Ms. Pohan's Classroom Rules (Because it does...)

Ms. Pohan, Semester 1, 2009-'10

9th Grade/Freshman English
10th Grade/Sophomore English
Drama and Cinema
Holocaust Literature
Advanced Literature


GUIDELINES FOR A PRODUCTIVE CLASSROOM AND A PRODUCTIVE YOU:

- Gum is allowed, unless it becomes a distraction. No handing out of gum is to be done in class. When you speak, gum should be hidden in mouth. If gum becomes an issue, privileges for class are revoked for ‘a while’. No other food or drink is allowed.
- Come to class on time and prepared for maximum learning, which means: use bathroom before class (if bell is about to ring, drop off stuff in class first); have writing utensils, notebooks, computer, charger, and any and all required books and/or handouts with you. Be ready to heed my verbal cues – when I say “quiet” and/or “sit down”, so you will do!
- Listen when others are talking. This is essential.
- Computers are for learning! Yay! You will not play games on the computer – or IM, or browse craigslist or google images, etc. – during class time. Period. How will you even find the time, what with all the fun we will be having and learning we will be doing? I want you to focus. I want you to always be working to improve on what you have done before moving on to the next assignment or to anything else. Let me know when you are out of things to do, and I will find something.
- Plug in your minds, not your ears. I will designate certain days as “Music Friendly,” but for the most part, I do not allow music (ipod, itunes) during work time. Your brains need to be as close to 100% focused on the task at hand as possible. All of your senses must be in tune with the classroom. You’ll adjust, I promise, and probably get more – and better – work done in the process.
- When in Rome… As students of CAM, you are expected to act in accordance with the guidelines in the student handbook. This covers everything from cell phones to student conduct to dress code to plagiarism. A note on plagiarism: plagiarism comes in many shapes and size. Put simply, plagiarism is any time you use someone else’s words without explicitly giving him/her credit. It may be a cliché, but the truth is it really only hurts you. Allow yourself the opportunity to grow as a thinker, a writer, and a generator of original ideas. Take risks by being original, not by selling yourself short.
- Make mistakes! Making mistakes is not always a mistake, as long as you own up to and learn from them.
- MY DOOR IS ALWAYS OPEN TO YOU. ALWAYS.

ON LATE ASSIGNMENTS:

- I take off one full letter grade for each CALENDAR DAY (not just each day on which class occurs) the assignment is late. The weekend counts as one day. All assignments must be turned in (in person or internet time-stamped) by the start of class. If the assignment is not in by 8:30 am the following morning, it is 1 day late. If it is not in by 8:30 am the morning after that, it is 2 days late, and so on. Assignments more than 3 days late will be entered as zeros. NOTE: your grade is lowered from the grade earned. For example, if your work earns you a C, but it is one day late, your grade is already a D.
- “No computer” is no excuse! If your computer malfunctions, or you left it in someone else’s car, and then the car spontaneously combusted, and all other available computers within a one mile radius spontaneously combusted, etc, - and unless both of your hands are broken, and all the paper in your town spontaneously combusted, etc. – I will accept ALL short-term assignments hand-written. We will address these issues with long-term assignments as they come up. However, since you are expected to begin longer assignments at least 2-3 days before it is due, having the assignment done on time is still, ultimately, your responsibility. This is not just about grades; this is about character.
- Out sick? Not out of luck. Get phone numbers and/or emails of kids in your class. Find out what the assignment is. The morning you are back in school, come see me to find out what you missed and to let me know when and how you plan to catch up. Being sick is lousy, but falling behind in school is lousier, and failing because you weren’t responsible about it is lousiest. You can email me, too!
- TALK TO ME. If you are working hard but having difficulty managing a particular assignment, come talk to me. If there is something going on in your life outside of school that is preventing you from getting your work done to the best of your ability, come talk to me. If you have a huge science test the same day I have a big paper assigned, come talk to me. While I do not make a habit of bending the rules, adjustments may be made under the right circumstances; you just have to come talk to me about it in a timely fashion.

DISCLAIMERS:

- All rules and curricula are subject to change. I am a new teacher. I am going to make mistakes, I am going to have to adjust my game plans to fluctuating realities, and we are all going to have to roll with the punches. I will make it my mission to be sure this does not interfere at all with the quality of your education.
- If I ask you to stay after school to do work, I mean it. I want to see every student succeed. If any students need a push, I will gladly provide that push. You fall behind, you stay after school, and we will get it done.
- I will make the call if I have to. If a student is consistently acting inappropriately, or is failing to complete the required work for the class, I will call parents/guardians. I would only ever do this out of concern for the student.
- It is my every intention to push you to your highest potential. I do not intend to do this by overloading you with work; I intend to do this by expecting that you give only your best effort and you remain engaged. Yes, I will be giving you challenging material, but nothing we cannot handle as a class. I will never expect you to understand something right away or all alone. We will work together and progress together. I will not allow you to hand in anything that is below your potential. Hopefully, by the end of the year, you will hold yourself up to the same standard as I do.
- This is YOUR education. If we are going too fast, come to me individually and tell me. If we are going too slow, let me know. And, most importantly: ASK ASK ASK QUESTIONS QUESTIONS QUESTIONS!
o This class will work best the more questions you ask. The more you participate – not just answering but ASKING questions– the more you will learn and grow. Just sitting there invites boredom. If a class is boring, you are probably not doing enough to make it un-boring. Ask yourself questions, ask me questions, ask each other questions. Any questions?

EXTRA CREDIT:

- FRESHMEN AND SOPHOMORES: I will try to incorporate plenty of opportunities for extra credit into the curriculum, but no student should rely on extra credit to earn a passing grade.
- UPPERCLASSMEN: This is your third or fourth year of high school. You know by now what it takes to get anywhere from a barely passing to a desirable grade. I will not be offering many opportunities for extra credit, because I expect all of your work to be complete, handed in on time, and done with enough care to earn you at least a passing grade. If time allows, I will permit revisions on larger assignments for a grade increase. These revisions would have to be thoughtful and meaningful, not just a matter of correcting a few spelling errors.

GRADING:

- A Work in Progress. I am still working out the finer details about grading. I will try to formulate clear and specific grading rubrics for the larger assignments, but when I am unable to do so, I will follow the basic guideline outlined below. Since it is a more qualitative assessment, I will be sure to include plenty of feedback to justify the grade and indicate to the student how and where he/she may improve.

Signs of an “A”
• Mature understanding of a given topic – offers fresh and insightful analysis; understands subtleties; can see several sides of an issue; signs of originality
• Put in significant effort
• Thorough, organized work
• Creative, well-supported ideas
• Critical thinking clearly present
• Effective at communicating (superior control of language and ideas)
• Applies previous knowledge and concepts to new situations and problems with skill and insight
Signs of a “B”
• Solid understanding of a given topic (starts to take basic ideas to deeper levels)
• Skilled work, but lacks the care and detail of an “A”
• Ideas supported for the most part
• Competent organization overall
• Communication hindered by some conventions errors
Signs of a “C”
• Basic understanding of a given topic (main ideas, but does not go beyond the surface)
• Work is done adequately
• Ideas may be over-generalized and/or lack support in places
• Should re-organize work to make it more effective
• Quite a few conventions errors
Signs of a “D”
• Limited understanding of a given topic (struggles to grasp main ideas, let alone more sophisticated aspects)
• Ideas are vague and rarely supported
• Lacks organization
• No evidence of proofreading or rethinking of ideas in order to communicate effectively
Signs of an “F”
• Does not grasp even the basics of a given topic
• Incomplete, unsupported, careless
• Seems thrown together at the last minute; overall, misses the assignment’s goal.



* I may be contacted at ANY time for questions or concerns. I welcome parent/guardian involvement in students’ lives. Thank you, and let’s make this a great year!

apohan@anita.k12.ia.us
(712) 762-3231 ext. 341