TURNED-IN AT THE END OF THE WEEK/UNIT

*WARM-UPS

            S.I. BLOCK AND SPANISH ONE STUDENTS MUST TURNED IN THE DAILY WARM-UPS ON THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL OF THAT WEEK.  THIS IS WORTH 25 POINTS (FIVE POINTS PER DAY)AND STUDENTS AUTOMATICALLY EARN POINTS FOR ANY DAY IN WHICH THERE WAS NO SCHOOL.

GRADED AS “HOME/CLASSWORK.”

*INTERACTIVE STUDENT NOTEBOOKS

    THESE ARE COLLECTED AT THE END OF A UNIT, OR AROUND EVERY TWO WEEKS, DEPENDING ON HOW MANY PAGES HAVE BEEN WORKED ON.  THEY ARE USUALLY WORTH FIVE POINTS EACH PAGE. GRADED AS “NOTEBOOKS.”

*PROGRESS REPORTS

    P.R. ARE SENT HOME WITH THE STUDENT AT THE END OF THE WEEK AND ARE DUE THE FOLLOWING MONDAY (OR AFTER THE WEEKEND).  A PARENT/GUARDIAN SIGNATURE IS REQUIRED FOR A GRADE.

*CURRENT EVENTS - BLOCK ONLY

    ON FRIDAYS, STUDENTS WRITE A SUMMARY IN SPANISH ON AN ARTICLE RELATED TO CURRENT EVENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY, NATION, OR THE WORLD.  I PROVIDE EITHER SPANISH OR ENGLISH NEWSPAPERS.  THE ARTICLES MUST BE ON RELEVANT NEWS, AND NOT ON SPORTS, MOVIES, COMMERCIALS, OR SIMILAR IRRELEVANT MATERIAL.  GRADES AS “HOME/CLASSWORK.”

*BOOK REPORT - BLOCK ONLY

    ON FRIDAY, BEFORE CURRENT EVENTS, TWO STUDENTS GIVE A BOOK PRESENTATION IN CLASS IN SPANISH.  EVERYONE RECEIVES A GRADE FOR PRESENTING AND/OR FOR PAYING ATTENTION, BEING RESPECTFUL, ETC. (AS AN AUDIENCE MEMBER).  THE STUDENTS TO PRESENT ARE SELECTED THE WEEK BEFORE.  GRADES AS “PARTICIPATION.”

LIGHT SWITCH SYSTEM

    TO GET STUDENTS’ ATTENTION, I WILL FLIP THE LIGHTS ON AND OFF AND WALK TO THE FRONT OF THE CLASSROOM.  THIS IS A VISUAL CUE FOR STUDENTS TO ABSOLUTELY STOP WHAT THEY ARE DOING AND FOCUS THEIR ATTENTION ON ME.  THIS IS “MY TIME” AND I WILL TRY NOT TO LECTURE FOR MORE THAN FIVE MINUTES.  DURING THIS TIME I WILL NOT TAKE QUESTIONS. QUESTIONS WILL BE ENTERTAINED AFTER “MY TIME.”

 

BEHAVIORAL WARNINGS

    THE LIGHT SWITCH SYSTEM IF FOLLOWED BY MY BEHAVIORAL WARNINGS.  DURING “MY TIME” STUDENTS ARE EXPECTED TO BE QUIET, FACING THE TEACHER, AND NOT LOOK AT OTHERS... IF A STUDENT FAILS TO DO THIS, HE/SHE WILL GET A “WARNING.”  THE SLIGHTEST DISTRACTION WILL YIELD A WARNING.  IF THE STUDENT TURNS AROUND, WHISPERS, PICKS-UP A PENCIL, GETS UP TO THROW SOMETHING IN THE TRASH, ETC., WILL GET HIM/HER A WARNING.  THE WARNINGS ALLOWED THE STUDENT TO FIX THE BEHAVIOR AND PREVENT GETTING A THIRD STRIKE.  THE THIRD WARNING WILL SEND THE STUDENT TO “TIME-OUT.”

 

TIME-OUT

    THERE IS A SECTION IN THE CLASSROOM DESIGNATED AS THE TIME-OUT CORNER.  A STUDENT RECEIVES A TIME-OUT ONLY WHEN THE PREVIOUS TWO WARNINGS DID NOT HELP HIM/HER MODIFY HIS/HER BEHAVIOR.  WHILE SEATING AT THE TIME-OUT CHAIR, THE STUDENT’S RESPONSIBILITY IS TO FACE THE WALL AND NOT PARTICIPATE IN ANY ACTIVITY OR CLASS BREAK.  BEING IN TIME-OUT IS THE LAST RESORT BEFORE A STUDENT IS SENT TO THE OFFICE.  A STUDENT WILL BE SENT TO THE OFFICE FROM TIME-OUT ONLY IF DURING THIS PERIOD HE/SHE FAILS TO FOLLOW THE PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED RESPONSIBILITIES.  TIME-OUTS ARE INTENTIONALLY DESIGNED TO BE EMBARRASSING AND TO ISOLATE THE STUDENT FROM PEERS. HOWEVER, THE STUDENT STILL REMAINS IN THE CLASSROOM TO HEAR THE LESSON AND ALLOW THE TEACHER TO KEEP AN EYE ON HIM/HER.

 

INTERACTIVE STUDENT NOTEBOOK

    ALL STUDENTS MUST HAVE A SPIRAL NOTEBOOK.  MOST OF OUR WORK WILL BE DONE IN THE NOTEBOOKS, WHICH HAVE “RIGHT” AND “LEFT” SIDE ACTIVITIES CORRESPONDING TO THE NAMESAKE PARTS OF THE BRAIN.  THE NOTEBOOKS ARE COLLECTED USUALLY AT THE END OF THE UNIT BEING TAUGHT AND GRADED.

 

GRADING CATEGORIES AND SCALE

    A STUDENT’S GRADE IS BASED ON FOUR MAIN CATEGORIES:                   

 

50% PARTICIPATION (INCLUDING GROUP WORK, PRESENTATIONS, AND BEING ON TASK).       

 25% INTERACTIVE STUDENT NOTEBOOK.                                               

 20% HOMEWORK/CLASSWORK (INCLUDING WORK DONE IN CLASS).                             

 05% TESTS      

“A+”  100%

“A”    93%     NOTE: a 90% does NOT equal an “A.”

“B”    83%

“C”    73%

“D”    60%

“F”     0%