Frequently Asked Questions: This page contains answers to common questions of students and parents.
- Will students in Science have homework?
- How does Project Based Learning work in your room?
- How much time should Science homework take?
- How long do students have Science due to the block scheduling at WJB?
- What happens when work is late?
- Is incomplete work accepted?
- Is extra credit available?
- Is extra help available?
- Is there time in the morning for students to get extra help and complete work?
- What should students have with them daily?
- What is a student's bone and how is it used?
- What happens to the Bone at the end of a nine weeks period?
- What is a Lab Book and how is it graded?
- What is your bathroom policy?
Will students in Science have homework?
My classroom is project based, so students will have homework nightly and must
develop pacing to complete the assignments, which are all due on a set date.
Students in my class will always have something to work on!Homework is mostly
assigned in class with an opportunity for students to get started.
Any work not completed by the end of the block becomes Homework!
How does Project Based Learning work in your room?
Students are given a list of assignments that are related to the TN State
Standards. These assignments are to be completed by a set due date. The
completion of the assignments will prepare students for an assessment that
usually involves an experiment or project, but not always. I teach the
required Science knowledge to students over the 2 - 3 weeks students have to
complete their work, thus we are all required to participate in the learning
process and meeting of our goals. Students turn in several assignments on a
due date, so if they are not pacing themselves and prepared for the turn-in
date, they will quickly fall behind. Students not turning in work on a due
date are frequently missing several assignments and will be going to the
Learning Lab.
How much time should Science homework take?
Science homework should take no more than 30 minutes, rarely an hour, to
complete.
If it takes much longer than an hour, a student did not use time during school
hours
wisely. The amount of work a student is doing at home also has to do with that
student's idea of
pacing to complete a long term set of assignments. All assignments are
assigned, demonstrated, and
re-explained before students work on their own. IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS EMAIL ME!
How long do students have Science due to the block scheduling at WJB?
Science lasts 2 nine week periods. Therefore, a student will be in my class
from day one
to Christmas or From New Years to the final day of school. In terms of hours
in class.
Each student gets the same amount of time in Science as any other student in
TN. Each class period
is 1 1/2 hours (90 minutes) in length!
What happens when work is late?
Late work is accepted till the last day of the nine weeks. However, late work
always has 10 points taken off. (Ex. Jeff gets an 85%, but the work is late.
His final score for the assignment is a 75%). Students that build up multiple
missing assignments will be sent to Learning Lab. Assignments completed in
Learning Lab always have 20 points taken off. Students will take home grade
reports generally every 2-3 weeks, so parents should be very informed about
grade standing. (If students take the sheets home!?!?)
Is incomplete work accepted?
Incomplete work is not accepted! Work must be completed entirely or it will
not be accepted and an incomplete will be given for the assignment. Incomplete
work will be the student's responsibility to
complete. Incomplete grades will keep students from being eligible to
participate in sports, pep rallies, dances, ....etc. Students with incomplete
assignments will be sent to the Learning Lab!
Is extra credit available?
Full credit is available to every student on every assignment!
No extra credit assignments are given!! Students are given every opportunity
to do well on their assigned work. Bonus points are available at this website
on the Bonus Question and Quote of the Week pages.Bonus points are also
available for completing certain tasks throughout the semester. Bonus points
are added to existing grades, thus improving a student's overall average.
Is extra help available?
Yes! Extra help can be signed up for at my website under bonus questions.
Extra help is provided
during Content Mastery time, which occurs Tuesday thru Friday. I assign
students to content mastery
based on classroom performance, missing assignments, and student requests.
Is there time in the morning for students to get extra help and complete work?
Yes! There is time from 7:20 to 8:00 for students to complete work and get
extra help, but students generally do not utilize this time wisely. This time
should not be used instead of completing work at home, because homework not
completed during this morning time will not finished in time for class.
What should students have with them daily?
Students should always have their own paper & pencils and not have to borrow
from others. I will not supply pencils or paper. Students should always have
their textbooks, composition book(Lab Book), coloring pencils, scissors,
ruler, & notecards. Students not showing up to class with these items
everyday will have consequences. These items can all be organized within a
binder or keeper!?!?
What is a student's bone and how is it used?
A student's Bone is used as a tool for teaching responsibility and
organization(bones are not to be used for classroom behavioral issues). It
also assists students in prioritizing daily activities. The Bone is treated as
a driver's license....students must have it with them at all times. Students
without bones or loosing them are penalized. Bones are used to give students
up to 8 chances a 9 weeks period to make corrections. A bite is taken out of
the bone when students are late to class, need to leave class for the
bathroom, need to get things from their locker,...etc. Bones may not be used
to compensate for not having an assignment, but may be used to go to a locker
to retrieve that work. The bones allow us to be consistent with every student,
while establishing limits and monitoring responsibility.
What happens to the Bone at the end of a nine weeks period?
Students turn in their bones at the end of the nine weeks period. The
remaining number of bites are recorded for each student and rewards are given
based on the number of chances students didn't need or chose not to utilize.
Students without bones or under a set level are not punished! The bone Works!!
What is a Lab Book and how is it graded?
Students need a composition book at the beginning of the Semester. This book
is set up with a table of contents and page numbers. Students place Labs,
Reflections, Critter Log observations, Citizen Science observations,
Foldables, and many other assignments in the lab book over a 9 weeks grading
period. I will take up the Lab Book at Mid-Term time and right before the end
of the 9 weeks grading period. The Lab book is worth 200 points and those
points are based on the participation and accurate completion of all those
assignments for the 9 weeks. I do not check each and every assignment over the
course of the 9 weeks, so students must be responsible and disciplined to have
a complete book at the end of the nine weeks. Some students get behind because
they know I only check the lab book twice over the 9 weeks.
What is your bathroom policy?
Students may go to the bathroom at any time during my class, but I will always
ask for their bone. Students may also use the bathroom between every class and
are encouraged to do so. Students with problems related to the use of the
bathroom must have a doctor's note. Students that are sick, simply need to
explain their situation, but this should not become a pattern or it will
require a doctor's note. The bones allow us to be consistent with every
student, while establishing limits and monitoring responsibility.