1. Notebook
Why keep a notebook? Your notebook is the resource you need during this 2-year class. All information we go over can come back during the 6th course exams. Having an adequate record of what we covered will help you a great deal during 5th and 6th course. To make sure you take your notebook seriously, I will give occasional “pop notebook quizzes”. For these quizzes you will be able to use your notebook and your memory as resources. Students with up-to-date notebooks will find these quizzes easy. The journal entries will be graded; these must go at the back of your notebook. The front part will be used for class notes and answers to study guide questions. I will not grade on cuteness, but only on content!
A folder or binder will be necessary for keeping handouts, assignments, essays, quizzes and exams. All these will also help in preparing for the exams. The folders may be kept in my closet.
Journal entries.
Your journal entries are short thinking exercises on various topics. These are meant to help you pre-think on subjects related to the novels we read or the world around us. Also they will prepare you for the writing section of the IB exams in 6th course. To make sure you are successful make sure that you follow the following requisites
- Each entry is preceded by the title.
- Each entry has at least 8 sentences.
- Each entry has at least 3 connectives.
- Each entry has a topic sentence.
- Each entry contains at least 1 example.
Study guide questions.
The study guide questions are a tool for you to help you understand and read the stories and novels you need to read. This is why it is essential that you answer these while you read. Answers to the questions should be written down in your notebook. During class discussion of the novels and stories I will mention the correct answers to all questions. You should correct or complete the questions. There is no need to copy the questions, as long as you indicate to which story and to which part the questions refer to.
Class notes.
You will be required to enter notes of each class. All entries need to be dated, at minimum it needs to state what we did in class. But also it needs to have (if applicable) short recording of class discussions, vocabulary words and their definitions, comments on the novels or stories, key points of class presentations.
Grammar.
The answers to the grammar units covered also need to be written in your notebook. After checking them together in class or with answer sheets, you will have to have the corrected or completed answers.
2. Procedures in class.
Knowing what to do is essential to be a success. Can you imagine what would happen in the working world if people show up for work every day and had no ideas what to do? What if players from Emelec showed up for practice whenever they wanted and with no plan for the day? Very little would be accomplished, and success would be out of the question. When people all around the world go to work everyday they know what to do, if not, they won’t be working for long. In this class we will know what to do, and we will accomplish this by following procedures. A procedure is a set of steps to follow in a certain situation.
The following is a list of the procedures every student will be required to know and consistently adhere on his own. This means without the teacher or substitute teacher’s guidance or correction. In the first few weeks of class we will devote time to practicing these procedures.
Entering the classroom.
All right, roll your eyes and sigh, but some of you don’t know how to enter a classroom. I’ll explain it again then. The recess and lunches are for socializing and taking care of personal businesses. Once you enter the classroom you focus on what we are going to do that day. You will proceed to your assigned seat quietly and directly (no lingering or shouting).
What should I do if I’m late?
If you are late you will need to get a pass from the inspector. Without a pass you cannot enter the class. Don’t bother me trying to get in anyway. You will only waste your own time. Once you have a pass put it on my desk and then go to your seat and start working.
What if I need to go to the bathroom?
The breaks and also the 5-minute break between classes are also designed for you to go to the bathroom. It is your decision if you want to come late to class in order to relieve yourself, or hold it until the next break. This decision is yours and so you should not make this MY problem.
The first 10 minutes of class.
The first 10 minutes of each class are meant to improve your written skills or preparing for a productive lesson. Everyday there will be a topic for you on the board or on the projector. Every student will:
- Get out a notebook, a pen, and dictionary.
- Correctly format the page in your notebook.
- Silently write in their notebook about the topic.
- Be expected to expand on the topic and write as much as possible following the guidelines above.
I will signal the end of the writing period. Like I said before, properly working on these assignments will help you with your essays and you other coursework, as well as prepare you for your IB exams.
What if I have nothing to say on the topic?
Of course sometimes there will be a topic you know nothing about, or you have no interest in. This doesn’t mean you cannot write about it. For example you could explain why you are not interested in it, or relate it to something you are interested in.
What if I have a question, for example, about the assignment of the previous day?
There will be time to ask questions, after the first 10 minutes of class. All questions should be asked then in the proper manner.
What if I forget my notebook, pens, dictionary etc?
All students are expected to bring their materials to school everyday. Failure to do so will result in a deduction of your grade, and you will fall behind with the rest of the class. Moreover, what if we have a pop quiz that day? Raise your hand to let me know you have forgotten your materials and I’ll help you resolve the matter. Please don’t disturb other classmates in their work.
Turning in assignments.
Homework assignments should be turned in when you come into the class. Place them on my desk in the inbox within the first 5 minutes of class. You are responsible for your own work, if you give it to someone else to hand it in and it gets lost, you’re on your own. I will not accept homework at any other time than this.
What if I forget to turn it in at the beginning of the class?
I have heard all the excuses that exist (well, mostly). Please, I do not need to hear more of them, save them for your friends and parents. Being a responsible students means you follow procedures. I’m sure the next time you will not forget it again!
What if I am absent?
Absentees will be dealt with on an individual basis, but as a rule, daily homework assignments can be handed in when the student returns to class. Major assignments, such as projects or essays, must be submitted on the day that they are due. This may be accomplished via e-mail, provided it has been sent before 2.30PM of the day the assignment was due.
Absences.
Absentees are required to ask their fellow students what they missed that day and making sure their notebooks are up-to-date. Any handouts given will be available with me. If absent on a quiz or exam day, you have 3 days to come to me to make an appointment for a re-take. This will be either at lunchtime or after school. No re-takes are given during class time. If you fail to make an appointment, or do not show up on the appointment, you will receive a zero for that work.
Finishing tasks.
There will be a number of tasks to be performed in class. Since everybody works at different speeds, some students will be finished before others. When you finish early you can:
- Work on another assignment for this class.
- Write in you notebook or revise your journal entries.
- Read from the texts or other appropriate pieces of literature.
What you are not allowed to do is:
- Sleep, talk, stare into nothing, get up and walk around, play cards, put on make-up, brush your hair etc…..
Questions.
Yes I am your teacher and probably know a little bit more than you do, but that doesn’t mean I have to ask every little questions that you have. First thing you need to do when you have a question is to take responsibility for your own learning by checking if you can find the answer yourself, maybe the answer is in your book, or in your notes. Maybe it is between the lines of your notes. Only after you have realized the answer is not to be found anywhere by yourself, can you raise your hand to ask a questions. Wait until I give you a chance to speak, don’t start shouting all by yourself. If I am occupied, keep working until I come and help you.
Class discussions.
Sometimes we will have the opportunity to discuss things we read or saw in class. These discussions should not end up as meetings of parrotlets. They will be a focused exchange of ideas. It is therefore important that you
- Listen to and respect the opinions of others.
- Raise your hand if you want to speak
- Wait your turn before you start talking
- Refrain from making comments or asking questions which detract from the progress and productivity of the discussion.
Working in pairs or groups.
Pair and group work can be fun, enlightening, and useful. However these activities should not be treated like a relaxing social period. Each activity will have clear goals and be evaluated. To accomplish a pair or group activity:
- Find your partner or group quickly and quietly.
- Assign roles if appropriate
- Focus on accomplishing the task given
- Alert the teacher when you have completed the task
Oral presentations.
We will be developing our speaking as well as our writing skills and will sometimes have the opportunity to give an oral presentation to the class. During the presentation other students should listen attentively and note questions which they may have about the information given. Occasionally students will be evaluated on the content of other student’s oral presentation.
Taking quizzes and exams.
When taking quizzes and exams, students will be expected to position their desks at least one meter apart and remain silent for the rest of the test period. Students are NOT allowed to use liquid paper. No form of cheating will be tolerated. Speaking AT ANY TIME during the exams or quizzes will be considered cheating.
When I raise my hand.
Sometimes I will need to get your attention while you are working. If you see me with my hand raised you should:
- Look at me
- Be quiet
- Be still
- Have your hands free
- Listen
3. Discipline
To learn things means that you need to actively participate in class. Unfortunately we do not yet posses USB slots in our brain to upload information. In order for each student to be able to participate in an appropriate manner there needs to be a productive atmosphere in class.
What is a productive atmosphere?
- Students are eager to gain new knowledge and expand upon existing knowledge.
- Students know their objectives and are working to achieve them in a focused manner.
- In group activities all students assume their roles and work cooperatively.
- Students know all procedures and have proper materials.
- The classroom environment is free from distracting noises.
- No time or energy is wasted on conversation or activities that do not pertain to class objectives.
All students should work together to achieve this type of atmosphere. Keeping this in mind there will be 3 major rules
- Speak English only.
- Speak only when you have been given permission.
- Follow procedures.
Every breach of the rules or failure to follow procedures will result in a 1-point deduction of your discipline grade. After the first 5 infractions you will receive a report. Serious discipline matters will be referred to the rector or vice-rector.
A successful class will be rewarded a movie. Individuals with exemplary behavior will receive stamps in their notebooks. Accumulating 10 stamps means skipping a quiz!
4.Evaluation
25% of your grade will behomework and class work. Class work or homework will be given a passing (100%) or a failing (0%) grade. Each assignment will be worth 20 points. Also your journal will be collected in the last week of the bimester for grading. This will be worth 100 points.
25% of your grade will be tests, quizzes and presentations. There will be occasional pop-quizzes and one test every 2 weeks. Quizzes are worth 50 points and test 100. Oral presentations will be 100 points.
25% of your grade consists of essays and projects. Each bimester you will need to complete at least one essay or project. Both will be worth 100 points.
25% of your grade will be your exam grade. Each exam consists of the curriculum for that particular bimester. Except the complementary exam of the 3rdbimester which will consist of all topics covered.
5.Materials
You will need to bring to each class:
- The novel we are reading + studyguide
- Your grammarbook
- Your notebook
- A dictionary
- Writing materials.
Not having materials will result in a deduction of your participation grade. Pens and pencils are for sale for $0.50.
6.Cheating
There are many forms of cheating, and sometimes you might not even notice that you are cheating. Keep in mind the following:
- Obtaining answers during a quiz or exam through various means such as whispering, signaling, having cheat notes etc.
- Copying assignments from others. This includes borrowing other people’s assignments to “check you answers”.
- Having someone “help” you write your essay, or having someone else write it all for you. It is all right to have someone look at your writing and having them give you advice on writing and grammar. But the writing needs to be yours.
- Plagiarism. This means that you pretend that a product form another person’s mind is your own. Now a days with the widespread of Internet it is a lot easier to commit plagiarism, however it also very easily detectable. Please make sure that what you write is your own.
7. Keeping track of your grades.
To be sure that you and your parents are aware of your progress in class, I will send e-mails with your grades, assignments and attendance records every two weeks. If you fall below a 60 average you will also get an academic report. If want to check your grades with me, make an appointment to do so outside of class time.
Hereby I and my legal guardians acknowledge to have read and understood the guidelines and procedures of Ms. van Dijk’s English class.
Name:
Student’s signatureGuardian’s signature
Student’s e-mailGuardian’s e-mail
This strip of paper needs to be handed in on Friday 8th April 2011 at ms. van Dijk’s inbox, room 21.