When chalk bites the dust
November 2014 Newsflash
Clarification about my "unwritten" homework policy
Clarification:
- Students are not forced to stay. If a student doesn't have their homework completed or it it wasn't up to standards they are told they should come after school to do it in the art room in front of me.
- Students are told to take out phones in class and make arrangements right then and there for after school rides or to get notification to parents.
The primary benefit: they can earn up to 90% credit back on the assignment.
The downside (of which I am aware): it's incredibly inconvenient for some ride situations.
I've never had to actually put this in writing before -- it's been a privilege, not a right -- and it's always been supported with no questions asked, but it appears some students may not be conveying the entire message to their households...
Click the button below to be redirected to my "unwritten" homework policy in which I lay out
- the policy
- the logistics of it
- why it is the way it is
- the purpose
- and its "inflexible" nature
The long and short of it?
We both want your kid to be successful and have the skills he/she needs to do well. We are on the same side! I promise. There is a method to the madness. I am not the scary mean witch I am made out to be sometimes!
The Crucible by Arthur Miller
Paper guidelines are officially posted
One of the reasons we've been crawling at a snail's pace through The Crucible is because comprehension will impact a student's ability to analyze the material. The first major writing assignment we will do together was posted on the class portal pages on November 13. It can also be viewed by clicking the button below.
The guidelines are strict. My expectations are high. That doesn't mean that they are unreasonable. The number one problem I am seeing with the sophomore class, as a whole, is they struggle to follow written and verbal directions to a "T".
Being that this is a standard college preparatory class, the guidelines, resources, and help will be available to them so they can perform well.
The best way parents can help is to remind their kids to constantly check the work they have been working on against the guidelines and the resources posted on the class portal (like how to format an MLA paper, citation, and works cited page). As we cover a topic, I will post a resource for the kids to consult when outside of class.
Parents, please do not help by over-proofreading. Sometimes when this occurs, it takes away from the writer's "voice" and that's when teachers get suspicious of plagiarism and all those nasty topics. Please allow your kids to struggle through the process. I'm sure it's scary, especially with all the pressure out there to "get the A", but it's the only way they will learn how to do it themselves.
Students need to learn these skills to be successful at the college level:
- How to read and evaluate a complex text
- How to think critically about the text and make connections
- How to express themselves clearly, specifically, and concisely
- How to construct an argument and support it with solid evidence