Mrs. Wilson’s Classroom Procedures

1. Mrs. Wilson’s Classroom Procedures

2. Bell work / journals • Leave your journal in the designated receptacle. • As soon as you get to class • take out your journal • respond to the prompt on the overhead or whiteboard • Five to ten minutes at the beginning of each class (no scrambling to make up the entries when journals are due!) • Unless Mrs. Wilson warns you in advance, she will not read your entries • she does occasionally assign reading comprehension, prediction, and analysis prompts, and these she will read or ask you to share in class in order to assess your understanding • She does skim all of the entries, though, so be sure to keep your entries school appropriate. If there is an entry you would like her to read, put a star at the top of the entry. • Your spelling, grammar, and “correctness” will not count for or against your grade.

3. Dismissal from class • The bell does not dismiss you—Mrs. Wilson does! • Students who leave class before they are dismissed will receive a referral for skipping. • You will not be released to leave until all chairs are pushed in, supplies are put away, and desk areas are garbage-free.

4. Turning in work/collecting work • Turn in work to the bin with your class period and the word “in” on it, unless you are instructed otherwise. • Collect work from the bin with your class period and the word “out” on it. • Graded work will be handed out by students when they have finished an assignment and need something to do. Mrs. Wilson will not waste precious instructional time distributing papers unless it constitutes part of the next class activity.

5. Getting make-up work • Check the agenda for the assignments given on the day(s) you missed (posted in class, on the website, etc.). • Check the Make-up bin for any paper handouts that were distributed. • Ask someone in the class for any notes or other information you missed. • Mrs. Wilson’s rule is as follows: “Ask three, then me.” If you have asked your questions of three classmates and you still don’t understand, Mrs. Wilson will be happy to meet with you before/after class or before/after school to help you figure out the assignments. • DO NOT ASK MRS. WILSON FOR YOUR MAKE-UP WORK.

6. Tests and quizzes • Noise during test and quizzes will not be tolerated. A grade of zero (0) will be assigned. • After-test procedures • NO TALKING OR WRITING. Read a book or put your head down and have a nap. • Make-up tests/quizzes: • will be given IF your absence is excused. • may or may not be the same format test/quiz the rest of the students took, but it WILL be worth the same points • DO NOT ASK MRS. WILSON WHEN YOU CAN COME IN TO MAKE UP THE TEST/QUIZ. Approach her with a date and time in mind and work from there.

7. Academic Dishonesty • Cheatingwill not be tolerated. A grade of zero (0) will be assigned, and the assignment/paper/test/quiz cannot be made up. • Plagiarism occurs when you present unoriginal work as your own. “Unoriginal Work” can be any of the following: • 1. Something you copied and pasted without citing the original source • 2. Something you copied and pasted and then changed every 3rdword, trying to pass it off as a paraphrasing (with or without citing the source) • 3. Turning in a paper you submitted for another class • 4. Turning in a paper someone else submitted for another class • 5. Neglecting to cite any idea or phrase that you did not come up with on your own

8. Dealing with Academic dishonesty • On the first offense, I will try to help you rectify the problem (if you do not make the necessary changes, however, you will receive a zero). • After the first offense, it’s not an accident. You will receive a zero and a referral that will become part of your permanent record.

9. SSR (Sustained Silent Reading) Days • Bring a book on scheduled SSR days. • Reading materials for SSR must be of literary merit. Catalogs and some magazines are not acceptable. • If you choose to do some other activity during SSR (including but not limited to: sleeping, drawing/coloring, writing, talking, or daydreaming), you will lose participation credit for the day.

10. Classroom discussion • Talking is a useful form of communication. Please use it when appropriate. • Appropriate times for talking: during classroom discussions, during group work, Think-Pair-Shares (TPS), Collaborative Pairs (CPs), etc. • Inappropriate times for talking: during reading time, during lectures when Mrs. Wilson is talking, during group presentations, during tests and quizzes, when someone is asking or responding to a question

11. Writing workshops • On writing workshop days, come to class with the assigned draft completed. • While work-shopping each other’s papers, be as specific and helpful as possible. • Reading and talking do NOT go hand-in-hand, so talking during writing workshops should only be done when absolutely necessary.

12. Using art supplies • Using the classroom art supplies is a privilege that will be revoked if the supplies are misused or treated irresponsibly. • Put supplies back into appropriate containers after use.

13. Restroom passes • You will be permitted to use the restroom three times per quarter (or more, with a doctor’s note). • Any time you leave the class of your own volition (if you are called to the office, student services, or another teacher’s classroom, you will not be penalized), you forfeit a bathroom pass. These instances include but are not limited to: • Passes to the bathroom, the water fountain, or your locker • Passes to another teacher • Passes to the front office or student services

14. Fire drills and Bomb threats • Most important: STAY WITH TEACHER. • Attendance is a legal document. Mrs. Wilson has to take roll to account for your presence and to make sure you are not still in the building being burnt to a cinder or picking bomb shrapnel out of your head. • Any student for whom Mrs. Wilson cannot account once everyone is outside will be written a referral for skipping.

15. Lock down • Mrs. Wilson will give instructions. Do not take instructions from ANYONE else (including and especially the loudspeaker or anyone standing outside the door who does not have a key to the classroom). • Remain calm and silent until a police officer or a law enforcement officer or an Administrator unlocks the door, enters the room, and gives the “all-clear.” • Student responsibilities • Emergency crew—any volunteers?

16. Tardies • Tardiness is a sign of disrespect for my classroom and for me. Mrs. Wilson frowns HARSHLY on tardiness. Look at the frown. >:o( • You MUST have a pass to be admitted to class (tardy table, a teacher, or student services) • Consequences for tardiness are delineated in your syllabus and your student handbook

17. Paper headings: In UPPER LEFT CORNER of your paper, write: Name Teacher Class Date

18. Group work • Each group member is expected to pull his/her weight. Members who do not contribute do not earn points. There are no “visual aid holders” in this classroom. • Work as quietly as possible: speak only when necessary, and use indoor voices • If you were absent when groups were assigned, you may NOT join a group that has already begun its project (SO DON’T ASK THEM OR MRS. WILSON!): that’s not fair to them. You will either work with another student who was also absent the day the project was assigned, or you will work alone on a project tailored for one person.

19. Teacher’s desk • There are often confidential items on Mrs. Wilson’s desk; therefore, EVERYTHING on her desk is off limits to students. • If you need to use a stapler, sharpen your pencil, or borrow supplies, please utilize the items on the white shelf at the back of the room.

20. Food and drinks in class • A BOTTLE WITH A SCREW-ON LID IS THE ONLY DRINK PERMITTED IN CLASS. Any other beverages must be finished outside of class, and tardiness due to finishing a beverage outside of class will NOT be excused.

21. Electronic Devices • Any electronic devices (cell phones, cameras, MP3 players, iPods, CD players, etc.) in use during “Rock Off” will be confiscated and destroyed!!! Well, maybe not destroyed… but definitely confiscated. • Electronics may be claimed by you (for 1st offense) or by your parents(2nd offense) from the main office. • Backpacks must be kept on the floor, under your chair, at all times. • Just… don’t.

22. Media center • Stay with the class • No talking, whether in the hallways, sidewalks, or breezeways on the way to the media center, or in the media center. • Follow media rules for web use. If any member of the media staff wants to give you a referral for violating the rules, Mrs. Wilson will be more than happy to furnish them with your information.

23. Participation credit • Participation credit is a combination of • An attendance grade (10 points per day present, 5 points per day tardy, 0 points per unexcused absence, 10 points per excused absence) • A positive participation grade (10 points per day present in class and participating positively, losing points per instance of negative participation) • Various assignments completed in class for a participation grade • Journals • Participation is worth a percentage of your total grade, so good attendance and participation are key to achieving a high grade in English class!

24. Checking out books • To check out a textbook • Look in the inside back cover of the textbook for the number written in black marker near the barcode. • Give this number and your student number to Mrs. Wilson • When you bring the book back, let Mrs. Wilson know so she can mark you off the check-out list. Otherwise, she won’t know you’ve returned it, and she’ll submit your name to the bookkeeper at the end of the year, and it’ll just be a big mess with which you really don’t want to get entangled. • You will be financially responsible for any lost, stolen, damaged, or unreturned books, and you won’t get your diploma until these items are paid for or returned.

25. Checking out books, cont’d • To check out one of Mrs. Wilson’s books • Get your index card from the gray box on the bookshelf. • Write down the following information on the card: • The book title • The date you checked it out • When you return the book, write down the date it was returned. Otherwise, Mrs. Wilson will think you still have her book.

26. Checking grades • Do not ask Mrs. Wilson for your grade or for a list of missing assignments. You are perfectly capable of accessing the very sameinformation yourself, whether at home or in the media center. • Use eSembler. https://grades.pasco.k12.fl.us • There is a tutorial on eSembler to show you how to use it, and the media staff is also willing to help you in the media center.

27. Any Questions, comments, or concerns?