Ms. Suarez
Welcome to Language Arts
Room 434
I. Contact Information
Room Number: 434
Hours of Planning/Availabilty: 8:30am -9:30am
4:00pm – 5:00pm
Phone: (754) 323-4600
II. Course Objectives
Language Arts provides the students with the unique opportunity of instruction. The purpose of this course is to evaluate and create the frequent practice in writing various types of multiparagraph papers, including documented projects/papers. Therefore, referencing and summarizing skills will be enhanced, as well as, all phases of the writing process (prewriting, drafting, revising,editing, and publishing).
III. Academic Expectations
a. Journal: Writing is a process and a skill that is only acquired by constant practice. Journals will give the students a chance to freely write everyday on a topic. Everyday when the student enters the classroom they will find on the board a topic for them to complete in their journals. They are to complete at least one side of the paper. When collected they will be graded on the mechanics, spelling, and the specific writing techniques/styles we would be covering for that week.
b. Essays: Throughout this year, we will be learning and writing a variety of essays. I am more concerned with your writing process (predrafting, drafting, revision, and editing) than I am with one flawless essay copy the day an essay is due. However, I place higher expectations on each student developing their writing mechanics throughout the writing process.
Writing is not like most subjects that can be memorized; it is a process and our roads to improvement vary depending on our individual skills, ways of thinking, and learning pace. In other words, with each essay assignment I expect all of your drafts and revisions to be stapled to your final drafts. I will give you more details about this in class. In order to receive a good-excellent essay grade, students must have all drafts accompanied with their final essays.
c. Homework: I expect you to have your homework with you the day it is due. I will only accept late homework if you have an excused absence or we’ve made special arrangements prior to the due day.
d. Projects/Oral presentations: Later in the semester, we will begin to speak in front of the class. I realize that this is terrifying for most of us, but polishing our public speaking abilities is essential for your future. I will work with you to prepare you for this. We will also have an opportunity to create visual projects for certain works of literature we read. Those of you that are better with building things than you are with writing, this is your moment to shine!
IV. Suggested Materials
One 1 inch binder or One Folder
1 pack of notebook paper
4 dividers labeled: Journal, Class work, Notes, and Homework Section
A black or blue ink pens
A pen of a different color for editing and revision
1 highlighter
Dictionary
Thesaurus
Novel of choice: Students are required to read a novel of choice for S.U.R.F. per month.
V. Rules and Consequences
a. You are expected to arrive to class on time every day, and be ready to work when the bell rings.
Consequence: It is important that each student is in their seat and working on journal when the bell rings. At the result of getting to class 3 times tardy the student will be given a detention. It is imperative that they are in class on time, for at any given moment a pop quiz will be given, and if tardy they will have missed the quiz. Unexcused tardies will not be able to take the Pop Quizzes given at the beginning of that class period. However, as a result their following quiz will count double.
b. If you are absent from my class it is the students responsibility to make up any work they have missed. There are several ways the student can find out what work they have missed. For example, it will be listed on schoolnotes, on our class website, in the student agenda in the classroom, and they are more than welcomed to either ask a peer, or even better, see me after class or at another scheduled time to catch up.
c. This is a Gum and Food Free Classroom. Therefore, there is to be NO eating, drinking, chewing gum, personal grooming, or any other types of activities not related to academic learning.
d. Show respect for the teacher as well as the students at all times.
Examples of disrespect are the following:
-talking while I’m talking to the class.
-talking while other students are talking (sharing their ideas) to the class. This includes whispering. You are required to listen to other students who share their thoughts.
-fighting.
-insulting me or other students (for example, name calling, cursing, or “dissing” the ideas and insights of others in class).
-using derogatory language (curse words or racially-driven words).
VI. Infraction and Procedures:
First Offense: A verbal warning will be given.
Second Offense: A second verbal warning will be given and parent contact will be made either by phone or email
Third Offense: A 30 minute detention will be given
Fourth Offense: A referral will be given and the student will be sent to the Grade Level Center
Fifth Offense: A referral will be given and the student will be sent to the office (Saturday Detention).
VII. Classroom Methods of Teaching
Class time will be distributed as follows:
a. Lectures/Classroom discussion
b. Group work
c. Independent work
d. Listening
e. Public Speaking
f. Powerpoint Presentations
VIII. Grades and Percentages
Individual quizzes, tests, homework, and other assignments are valued differently and are graded by point value. Your grade is based on a point system, and will be determined by the following percentage breakdown:
Exams 35%
Quizzes 15%
Class work 15%
Homework 10%
Projects 20%
Participation and SURF 5%
a. Exams will be given on Fridays, and announced with at least a two days in advance.
b. Quizes will be based on homework, classwork, and on reading assignments. They can be announceded or unannounced based on the teacher’s discretion.
c. Homework is mandatory and will be checked at the beginning of the class period, and collected on occasions. Homework must be turned in by the end of the class inorder to receive full credit. Students that have not completed the assigned homework will receive a zero for that assignment.
d. Classwork will consist of several components. Class participation, notes taken, work assigned in class, and journals will all combine for a cumalative classwork grade. Therefore, it is extremely important for the students to take notes, be organized, and complete all work for the day. They should be active and participate in all class disscusions. For full credit to be received it must be turned in by the end of the class period.
e. Projects will be given specific guidelines with a breakdown to each section and allocated points at the time that it is assigned. Late projects will result on a deduction of 10 points per day that it is late.
Make-up Policy: All students will have two days upon the returned date to make up any exams, quizes, or homework that was missed. It is the students responsibility to contact a peer or the teacher about the missed work.