Mr. Martin Spoerlein

MSN Sixth Grade Teacher

Science

Classroom Expectations

Procedures

Conventions

Behavior    

          As the teacher, I feel a compelling responsibility to provide a safe and effective learning environment for all students.  To achieve this end, I expect students to behave appropriately by following the established rules and procedures of the classroom and school.  Additionally, I require every student to respect other people and their property. 

       I believe each person is responsible for his or her behavior. 

If a student makes inappropriate choices, there will be consequences for those choices.  For minor infractions, there will be a reminder and a warning before a detention is issued.   For more serious offenses, detentions may be issued without warning.  Please refer to the student handbook for a more detailed listing of school discipline procedures.

Classroom Rules

1.    Follow the directions the FIRST time given.

2.    RAISE your hand and WAIT to be called upon BEFORE speaking. 

3.    Keep HANDS, FEET and OBJECTS to yourself.

4.    Remain seated.

5.    No put-downs.

Consequences

1.    Reminder

2.    Warning

3.    Detention

* Severe behavior: Removal to Vice Principal’s office

      Essentially, the number one component of your child’s success in middle school is being organized!  Your son or daughter will be traveling from room to room and living out of a locker.  To aid all students’ organization at the middle school, we require students to write down assignments and use a 3-ring binder.  We have found these to be extremely beneficial organizational tools for all of our students.  At the start of the school year, it would be best for you to verify that your child is writing down assignments and has a check off procedure for completed work (this completed work should be placed in the binder within the proper subject section).  Once the habit is firmly established, a once-a-week inspection should suffice to keep your child on track.

          Your child should have something written down for each subject even if no assignment was given (e.g. “none” coupled with something learned that day).  This way, your son or daughter will definitively know that no assignment was given as opposed to just forgetting to write it down.  In my math and science classes, there should always be something to do each day, even if it’s just a reminder to study for an upcoming quiz or test.  A completed assignment sheet is the first step toward being successfully organized.

           Your child’s binder should include dividers for each subject.  All papers for a particular subject should be properly placed in the corresponding subject section. 

NO papers should ever be loose or just “crammed” into the binder. 

All papers will be hole-punched and should be placed in the rings so they won’t get lost or misplaced.  Please make certain that your child keeps his or her binder organized and neat. You should check this on a weekly basis throughout the year just to help your child stay organized.   

          As we finish units of study, I will have students clean out the subject section of their binders during class.  At this time, if students want to keep any papers, they may.  However, I do ask that they keep these old papers at home so their binders don’t become too bulky and unmanageable.

      If a student loses school materials, there is a natural consequence: the materials must be replaced or the student must do without.  Lost text books must be paid for and then a new one will be issued.  If a student loses a handout or assignment, the student also needs to replace these items in some way.

To replace these lost items, students may choose one of the following options:

          1) borrow a friend’s copy and copy the information for themselves,  

          2) borrow a copy from me and copy it by hand, or  

          3) purchase a new copy (money given to school). 

The choice is the student’s to make.

          I regard this as a responsibility issue.  If your child lost a toy or a CD, you could not go back to the store and request a free replacement.  The same principle applies here.  There are natural consequences for not taking care of your things; you either replace them or do without.  This policy is employed to discourage carelessness and encourage responsibility, while still providing opportunities for students to continue the learning process.

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Procedures

• CLASS PERIOD

Ø   Class begins when the BELL RINGS

§       Be seated

§       Be silent

§       Be working

• DISMISSAL

Ø   The TEACHER dismisses class, not the bell

§       When instructed, pack up materials

§       Clean up and straighten desk area

§       WAIT to be dismissed by teacher

§       Stand up, PUSH in chair, WALK to the door

• COME TO CLASS PREPARED

Ø   Students must have with them for each class

·       Binder

·       Books (covered)

·       Assignments

·       Blue or black pens

·       Red pens for grading

·       Pencils

·       Paper

·       3 colored pencils

Ø   Students are NOT allowed to go to their lockers to retrieve forgotten items

• LATE WORK

Ø   Assignments are due the next class meeting unless another due date is specifically given

Ø   Two or more incomplete items on an assignment will be considered a late assignment

Ø   Assignment must be in hand and ready when requested for grading or the assignment is considered late

§       Class will not be made to wait for disorganized or unprepared students

§       Keep papers organized for easy retrieval so you don’t lose credit

Ø   Partial credit earned for late work (70% 1^st semester; 60% 2^nd semester)

Ø   Any assignment still incomplete after 2 school weeks will receive a final grade of “0” for that assignment.

• MISSING WORK  

Ø   Receives no credit until assignment is completed (grade = “0”).

Ø   Any assignment still incomplete after 2 school weeks will receive a final grade of “0” for that assignment.

• IF ABSENT:

Ø   Assignments given on a day when a student is:

§       Present is due the day the student returns

§       Absent is due within 2 days upon their return

§       On vacation while school is in session, only 1 day for each day missed

Ø   Student’s responsibility to find out what was missed from the Absent Folders and to pick up any handouts from the Absent Folders

Ø   Missed labs: 

§       Lab materials will be available for ONE WEEK ONLY.

§       Students must make up labs immediately upon their return. 

§       Please make arrangements to come in during homeroom or before school

        (6:45 AM).  These two lab make up times are available every day. 

        After school on Mondays and Wednesdays.

§       After one week, student must supply own materials.

§       We don’t have the space to leave labs set up for extended periods of time. 

• BAND & ORCHESTRA STUDENTS MUST:

Student MUST

Ø   Turn in assignment BEFORE going to lessons (or assignment is late)

Ø   Find out the assignment BEFORE going to lessons (or assignment is late)

Ø   Stay in class for testing and labs (may go to lesson when finished)

• LOST OR MISPLACED ITEMS

Ø   Students are responsible for lost, misplaced or stolen items and must replace them      by either:

§       Purchasing new item (book or handouts)

§       Photocopying a friend’s blank copy (handouts)

§       Hand writing your own copy (handouts)

• CHEATING

Ø   Cheating is a serious offense, makes for a poor character trait, and will not be tolerated.

Ø   Incidents of cheating will result in a detention.

Ø   Incidents of cheating include, but are not limited to:

§       Grading improperly for an improved score

§       Reporting an inflated score

§       Copying another student’s/person’s work

• TESTING SITUATIONS

Ø   NO COMMUNICATION OR INTERACTING with anyone during testing situations is allowed for any reason.

§       Penalty of 10 % off your score (1 letter grade) if you are observed communicating with someone else for ANY reason.

Ø   Always bring something to read or do if you finish testing early.

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Conventions

HEADINGS   (in upper right hand corner)

Ø   Full Name  (First and last name on ONE line)

Ø   Date

Ø   Class and Period

Ø   Assignment

§       page number

§       parts assigned

                                                  Example:           Anita Brain

                                                                        Sept. 5, 2001

                                                                        Science 4

                                                                        p. 27, # 1-21 odd

• ASSIGNMENTS MUST BE

Ø   Completed in BLUE or BLACK INK, or PENCIL

§       No multi-colored pens allowed

§       MATH assignments must be completed in PENCIL only

Ø   NEAT and easily legible, high quality work

Ø   If typed:

§       use size 14 standard font, and

§       double space

KISS GRADING METHOD  (Keep It Simple)

        1. Grade in RED PEN only.

        2. Write-in CORRECT ANSWER.

        3. Write POINTS MISSED to the left of the problem number.

        4. Write PAGE POINTS MISSED in the bottom corner of page.

        5. Write POINTS CORRECT next to the heading and circle it.

        6. NEVER mark correct answers in any way.

                (e.g. smiley faces, stars, checks, “+”s, “C”s, OK, etc.)

• SPELLING

Correct spelling is expected of 6^th grade students.   

½ point deducted for incorrectly spelled:

· “no-excuse” words, and

·  words within the text document.

Students develop into good spellers by:

· being aware and accountable for correct spelling, and

· copying the word correctly every time when used 

In most instances, the word is right in the document and just needs to be copied.  The awareness becomes habit.

• COMPLETE SENTENCES

Complete sentences are expected from 6^th grade students.

1 point deducted for incomplete sentences.

A complete sentence will:

·  be legible and express a complete thought

·  have correct capitalization

o  First word of the sentence

o  Proper nouns

o  NO random capitalization

·  name the subject (NO pronouns: “it”, “this”, “there”, “yes/no, because”, etc. are NOT allowed—be clear, concise and direct; leave no room for misinterpretation)

·  have subject and verb agreement (plural with plural; singular with singular)

·  have proper punctuation

• GRADING QUESTIONS

Ø   Students that have a question about a graded paper will:

§       Write a brief note about the item(s) in question (preferably on a post-it note).  In the note, be certain to:

ü   Identify the SPECIFIC item(s) you would like reviewed.

ü   Reason why you would like it reviewed.

§       Give the entire assignment along with the note to the teacher.

Ø   The teacher will review the item(s) in question and get back to the student with a decision on the item(s) questioned.

Ø   Students have the option of requesting a pass to come in during homeroom to check assignment grading accuracy.

Ø   This system is in place so we don’t waste valuable class time with individual issues.

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