Policies
Submission of Work
All work submitted must follow the prescribed guidelines for the assignment type. I will post these in the handout section of the Resources page.
Late Work
All late work earns half credit. I will accept any assignment up until one week before the close of grades in any given marking period, with the exception of end-of-term reflective papers.
I am aware that many teachers use a percentage scale, where a paper might be penalized 10 percent the first day, 20 percent the second day, and so on. I simply can't keep track of all that. If it's late, that's it. Still, in a sense my policy is more lenient, as I'll accept the paper for at least some credit much later than most teachers.
Plagiarism
Intellectual dishonesty of any kind will not be tolerated. Any instances of plagiarism will result in denial of credit and may lead to a larger inquiry involving administration.
Preparedness
I expect students to have notebooks open in front of them at the beginning of each class. Everyone should have a writing implement and all necessary materials.
Classroom Library
Please be sure to sign out any materials you wish to take out of the classroom, and to return them in a timely fashion.
District Policies
Students in my classes are reminded that they must abide by all district policies. They can be found here.
Since this class relies fairly heavily on technology, be sure to pay special attention to that section.
Guidelines
1. Be present
2. Maintain self-control
3. Have a positive attitude
4. Comply with school policies
5. Be tolerant
(Please see the "Process of Elimination" section below for clarification)
Also, please note that I will not stand for my room being a mess. Under no circumstances will I allow food (including candy, gum, or anything else with a wrapper) or beverages (other than water) in my room. As always, playing cards will be confiscated and returned only after you serve two detentions. Students in the last class of the day must put their chairs on their desks.
Consequences
I believe in handling discipline in house, meaning in the confines of my classroom. By and large, behavior problems are easily corrected through simply listening to students' concerns and talking to them like adults. I try to reserve calls home for academic issues only, but I will contact parents regarding discipline if so directed by my superiors. In general, though, I don't like this course of action as it damages the trust between teacher and student. Plus, most of the time, parents (understandably) side with their kids so I end of just having to explain myself. No thank you. I think of it this way: If you think I did something wrong, I'd rather have you come to me first instead of the principal. I'm sure students appreciate the same consideration.
I reserve office referrals only for cases of physical violence, verbal abuse, bullying, sexual harassment, and other serious infractions. Some advice: If I send you to the office, just keep quiet and go. Anything short of that will only make matters worse. Be warned, though, that failure to serve detention will also earn an office referral. Read on.
I generally reserve detentions for study hall students, as classroom management can be tricky when there is no credit component involved. Please show up promptly on the assigned day. Detention starts promptly at 2:00 and, depending on the infraction, may last anywhere from 5 to 25 minutes. Also, I may assign multiple detentions for a single infraction.
The most dire consequence of failing to follow the class guidelines is a reduction in grade. While I don't consider it ethical to directly factor behavior into students' class averages, I have stuctured my teaching methods to reward those who "meet their target behavior." I have also created a "Process of Elimination" that strictly precludes students with problem behaviors from reaching certain academic levels.
Process of Elimination
1. Attendance: No student who is absent more than three times in a single marking period or misses class excessively due to tardiness will be eligible for a grade in the A range. Now, I'm a reasonable person, and I realize that there are always extraordinary circumstances. I reserve the right to make exceptions to this policy if I can reach some understanding with the students in question, but it is up to those students to take charge of the review process.
2. Self-control: Students who are disruptive, socialize excessively, talk back, or get off task easily are not eligible for grades in the A range WITHOUT EXCEPTION.
3. Attitude: Students who complain about course content, the curriculum in general, my approach to teaching this course, homework, the workload, grades, the amount of time I take grading papers, or class policies will be ineligible to receive a grade in the A range. I especially take exception to comments like, "This class is so easy," and "We never do/learn anything in here." You need to learn that teachers just don't like hearing this type of thing, and even in college, there's an unwritten 'whining penalty'. I welcome student involvement in the operations of the class, and I would never want to silence anyone. It's just that I want students to approach such issues in a respectful, professional manner at the appropriate time.
4. Compliance: Students who violate school policies will not be eligible for a grade in the A range. Rules are rules and you simply won't be rewarded for violating them.
5. Tolerance: Students who are disrespectful, hostile, or intolerant towards any individual in the class or any person or group in the larger community will not be eligible for a grade above B-. A public institution is no place to express dislike of anyone based on race, religion, sexual orientation, etc. If you feel that you reserve the right to freely express such attitudes, I would remind you that you also reserve the right to transfer out of this class immediately.