Class Policies and Expectations

English Class Policies and Expectations
Ms. Giraud, Arts Building Room 938

Classroom

1. Arrive on time, prepared. On time means you are in your seat, ready to go within three minutes of the posted start time of class. Prepared means you have a writing utensil, paper, notebook, charged laptop (10th graders only), and all books or reading materials we are reading. Prepared also means that you have spent time outside of class doing homework or reviewing class notes.

2. Do not speak while others are speaking. That includes teacher or other students. We are in a small space. While you may believe you are being discreet, you are likely distracting others.

3. If you are caught cheating or copying homework, you will receive a zero and will NOT have the opportunity to make up the work. I will also contact the Deans of school and your parents regarding the incident. That is my policy.

4. You are responsible for keeping track of daily assignments. There are some tools in place to help you, but ultimately YOU are responsible for staying informed. On a daily basis, one of your classmates, you, or I will post assignments on the blog. I will also keep an in-class written record on your white board about homework and upcoming assignments. Make physical note of these wherever you are keeping a personal agenda. While we will make every effort to keep a regular, online log of assignments, you are responsible for noting the work while you are in class. If you forget, contact a classmate to get the information. “No one posted the blog in time” is not an acceptable reason for not completing work.

5. Being unable to print something or having your computer crash should never be an excuse for not getting work completed. What are your options? Upload a file to Moodle, email an attachment, create work on Google docs, write by hand, re-do the work! Always print homework from home on the day it is due. Don’t expect to be able to print at school on the day you have homework due. Certainly don't expect to be given class time to print on the day something is due.

6. If you are going to be absent, stay up-to-date using the blog and/or Moodle. Don’t return to school and expect your missed classes to be re-created just for you. If you have questions, be specific about your needs. Demonstrate that you have put forth some effort before you ask me to put forth effort to help you get caught up.

7. I expect that you will be an active member of the class. I expect that you have done the assigned reading, completed written work, actively marked your texts, worked through exercises, and studied for assessments. I take a lot of time to prepare for my classes each day to get a maximum return. I urge you to do the same.

8. We are all human. If you have a personal issue or concern that is affecting your ability to meet any of these expectations, communicate with me. In most cases, I am happy to work with you to find a solution.

FAQs

What supplies do I need for your class?
--Books
You will need to purchase all of your books if you have not already done so.
Please see syllabus for that list. Immediately you will need your vocab book, for Vocabulary Achievement, Sixth Course; and House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros (regulars) and
Dreaming in Cuban by Christia Garcia (honors).
--Computer (please bring everyday!)
--Pens --ballpoints and highlighters
--A notebook with pockets

How much homework do you give?
Expect that on most nights, you will have approximately 20-30 minutes worth of homework for this class. On weekends, I will only give one night’s worth of work. Don’t leave papers or projects to the last minute. Those assignments will take longer than 20-30 minutes and should be building and improving over a few nights.

When is homework due?
At the start of class.

When can I get extra help?
Morning and afternoon tutorial times have been set up specifically for this purpose. Come to my room and find me! I will be on campus most mornings by 7:00 am and will leave most afternoons by 4:00.

Are you a hard grader?
My grades are mathematical. I just keep the books. So what you need to know is that your collective performance will determine your grade. That said, there are times when I “throw you a bone” as they say. Take advantage of those times. Every term will have some freebies. But you won’t get those easy points, if you don’t follow through with what I am asking you to do. After all, following directions is another skill we all practice throughout life.

OK. You didn’t answer the question. Are you a hard grader?
Papers are the most rigorously graded assignments I give. On the other hand, I believe that high school is time for learning process-writing. That means, I will give you time to draft and work to give you feedback along the way. Often we’ll work through drafts together and have time in class for writing and improving. Remember: revising for a new, improved grade is almost always an option! Revising even when a grade cannot be improved is good practice and excellent effort!

Tests. The feedback I’ve received over the years is that many of my tests are challenging; but if you are staying current with the readings, completing study questions, discussing and contributing to our class study, you will typically do fine. If you are taking short cuts along the way, the tests will be hard. No doubt.

What should I do if I am absent from class? How can I get the work?
Use the website! You will be a master Moodler very soon. You must stay current with what’s happening there. This year I am also experimenting with a class blog. Use the resources available.

What format is acceptable for turning in assignments?
I will speak specifically about length, fonts, headings, margins (MLA rules) as we go. Formatting matters. Craftsmanship matters. Generally, I expect you to turn in a hard copy and a soft copy (uploaded to Moodle). The soft copy is generally back up but on some occasions, I may only request soft copy. I work regularly to become less dependent on paper. It’s a work in progress.

I need help understanding some of the technology you are using in class. What should I do?
Please come and talk to me. I will help you. If we are experimenting with new technology that’s not working for us as a group, we’ll modify our approach. Don’t stress out about it. Come in for extra help and offer feedback and suggestions as appropriate. Remember that we are all learners. One of my on-going goals as a teacher is to continue to explore and adapt technology that encourages communication, creativity, and collaboration. I may not have all the answers, but I will always be willing to hear what your concerns are and will work with you to find solutions.

Do you like me?
I love teaching. I love English—writing, literature, yes, even grammar. Teenagers? You? Yes. I love your energy, optimism, risk-taking, nerve-wracked, voice cracked, experimenting, emerging, learning, teaching, leading, following YOU. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have stayed in teaching for the past 13 years. Never make the assumption that I don’t like you. If we are having trouble communicating, let’s talk, man! Come in and talk.