by sitting on the floor in a discussion circle. So get on the floor and get comfy, have fun and be part of the discussion!
3) Many times during the year we will share student work examples under the document camera in order to learn. Work will be collected and returned to students discretely. With student work examples under the document camera, we'll give constructive feedback and suggestions as well as praise for the good work of the author. This will always be done with respect to the student, and without revealing who the student is, unless you wish to identify yourself and take credit for your good work! :)
1) You can sit in a different seat each day of the year if you so desire.
2) If you want to, you can even sit on the floor and use a binder to write on.
3) You can sit in the Comfy Chair and use a binder to write on. Be comfortable and have fun in my class while we learn.
4) You may sit by whomever you'd like to as long as when it's time to work that you actually DO work.
If you're too social when I'm instructing or when it's time to work, I'll have to move you and your friend apart. That will not only bum you out, but it'll bum ME out, too.
2) Raise your hand to contribute to class discussions or ask a question and I'll happily call on you. I tend to ignore people who blurt out or interrupt others, so be mature and use your impulse control :)
1) A private discussion during or after-class about your behavior
2) E-mails / phone calls to your parent
3) Assignment to detention
4) An immediate visit with one of our administrators.
Corrective discipline in my classroom will never include embarrassing or humiliating the student in public or in private. Humiliation of another human being is not an effective way to teach.
Students who choose to sleep in class will call their parent's home phone, work phone, or cell phone, from our classroom at the end of the period to inform their parent that they were sleeping in class.
1) You will be sent to the office
2) Your parents will likely be called by the principal to bring you a change of clothing.
Follow the school's established dress code whenever you are on campus, even after school hours, at athletic events, and at dances. Hats should be kept in backpacks or lockers until you are outside the building, even after school. Hats will not be displayed on classroom desks in my classroom. Hats cannot be worn in the building. When I see a hat being worn in the building, in accordance with school policy, I will keep it until after the 2:05 bell.
1) To receive an automatic F on the assignment.
2) A call home to inform their parents of their poor choice.
3) The student will be subject to this school's discipline policy on cheating. Keep in mind that essays, and Creative Poetry projects are weighted at 65% of your quarter grade. Don't risk it.