Classroom
Attitudes
Mr.
Jacobson
General
guidelines
Be a person of respect.
· If you respect people, property, language, and yourself, you will be worthy of respect.
Be a contributor.
· If you give your best effort and offer your best attitude, people will trust you with things that matter.
Be responsible for yourself.
· If you take responsibility for your actions and your attitude, you will be respected and trusted.
General
Expectations--The Big 5
1. Come prepared and on time--bring your book, your paper, your pencil (not mine!)
2. Follow directions and generally participate with class activities--BE ON TASK.
3. Sit in your given seat unless directed otherwise.
4. Control your tongue--choose words that support people, not tear them down, avoid being negative.
5. Get in the flow of things—plug into what we are doing, unplug your other things. Don’t interrupt.
General
Things to Know
Grading
· Your grade will be determined by a percentage. To know your grade on any assignment, or overall, simply divide your score by the total points possible. This is your percentage score.
· The following is a breakdown of percentages for letter grades.
|
90-100% 80-89% 70-79% 60-69% below 60% |
A B C D F |
Extra Credit: BONUS POINTS
· Hardly any, so don’t count on it. Your grade should reflect your skills and effort on assignments, not on extra credit. Stay connected for possible bonus assignments. I will let you know.
Homework
·
All homework will have a due date specified on the
board. Most assignments will be due at the beginning of the period. Most
assignments have a space at the top of the page for writing in the due date.
Consider using it. Also, consider doing your homework. If you do not do your
homework, you will mostly likely fail the class.
Attendance,
Absences, and Make-up Work
· If you are not present, your learning and grades will suffer. Be here. It will be worthwhile.
· If you do miss class, make up work will be made available for most assignments.
· Major assignments (essays, final tests) can be rescheduled with the teacher.
· Example:
1. If you missed two days from when essay is due, you have two days to make up the assignment
2. If you missed five days from when the assignment is due, you have five days to make up the assignment.
3. If you missed the day the assignment is due, and return the following day, the assignment is due upon your return.
|
Original Due
Date |
Days Absent |
Adjusted Due
Date |
|
Test Tuesday |
present Monday, absent Tuesday |
Test is taken Wednesday unless teacher specifies differently |
|
Test Tuesday |
missed Monday and Tuesday |
Test given on Thursday |
--It can become too complicated, so do not try to work the system. It
is flawed, but aren’t we all. Just be here.
If you missed an
assignment
· If you miss an assignment due to absence for whatever reason, it is your responsibility to consult a fellow student to determine what work you have missed.
· If the assignment requires a handout, you can find the assignments labeled in the files racks. Those files closest to the front hold the most recent assignments. It is your responsibility to access those assignments you may have missed. Please inform me if this is unclear to you in any way.
· Use the basket for turning in assignments. Use the basket.
· If your work is not turned in during the first 5 minutes of the class, it is late. In this case, you cannot use the main basket. Use the Late Work basket.
· Use the basket.
Late Work
· Late work is turned into the late-work basket, located on top of the bookshelf behind my desk.
· Assignments tuned in after the due date will be penalized: six minutes to one day late is reduced 20% of your earned grade, one day to five days late is reduced 40%. Otherwise, it is deceased-dead-finished-no more.
· End of Grading periods: Any late work must be turned in five full days before the end of the grading period to be counted toward a posted grade.
Seating Assignments
· They are designed to maximize the learning environment, minimize distractions, and aid me in learning names.
· Keep your assigned seats.
Substitutes
· Keep the designated seating arrangement.
· Respect the sub, no matter how different they are from what you expect, and respect the room--by doing so, I can return your respect with freedom in the future.
Desk Care
· Do not write or scratch on desks. I know where you sit. Keep your feet on the floor. Duh.
HALL PASSES and
Leaving the Room During Class Time
· You will have an opportunity to leave during class every day. This opportunity is commenced by the phrase “class dismissed.” It is my desire that you remain present for the entirety of the class period. Go potty before or after. You will not dehydrate in 50 minutes. If you have a phobic reaction to the absence of liquids, bring a water bottle.
· If you must go, you’ve got three trips you can spend. Your hall pass is your planner. No planner—no passo. Comprende?
Sharpening Pencils
· Use your head. Don’t interrupt a speaker or intentional silence.
Group Work
· At times, you will have the opportunity to work in groups. Often times, the groups will be determined by the teacher unless specified otherwise. Do not whine. Act like a mature person and freedom shall be yours.
Food and Drink
· Spillage es muy sticky. Crumbs and wrappers es muy upsetto to the work space. If you eat, keep your space clean. If you don’t, STARVE!
Phones—Mine and Yours
· No phone calls from the classroom will be made during the school day. Mine is available to you before and after school, yours is turned off and hidden from sight during class. If it appears, it will be for but a brief moment, for I will make it disappear and you won’t see it again until you’ve visited with Mr. Watson—It will be waiting for you there.
· MP3, CD, or other formats are cool—Be cool and keep them off and hidden away, please. No personal tunes in this room.
Teacher’s Desk, Computer, and Grade Updates.
· If you need to borrow something, ask and you shall receive. Take without asking and you shall be chastised and suspected in the future. I like sharing, except when it comes to the computer.
· Leave the computer to me. Do not plan on using it during the day.
· Your grades will be posted approximately once a week on the bulletin board, not my computer screen. You can check with me after school or between classes if you have grade questions.
Tardies
·
There are reasonable tardies and there are ridiculous
tardies.
·
Discuss Tardies with me after class or at an
appropriate break. I want to know why you are late. If you are tardy, you must
have a good reason, since you are giving up time with me to be somewhere
else. I want you in class.
·
If your tardy is ridiculous, you will serve a
detention. If detentions don’t work for you, Saturday school rocks.
·
Also, if you are late, you will not be eligible for
the warm-up points offered. Ten percent of your grade comes from these
points, so don’t be late.
Discipline
· Discipline is a control issue that begins with you. You control yourself.
· If I need to address you and your lack of self-control more than once, you will meet with me after class to discuss the issue.
· If the problems continues, you may be dismissed immediately from class for a Time Out and you will meet with me on your time.
· If the problem persists, you will be referred to administration.
· ZERO TOLERATION POLICY IS IN EFFECT FOR DISRESPECT AND REBELLION. Great toleration, compassion, and discipline will be exercised on your behalf if your behavior is due to your ignorance, injury, or immaturity.
General
Routines
As Class Begins
· You are in your seat with materials.
· You are working on the assignment from the overhead or listening to directions.
·
All noise is limited to work-noise.
Paper Heading
· It is simple: every paper will be labeled in the upper right corner in the following manner. Often times, the blanks are provided. If you struggle with your paper heading, your grade may plummet. Check the no-name wall if you are missing grades for assignments you are certain you have completed. Or check your book, your locker, the recycling bin...
* Your name--ALL OF IT. Don’t leave me guessing or it will be graded late and posted on the no-name wall.
* Date
* Period
Exiting Class
· You will be dismissed when the room is clean and in order.
· You will be dismissed from your seats. You are not cattle, do not crowd the door like a fence gate. Sit, relax, trust me with the ending of class.
· Neither clock nor bells will dismiss you. You will be dismissed by me, when you hear, “You are dismissed.”
Ready yourselves. . .