Classroom Rules and Procedures
Classroom Rules
1. Be respectful.
2. Come to class prepared.
3. Give this class your full
attention during class.
4. Do not bring open food or
drinks into the classroom.
5. Do not touch anything on my
desk or board.
Every day you have a choice to make. If you choose to have a good attitude, participate in class, and do what is asked of you, then you will learn a lot and we can have a lot of fun. However, if you choose not to do what is asked, then you will be subject to the consequences. It is your choice. Here are some of the consequences:
* Being respectful includes sitting in your assigned seat. Students who sit in the wrong seat will be subject to writing assignments and office referrals.
* Food & drinks open in my room will be thrown away.
* Students who are standing around talking when the tardy bell rings will be sent to get a tardy, even though they are in the classroom. Being in the room does not make you on time for class!
* Students who come to class without supplies will be sent to get them and will be required to get a tardy slip before coming back to class.
* Work and books not related to class will be confiscated if you have them out during class.
Classroom Procedures
1. Class materials
You must have your binder (with blank paper), your text book, a pencil and an eraser with you every day when you come to class.
Please do not plan to work in pen or use a spiral notebook. You will lose points. I will NOT give you the correct supplies simply in order to keep you from losing points. You must be responsible and bring these items yourself.
You will need to bring your textbook to class in order to complete classroom assignments.
2. Before the Tardy Bell
Please make sure you are in dress code before you come in. Students who are not in dress code will be referred to the office.
You do not need to ask about bathrooms, lockers, etc. If you can go and be back before the bell, then go. If you're not back, you will be marked tardy. I cannot give you special permission to be tardy. To do so is not fair to the people who made the extra effort to be ready for class to start.
Before you are seated in your assigned seat, turn in your homework in the tray on my desk.
While you are up, sign out a calculator if we are using them and pick up any handouts that are on the table for the day. After you have picked up these items, you need to be seated in your assigned seat. Have your paper ready to go - we will get started right away when the tardy bell rings.
Your backpack should be placed in front of your desk. It is very important that the aisles remain clear so that I can easily assist all students.
Again, please do not bring food or drinks into my class. You WILL be required to throw them away if you have them out during class.
3. Beginning Class
We will begin each class with a bellwork assignment on the board, notes to copy, or a mini quiz from the previous assignment. Mini quizzes and bellwork assignments will be turned in daily. (Mini quizzes are 1-2 question quizzes worth 20 quiz points per question. They are graded for accuracy.)
You will have approximately 5 minutes to complete the assignment, so you must be ready to begin immediately. There is a strict time limit on bellwork.
Please have all your supplies ready. If you need a pencil, you can buy one in the library before the tardy bell for 25 cents. If you are constantly without the proper supplies, I will arrange a conference with you and your parents so they can help you get to class with your supplies.
Used with permission from Randy Glasbergen.
4. Headings
When turning in any work, you are responsible for having a proper heading on your paper. You should write the heading, as shown below, in the upper right corner of your paper. Papers that are turned in without proper heading will lose points.
The proper heading is:
Name, Class Period
Date
Assignment (e.g. "p. 261, #25-45 odd")
5. Classwork
Classwork is to be turned in before you leave the classroom unless I have given the class extra time to finish it that night.
Make sure that you have the proper heading when handing in any work to me. You will lose points if you do not put the heading on your work.
All classwork and homework will be turned in at the tray on my desk as you enter and leave the room.
6. Leaving the Room During Class
During our class time, I will not allow students to leave the room. I guard our class time VERY closely! Please plan to stay in class for the duration of the period. You must participate in class and give math class first priority while class is in session in order to succeed!
Class starts when the bell rings. If you must go to the restroom, you must go before the tardy bell. Do not wait until the bell rings and then say, "Can I go now? I didn't want to be tardy." You will still be required to get a tardy because you will be gone from the class even more time than if you had gone before the bell.
7. Dismissal
At the end of the class period, when the bell rings, you will remain seated until I dismiss you. Please keep all belongings on your desk and continue working until I dismiss you from the class.
Students who do not continue working until the bell will be required to turn in their papers early. If you are not working, you are obviously ready for me to grade your work.
8. Tardies
If you are not ready to begin class when the bell rings, you will be sent to get a tardy.
As stated in the student handbook, three unexcused tardies constitute an unexcused absence. If you need to go to your locker or to the restroom before class, you may do so without my permission as long as you are back in your seat before the tardy bell rings. No exceptions.
Once class begins, if you must leave the room to get textbook, homework, or take care of other business, you must go to the attendance office and get a tardy. You must plan to be in class from bell to bell.
9. Homework
Each of you will be responsible for completing your homework assignments on your own. Copying from others will not be tolerated. If I catch you copying someone's homework, you will both get a zero for that assignment.
In order to prevent last minute copying, your homework must be turned in at the appropriate tray before the bell rings. I will not accept homework after the bell rings unless you are tardy.
Late homework will not be accepted. After the bell rings, homework is considered late. No excuses, no exceptions.
It is not unusual for students to miss several assignments and then ask for a special deal at the end of the 9-weeks in order to pull up a sagging grade. Please be aware that I do not make special deals. You must do your homework on time in order for it to benefit your education or your grade.
Used with permission from Randy Glasbergen.
10. Tests & Quizzes
Test security is very important. If I cannot evaluate students' learning, I cannot effectively do my job. You've heard it before, but I need to know what you know, not what your neighbor knows. For this reason, you may not communicate with anyone in the room from the time the tests are passed out until I give the class permission to talk after the last test is taken up.
When you turn your test in, you may read or do other homework, but you must not communicate in any way (verbally, with gestures, or by writing) with other students. If you do not have something to keep you busy after the test, you can either put your head down on your desk, or I will provide you with something to do.
In addition, please do not ask for help during the test. I cannot tell you if your work is correct, and I cannot give you hints. On test days, I want you to tell me what YOU know. Please do not ask for help of any kind unless the directions are unclear.
When your test is turned in, please return to your seat. Students may not leave the room, even when testing is complete. Just as on other days, please plan to stay once class begins.
11. Use of Calculators
If you do not own a calculator, you may check one out to be used during class. Calculators must be checked out before the tardy bell. Please take care of these because they cost a lot of money, and we want to make sure we always have enough for every class.
We will not use calculators on every assignment or on every test. Using a calculator on a class assignment, quiz, or test without permission constitutes cheating.
12. Keeping up with Your Grade
I post all grades daily on Parent Connect. The server updates every night. I highly recommend that you register for this feature. This will show you all the grades for the nine-weeks and your overall average.
Due to time constraints during class, I will not show you your average during class. You can see your average on your progress report or you can see me in the morning before classes start.
13. Extra Help
I will be more than happy to help you outside of class if you are paying attention in class and doing what you are supposed to do in class. However, I will not reteach you what was covered in class. It is your responsibility to listen and ask questions during class.
If you want extra help outside class, then you must come prepared with specific questions about the topics you are having trouble with. You will find that I am extremely interested in helping you succeed in math. I want you to understand it and enjoy it, but I am not at all interested in doing your work for you or holding tutoring sessions for students who are not attempting to learn during class.
I am available before school from 7:50 until 8:15. I can also meet with you during first lunch and between the 3:30 and 3:45 bells. I can even stay a few extra minutes after school if you let me know you are staying.
You do not need to let me know in advance if you are coming in the mornings or during fourth lunch, but please let me know in advance if you will be staying after school, and please bring all your class materials with you when you come for extra help. (This includes your binder, textbook, pencil, eraser, and the assignment you are getting help with.)
14. Extra Credit
I am old fashioned, and I believe that your grade should accurately reflect your learning in my class. I think excessive extra credit and extra credit that involves no math learning (e.g. points for bringing in various items) undermine this goal. However, there are a few extra credit opportunities in my classes. Because they are EXTRA credit, they involve an EXTRA amount of work, or work that goes beyond what was covered in class. (Otherwise, they couldn't be "extra.")
Extra credit assignments will be given to the entire class periodically. (approximately once per nine-weeks, usually as bonus problems on tests) However, do not ask for an extra credit assignment alone. I will only issue whole-class extra credit assignments. There will be no individual extra-credit assignments.
Thanks for your cooperation with these policies.