Policies For All Classes

The most valuable learning is not about memorizing facts and figures.

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


Entering The Classroom:

When you enter my classroom,

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.




Heading Your Papers:

Head all of your assignments with this information:

First and last name

Period and subject

Assignment name and teacher name

Due date


(For typed text such as essays, the heading goes on the left. For regular class assignments, the heading goes on the right.)




Maintaining a Class Binder:

For my class, it's really important that you stay organized. You will maintain a section of your binder to help you stay organized and achieve academic success in my class. Your binder can either be a separate binder, or a separate class section that can be contained within a larger binder that you already carry to other classes. For this class, your binder will have three specific dividers:

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).




Bring Daily:

Bring any handbook, assigned novel, or AR book that is checked out to you to class daily. I won't spend instruction time writing a pass for you to get your book if you forget it. Additionally, your parents will be notified that you were unprepared for class.




Building Evacuations:

When we are asked to evacuate our building I expect you to:

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.




Food and Water in the Classroom:

The water fountain in our classroom is broken and is not going to be fixed -- major BUMMER!

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.




Bathroom Passes:

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 :)




Cell Phones:

If you choose to text in class, this is what you can expect: As Shakespeare would say, "I will be deaf to pleading and excuses, therefore use none." Cell phones are to be "off and invisible during the school day." If it you have it out, if it rings / vibrates during class, or if your are texting during class, you can count on:

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 :-)





"Ode To The Cell Phone" a poem by Peter S., Spring 2008

There once was an angel named Mygatt

But don't be fooled by her gentle pat

'Cause she'll take your phone

And grind up your bones

And incoming Freshmen don't know that ;^>




Gum:

Gum. It's a sticky subject (pardon the pun). Here's the general rule:

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! ;-)




Absences:

Class work, assignments, quizzes and tests due during an absence must be made up in a timely manner. It is your responsibility to find out what assignments were assigned during your absence by using the class Web page.

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.




Correcting Work:

Students who return from an absence and have not yet made up their work, or students who have been present and not yet completed their work, should stand up and quietly leave the classroom before the class corrects the work without being asked.

Students who fail to do this will receive a zero for the assignment.




Homework Policy:

You are expected to turn in all assignments on the due date when you are in school. I do understand that doing so may not always be possible, for a variety of reasons. Life happens. Here's the Homework Policy:

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.




Deadline Extensions:

I may give you an extension on a major assignment if I know that you are under an undue amount of personal stress; if academic demands in other classes are colliding and weighing you down on top of the essay I just assigned; if you currently have sports or dance commitments that are temporarily taking a large amount of time and you need an extension on an essay. You or your parent can talk to me BEFORE THE DEADLINE -- if I think it is reasonable to extend you, I am happy to sit down with you and make arrangements to help you manage your academic load, get you through the stress, and help you succeed. Remember, not only am I a teacher, I've been a student and I'm also a mom, so I get it. At a deadline it just sounds like an excuse, so talk to me BEFORE the deadline :)




Computer Labs and Hallway Behavior:

In this class we go to the computer labs frequently. It is important to me that we do not disturb other classes on our way to the lab. Ideally, I like my classes to be seen in the hallways but not "heard" in the hallways. My expectations for your behavior on the way to the labs are that you

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.




Extra Credit:

On occasion I will have a "Challenge Level" attached to an assignment. Otherwise I don't allow extra credit. Really, I don't allow extra credit. Seriously, I don't allow extra credit. Don't ask. I'll tell you (surprise!) that I don't allow extra credit. Pay attention and do it right the first time :)




Extra Help:

I will meet with students after school by appointment to help them achieve their academic goals. If you need extra help PLEASE don't be afraid to ask me. I'll be happy to set aside some time and sit down with you one-on-one. Please don't wait--ask as soon as you realize that you so not understand how to do something and need some extra one-on-one instruction.




Come Prepared Daily:

Please staple your essays AT HOME.

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.




Participate!:

1) Because much of this class is discussion based, it is critical to me that my classroom be an emotionally safe place for all students to feel that they can voice their thoughts, questions, opinions and even suggestions. On a daily basis you will hear me ask the class, "What questions do you HAVE?" because I expect you to be thinking and creating questions relating to what we're doing. Asking me questions lets me know you're engaged in what we're doing. Ask questions!! :) If you have a question about an assignment, chances are that someone across the room does, too. So voice your thoughts, questions, opinions and suggestions! I'll listen to them with an open heart and open mind and answer you with respect.

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! :)




Where Can I Sit? :

I once was a junior high student, and I really liked sitting by my friends. Here's the policy:

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.




Be Polite and Respectful:

1) When I call out, "I'm ready to teach!" students respond with "I'm ready to learn!" We'll do this call and response three times to allow you to quickly end your conversations within a few seconds. Classes that ignore this courtesy will be held after the passing bell starting at a full minute, and that's a bummer for everyone.

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 :)




Discipline In My Classroom:

Depending on the situation, student, and/or behavior history of the student, corrective discipline in my classroom can include one, some, or all of the following:

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.




Substitute Teachers:

I don't like to be out of class. If there's a substitute teacher, you can bet I am very ill, at home, and need to be there. A substitute teacher should receive the same respect that a student would give to me were I present. Students who take advantage of a substitute teacher, or who are disrespectful or continually disruptive when a substitute teacher is teaching my class will receive detention upon my return to the classroom.




Sleeping in Class:

Stopping the teaching / learning process of 30 people to wake up a sleeping student multiple times is disruptive to the learning environment and is therefore unfair to the students who are there to learn and to the teacher who is there to teach. Junior High students are accountable for their choices.

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.




Dress Code:

Students must realize that my class room is my place of employment. As such, I have a right to be free from sexual harassment. When you wear clothing that exposes your cleavage, breasts, abdomen, butt, bra or underwear, it makes me uncomfortable, and I have a job to do: Teach. I will give you one warning to pull it up, pull it down, zip it up or cover it up. After the warning, if you continue to wear clothing outside of our school's established dress code I will consider it intentional harassment toward me, and,

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.




Plagiarism:

Plagiarism is an idea or a piece of writing that has been copied from someone else -- another student, or online, or out of books -- and is presented as being your own writing, or your own original thought or data. Plagiarism is a serious offense. In junior high you will receive an F for the assignment; in high school you will receive zero credit for the course and be suspended if you plagiarize; in college you will be expelled. Be careful not to plagiarize if you do homework with your best friend. You'd be surprised how many students plagiarize that way without realizing it. In an educational environment that celebrates the beauty of the human experience, plagiarism is especially reprehensible. Students who turn in plagiarized can expect:

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.




Tolerance:

Keeping my classroom an emotionally safe environment for all of my students is of paramount importance to me. Therefore, put downs, racism, sexual harassment, or social ridicule of any person or social group of any kind will absolutely not be allowed in my classroom. You are accountable for your words, behavior, attitudes and actions toward me, yourself and others. Students who attempt to degrade the emotionally safe environment of my classroom should be prepared for a long conversation with me, the principal and your parents.