Room C-207
/ / School #: 281-245-3800
Conference: 3rd period
(9:25 - 10:19 A.M.)
Welcome, Class of 2020!
Pre-AP Course Description: Through a study of writing, language, and literary analysis, students will become readers who think critically and writers that are as creative as they are technically proficient. The expectation is that students will produce professional products and generate innovative ideas. The student’s commitment to this class is a personal one, based on time constraints, individual skills, expectations and goals. The motivated student will succeed with a great deal of self-discipline and independent learning.
Required Texts: You will need to purchase your own copy of each book so you may annotate directly on the pages. If you cannot purchase these books for your own use, please see me as soon as possible. The Barnes and Noble across from SCHS has been made aware of these titles and should have ample stock.
- Lord of the Flies by William Golding
- Mythology By Edith Hamilton
- Third Text TBD – In an effort to tailor our class reading to our student population, this text is currently being decided upon. You will not need this text until the second semester at the earliest. Ample notice will be given prior to needing the text in class.
Summer Reading: The summer reading assignment and novel is due Wednesday, August 31. One week is sufficient for completing the reading and related assignment in light of most circumstances: new to district, transferring to PAP, willful procrastination, rabid homework eating dogs, etc. The assignment can be found on the district, the campus, and the class websites. My contact email and tutorial times are posted if any extra help or instruction is needed.
Student Expectations:
- Be respectful - no talking over each other, actively listen to fellow student’s ideas, no put-downs
- Be prepared- show up on time to class, come with any needed supplies
- Be ready to learn - come in, put your phones and earbuds away, be ready to work when the bell rings
Consequences for Failure to Meet Expectations:
First Occurrence: Verbal warning to correct behavior
Second Occurrence: Action taken to stop behavior (moving a seat, taking up a phone, etc)
Third Occurrence: Detention or write up, and parent contact
*Students may conference with the teacher at the end of class, or during tutorial times, about any behavior questions. Behavior and/or consequences will not be discussed during instructional time.
Daily Supplies:
-(required) A composition notebook for this class. We will be writing, note taking, and collecting ideas and thoughts in this notebook throughout the year. Students will keep this notebook in the classroom on most days, as to make sure to always have it on hand.
-(required) Students will need to bring a pen (blue or black ink) or a pencil to every class meeting.
-(optional) One yellow, one blue, and one green highlighter
-(optional) Scissors, a ruler, colored pens or pencils, glue stick, etc
Tardies: Any student not in class ready to work when the bell rings will be counted tardy. “Ready to work” is defined as students in their desks with supplies ready. Students running or jumping into the room as the bell rings ARE tardy.
Grades:
Minor: quizzes, rough drafts, timed writings, in-class assignments, participation,homework, notes, warm-ups (45%)
Major: tests, major projects, polished writing (55%)
LATE WORK
For the purposes of this course, late is defined as any time after I have asked for the work. Work may not be turned in at the end of class, during a later class period, or after school. Technical issues are not an exception to this rule, though documented emergencies/circumstances will be reviewed.
Any and all late work will be penalized according to the following scale:
One day late: -15 points
Two days late: - 30 points
Three days + late: no credit
Make-Up Work:One key to success in this class, as well as in other classes, is attendance. However, if an absence is absolutely necessary, it is your responsibility to gather and complete the work you missed. See your attendance clerk, in your alpha office for delivery of absence notes the morning you return from your absence. If you are absent on the due date of a standing assignment (meaning you were here when instructions and due date were given before your absence), the work is due immediately upon your return. If you are absent for a test or quiz, you are responsible for scheduling the make-up test, which will be different than the original. You will receive the number of days missed to complete work.Be mindful of when grading periods end. An “I”/incomplete is the same as ineligible for UIL participation, so some assignments may need to be completed in less time than the number of days the absence allows. It is your responsibility to find out what we did in class on any day that you miss. However, do not ask about make-up work as you come into class, or during whole group instruction. Do ask during independent work time, at the end of class, or during tutorials.
Hall Passes:Trips to the restroom eat up valuable instruction time, so students are asked to use the restroom during the ample 6 minute passing periods. Otherwise, students will be allowed to go to the restroom on a case by case basis, depending on what is happening in class at the time. During full class instruction when students are taking tests/quizzes, while they are taking notes, or during the first or last 10 minutes of class are all times that students MUST be in class. While students are independently working or have completed their assignment is a more appropriate time to ask to use the restroom.
Nurse Visits: Students will be written passes and dismissed as need indicates. Any student with a permanent nurse’s pass (medical issue) will be allowed to leave anytime within the requirements specified by the pass.
Tutorials:Students must schedule tutorials and obtain an AM hall pass in order to access the classroom areas. I am availableMonday through Thursday after school until 4:00pm unless I have a scheduled meeting. Before school tutorials are available by appointment, but are not usually helpful as the time between students being allowed into the building and the first bell does not allow sufficient time to accomplish much.
IM Words Reading Initiative:Independent reading initiative = 60 hours/1 million words. This is in addition to our assigned reading. This translates to reading a 200-250 page book every month. I strongly believe that reading a professionally written text, be it a magazine, novel, or article, improves one’s comprehension, vocabulary, and writing ability. Seeing and experiencing how the professionally written word looks on paper, and sounds in your head, can, and will, subconsciously improve one’s writing ability, given enough devotion.
There will be class time set aside each week for reading a personal text. Students are required to bring appropriate reading material for this time. Appropriate reading material includes, but is not limited to, scholarly magazine articles, books checked out from either the school library or my personal classroom library, graphic novels, manga and other texts that contain written articles. Magazines that contain a majority pictures or limited and fragmented words, e.g. AutoTrader, are not acceptable.
BYOD: Bring your own device (electronic device used for academic purposes)
Students are encouraged to bring an electronic device to use during classroom assignments. Devices may not be used at all times, however. Students are expected to put their devices away upon entering the classroom, and only use them when called for by the assignment, or when given permission by the teacher. Devices in use at inappropriate times, or those being used for non-classroom related activities (IE texting, playing games, etc.) are subject to be taken up and turned in to the office.
Google Classroom:
We will use Google Classroom in this class. I will use it post assignments, notes, announcements, etc. throughout the year. Instructions for signing up to Google Classroom are on my website, but students will be given time in class to sign up and use the service. It is not imperative that a student have access to a computer to be successful in this class.