1) The
usual school rules apply,
folks. That means no hats
of any kind, no music devices,
no
cellphones. If they appear in class, they’re mine. 1st
Offense:
gone three days Again:
end of the year
2) You
are to speak appropriately at all times. There is no profanity,
ever.
This
includes any negatively-connotated references towards race,
*sexuality*, national origin, sex, or religion. 1st Offense:
extra-work will be assigned 2nd Offense:
you’re after-school AND getting a call home 3rd Offense /
Subsequent:
out you go
3) There
is no food or drink
permitted in class, except water. There will be
a special ceremony involving the trash-can for rule breakers.
(Exceptions may be made, and announced ahead of time by me, for special
occasions.)
4) During
class discussion, raise your hand if you wish to add something.
DO NOT speak while a classmate is speaking.
DO NOT
interrupt me when I
am addressing the class. I consider such actions extremely
disrespectful and address them
harshly.
5) Treat
the classroom respectfully. DO NOT touch items on my desk. If you
need something, hole-punch, stapler, etc., ask me OR check our
“supply table.” DO NOT write on the desks, or you
will stay
after to clean ALL of them.
6) There
is no talking when a movie is being shown in class. There’s
no reason for chit-chat, you’ve got a movie response sheet to
fill
out
while we go and
so you
need to pay attention. If you can’t handle
that, you will leave, and take a zero for the day.
7)
Respect my personal space. Do not “break the
bubble.”
8) Do
not, at any time, put your head down on your desk. Doing so will
only make you want to take a nap. If you fall asleep in class, I will
wake you up,
and you
will be asked to leave.
9)
Lastly, on to passes - I rarely give them. Make time for the
bathroom, water fountain, etc.
And there
are
no passes to guidance – they send for you.
Prepping for Class:
1) Be Prepared: Bring the book
(or packet) we are working on,
class materials, and all assignments. Or, you’ll fail.
2)
Absences: A note must
follow every absence. No note = cut, two cuts =
failure. Any work due while you were out is due the first day
you’re back,
no
exceptions. Additionally, YOU are responsible for
finding out what you missed. Hence, the buddy system.
3)
Tardiness: If you
arrive after the bell, take your assigned seat and
join in the class. At the end of class, talk to me about why you were
late, and
present
passes / notes at that time. REMEMBER – three
tardies will be counted as an absence you can’t appeal.
4)
Homework: Do your own.
Do not copy. Do not let others copy. I ALWAYS
find duplicate homework assignments. Both students receive an
“F” for the
assignment, AND get a call home. I
don’t
care who did the copying, and who was copied.
(See my "Homework" link on the main page for more info.)
Special Circumstances:
1) Sharing your stuff in class
is hard. Consider the words of Robert E.
Lee, “To be a good commander, you must send the thing you
love to
death.”
And to be
a good student, and become a good writer, you
must occasionally take your fear in hand, and give the rest of us a
chance to offer you some help
and
suggestions. When you share, or
listen to someone else sharing, please be confident that they will be
respectful, kind listeners. They will.
2) At
some point, I will be absent, and you
will have a substitute.
You’ll know what to do, because I will leave detailed
directions
with the sub.
You’ll do your work, hand it in, and respect the
substitute. Them’s the rules. Don’t
let me down.
3) We
will make a few trips to the Media
Center
this year. The rules there
are simple, but inflexible. Absolutely no food or drink, including
water.
The
computers are only to be used for our class-work, no e-mail,
no MySpace, no shoe / music / clothing / sports sites. You must talk
quietly.
If you
act differently, I’ll be embarrassed, and there
will be serious consequences later.
4)
Another chance to embarrass me, to your detriment, will be when we have
a guest speaker. Guest speakers are to be treated with the same respect
as me,
and even
with an added
touch of decorum. Or your family will be called in
to apologize to the speaker on your behalf.
Behavior Modification:
1)
Detention is to be served on the day given or the next day. Failure to
show up means you get an automatic administrative detention.
You’ll serve your time for an hour and a half, or until 3:30,
which is when the late-bus arrives.
2) If you
break a class rule more than once in a period, I may ask you to
step into the hallway for a moment to “chat.” It
may take
me a moment to get
out
there, and while you are waiting, you are
expected to stand quietly
and
consider why I’m asking to see you.
For you to keep in mind...
Learning is not compulsory... neither is survival.
- W. Edwards Deming
Have
a great year! No, I really mean it!
Questions? Comments? Email
Ms.
Tobin, by clicking the button:
Everyday Classroom Behavior:
Prepping for Class:
Special Circumstances:
Behavior Modification:
For you to keep in mind...
