TEACHER AND STUDENT CONTRACT
As your teacher, I believe it is important to tell you, my students, what I expect of you and what you should expect of me during your class time. This is a guide for our class, and all school rules (including merits and demerits) still apply.
As a student, you promise to:
As a teacher, I promise to:
As a student, you promise to:
- Always do my best work.
- Be kind and respectful to my classmates.
- Show respect for myself, my school, and my teachers.
- Show respect for my property and that of others.
- Come to class prepared with my homework and supplies.
- Ask questions when you do not understand.
- Believe you can and will learn.
As a teacher, I promise to:
- Treat you with respect.
- Be kind and friendly towards you.
- Use a variety of materials to help you understand what we re learning.
- Answer every question that you have without making you feel embarrassed for asking it.
- Stay focused on your learning.
- Arrive and dismiss on time.
INTERACTIVE NOTEBOOKS
In our class, we are going to use interactive notebooks. The purpose of the interactive notebook is to enable students to be creative, independent thinkers and problem solvers. Interactive notebooks are used for class notes as well as for other activities where the student will be asked to express his/her own ideas and process the information presented in class. Students will be responsible for keeping their own notebooks. If notes are needed while doing homework or studying for tests, I will do my best to keep them updated with a link on my website for them.
VIDEOS
Much of my class (not every day, but most days when new material is presented) is what is called a "flipped classroom." This means that notes are taken at home while watching a video that I assign for the day. It is almost always a video that I have created myself. Students will be sent home with a foldable (outline) to fill out as they watch the video. The next day, we briefly review the contents of the video and notes, and what would have been the homework becomes classwork.
There are several reasons that I like this method. First, I can see students practice the new material in class rather than trying it for the first time at home. Second, students who need to hear the lecture/notes again or stop while writing can do so as many times as needed when watching the video. Third, students who are absent can catch up more easily by watching the video either in class while the rest of the students are working, or at home as makeup work. Finally, parents and tutors can also watch the videos and see the content being taught and the way that I am teaching it, so we can better work as a team for the success of every child.
There are several reasons that I like this method. First, I can see students practice the new material in class rather than trying it for the first time at home. Second, students who need to hear the lecture/notes again or stop while writing can do so as many times as needed when watching the video. Third, students who are absent can catch up more easily by watching the video either in class while the rest of the students are working, or at home as makeup work. Finally, parents and tutors can also watch the videos and see the content being taught and the way that I am teaching it, so we can better work as a team for the success of every child.
HOMEWORK
I will not accept late daily homework. I understand that forgetting homework CAN happen; therefore, two homework grades will be dropped toward the final trimester grade. Credit homework will be a 100 (complete); 80 (mostly complete but missing some work) or 0 (incomplete or missing). There will also be graded homework, which I will accept late with a demerit (given the day it is due) and also -10% for each day it is late.
GRADING
Grades will be broken down as follows:
Tests and Projects: 45%
Quizzes and Graded Assignments: 25%
Daily Homework and Classwork: 20%
ALEKS: 10%
Tests and Projects: 45%
Quizzes and Graded Assignments: 25%
Daily Homework and Classwork: 20%
ALEKS: 10%
Grading for Homework Checks and In-Class Assignments (rubric):
10 points: everything looks correct and complete
8 points: it's almost all correct, but something small (yet significant) is missing
6 points: it's about half correct or half complete
5 points: it's nearly all incorrect, but there's a "spark" of something there that seemed worth noting
0 points: the student didn't write anything, wrote the wrong problem down, or didn't show any understanding of the concept
10 points: everything looks correct and complete
8 points: it's almost all correct, but something small (yet significant) is missing
6 points: it's about half correct or half complete
5 points: it's nearly all incorrect, but there's a "spark" of something there that seemed worth noting
0 points: the student didn't write anything, wrote the wrong problem down, or didn't show any understanding of the concept