Classroom Rules
During the first week of school, the students will negotiate classroom rules with us that are generally agreeable to all and align with campus and district policy. These rules will be posted in class or distributed to students and adhered to throughout the year unless circumstances dictate a renegotiation. Students will be notified in advance if a renegotiation is necessary and no retroactive consequences will apply.
Two major topics that will be discussed during the first week of school are: (1) respect and (2) success. Emphasis is placed on generating definitions for these terms that take into account the diverse student perspectives in the classroom. We feel strongly that if students do not have a clearly defined picture of what respect and success look like to both themselves and others within their learning environment, classroom discussions and collaborative activities will be significantly less effective, reducing opportunities for critical thinking and lowering the self-esteem of many learners.
Two major topics that will be discussed during the first week of school are: (1) respect and (2) success. Emphasis is placed on generating definitions for these terms that take into account the diverse student perspectives in the classroom. We feel strongly that if students do not have a clearly defined picture of what respect and success look like to both themselves and others within their learning environment, classroom discussions and collaborative activities will be significantly less effective, reducing opportunities for critical thinking and lowering the self-esteem of many learners.
Grading
Daily Grades
Daily grades are generally unannounced and we generally take very near the minimum of six each of the nine week grading periods. Our general response to students who ask about assignments being graded is as follows: "It doesn't matter, you should try your best on everything I give you and if you do that, you should not be disappointed in yourself."
Being teachers who work very hard in the classroom on developing relevant and rigorous activities to motivate students to perform at their best, we feel that telling students what will be graded sends a subversive message that only those activities deserve their full effort. Taking excessive daily grades during the nine week grading period also generates this same effect and reduces the depth with which we are able to evaluate student work and give meaningful formal feedback.
Major Grades
Major grades are always announced ahead of time and the expectations for a major grade assignment are clearly delineated through product descriptors/rubrics at the start of the assignment. Regardless of the form a major grade assignment/test takes (standard test, essay, presentation, etc.), students will always have had an opportunity to refine skills related to the targeted standards through daily work prior to the major grade assignment.
We generally take very near the minimum of three major grades each of the nine week grading periods. Taking excessive major grades during the nine week grading period reduces the depth of the expectations for students on the graded assignments and the depth with which we are able to evaluate student work and give meaningful formal feedback.
Importance of Students Understanding Their Grades
To the greatest extent possible, we try to give students both positive and constructive feedback on any assignment they do. This approach facilitates each student's own understanding of his/her strengths and weaknesses. We also encourage student questions regarding graded work and if students have questions or complaints about their graded work at any time, we are more than willing to conference with them at an appropriate time before or after class, before or after school, or during individual assignments or group working time in class. If the student is requesting additional points in the conference, we do require that he/she tells us specifically why, according to the assignment expectations, that he/she deserves more points and the specific number of points requested. If the student simply doesn't understand the reasons for his/her grade, no such prerequisite information is necessary for the conference.
Daily grades are generally unannounced and we generally take very near the minimum of six each of the nine week grading periods. Our general response to students who ask about assignments being graded is as follows: "It doesn't matter, you should try your best on everything I give you and if you do that, you should not be disappointed in yourself."
Being teachers who work very hard in the classroom on developing relevant and rigorous activities to motivate students to perform at their best, we feel that telling students what will be graded sends a subversive message that only those activities deserve their full effort. Taking excessive daily grades during the nine week grading period also generates this same effect and reduces the depth with which we are able to evaluate student work and give meaningful formal feedback.
Major Grades
Major grades are always announced ahead of time and the expectations for a major grade assignment are clearly delineated through product descriptors/rubrics at the start of the assignment. Regardless of the form a major grade assignment/test takes (standard test, essay, presentation, etc.), students will always have had an opportunity to refine skills related to the targeted standards through daily work prior to the major grade assignment.
We generally take very near the minimum of three major grades each of the nine week grading periods. Taking excessive major grades during the nine week grading period reduces the depth of the expectations for students on the graded assignments and the depth with which we are able to evaluate student work and give meaningful formal feedback.
Importance of Students Understanding Their Grades
To the greatest extent possible, we try to give students both positive and constructive feedback on any assignment they do. This approach facilitates each student's own understanding of his/her strengths and weaknesses. We also encourage student questions regarding graded work and if students have questions or complaints about their graded work at any time, we are more than willing to conference with them at an appropriate time before or after class, before or after school, or during individual assignments or group working time in class. If the student is requesting additional points in the conference, we do require that he/she tells us specifically why, according to the assignment expectations, that he/she deserves more points and the specific number of points requested. If the student simply doesn't understand the reasons for his/her grade, no such prerequisite information is necessary for the conference.
Homework
Students will have homework at various times throughout the year with varying intensity of assignments. There will be no regular/recurring homework, but rather, homework will be assigned when necessary to support the curriculum objectives.
The vast reservoir of comtemporary research related to pedagogical practices in the English/Language Arts discipline demonstrates the importance of teaching vocabulary, spelling, and grammar in the context of student writing if one hopes to gain long-term retention of the concepts. Additionally, no test, SAT, ACT, AP Exams, or any other ask questions that require students to label parts of speech, verb tenses, types of sentences, etc. All these tests focus solely on practical application and most students are able to use many of the above language events effectively without breaking it down to a miniscule level. For this reason and the fact that challenges related to these 3 areas are so personalized and varied, you will not see weekly vocabulary, spelling, or grammar worksheets going home.
Instead, students will keep ongoing lists reflecting their own personal challenges in vocabulary, spelling, and grammar throughout the year and work on these skills in an individualized fashion to improve both writing and reading across varying modes and genres.
The vast reservoir of comtemporary research related to pedagogical practices in the English/Language Arts discipline demonstrates the importance of teaching vocabulary, spelling, and grammar in the context of student writing if one hopes to gain long-term retention of the concepts. Additionally, no test, SAT, ACT, AP Exams, or any other ask questions that require students to label parts of speech, verb tenses, types of sentences, etc. All these tests focus solely on practical application and most students are able to use many of the above language events effectively without breaking it down to a miniscule level. For this reason and the fact that challenges related to these 3 areas are so personalized and varied, you will not see weekly vocabulary, spelling, or grammar worksheets going home.
Instead, students will keep ongoing lists reflecting their own personal challenges in vocabulary, spelling, and grammar throughout the year and work on these skills in an individualized fashion to improve both writing and reading across varying modes and genres.
STAAR Reading Preparation
In our many years working with Pre-AP students, we have found that the vast majority, as would be expected, enter into the class with mastery of the necessary skills to excel on the state minimum standards test, STAAR. The main challenge in preparing Pre-AP students for STAAR Reading testing is getting them motivated to do their best on every question on a test that they interpret as easy to pass and unnecessary.
As a result of this experience with Pre-AP students, we have found that following the curriculum and creating meaningful, relevant activities that generate student interest throughout the year is the best way to prepare the vast majority of students to do their best on STAAR day.
As a result of this experience with Pre-AP students, we have found that following the curriculum and creating meaningful, relevant activities that generate student interest throughout the year is the best way to prepare the vast majority of students to do their best on STAAR day.