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Rules & Procedures

Classroom Rules
1. Treat others with respect at all times.
2. Follow directions the first time given.
3. Stay in your seat at all times, unless given permission to do otherwise.
4. Be punctual, both yourself and your assignments.

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Procedures
1. Entering Class: Immediately sit at your assigned seat and begin the warm-up assignment.

2. Homework: Homework will be collected during warm-up. Homework completed during warm-up will not be accepted.

3. Teacher’s Attention: During normal work time, students who need teacher assistance must raise their hands and wait to be addressed.

4. Student’s Attention: Students are to become silent when the teacher addresses the class.

5. Personal Business: When the teacher is not speaking, students may up to use the pencil sharpener or throw away trash without asking permission, but only one student may be out of his or her desk at a time.

6. 15/15 Rule: Students may not be excused from class during the first or last 15 minutes. This is non-negotiable district policy.  Bathroom passes are otherwise given at Mr. Jones’ discretion.

7. End of Class: Students should stay seated until dismissed by the teacher at the end of class.

Supplies : Success in this class requires dedication and preparation. Paper, pens or #2 pencils, textbooks, and a journal folder should be brought with you for every class without exception.

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Grading

Core US History

40% : Classwork

40% : Assessments

10% : Engagement

10% : Homework 

AP US History

30% : Weekly Assignments

30% : Quizzes

30% : Essays

10% : Engagement

Grade Scale: (EoC US History only)
Classwork and Homework is graded using the following scale:

  • “Check-plus” (100) (Exceptional/Advanced)
  • “Check” (85) (Adequate/Proficient)
  • “Check-Minus” (70) (Inadequate/Poor)
  • “Minus” (55) (Incomplete or Not-Proficient)
  • Zeros are awarded only to non-participants.

Homework: When homework is assigned, it is due the next day unless due dates are otherwise given. If a student is absent, he or she will have one (1) day of grace period for every day absent to submit the work. Beyond that date one grade category on the scale above will be deducted for check +/- graded assignments. I will deduct 10 points per day beyond the grace period for traditionally graded assignments. Work from a unit will not be accepted after the unit assessment without special dispensation and/or student-parent-teacher conference.

Assessments: Assessments come at the end of every unit of study, although other activities might be recorded as the equivalent of a full assessment. You will have advance notice of all assessments. Assessments are graded on a traditional 0-100 scale.

Semester Exams: My exams will all have a similar look and feel to them and are designed to measure your retention of chapter and/or unit materials, to analyze documents and primary sources, and to utilize historical thinking skills in order to prepare you for the state-mandated End of Course test in US History.

Engagement: AKA “Participation.” This does not just mean direct participation, but it is rather an evaluation of your ability to add to rather than subtract from the climate of respect, cooperation, and learning that is the expectation in and out of Room 235. Your engagement grade is factored using the SCRUB system.

(S) Sleeping in Class
(C) Chatting with neighbors
(R) Rude and disrespectful
(U) Unprepared: No pencil, paper, binder, or other supplies.
(B) Book missing.

Any day a student chooses to be a SCRUB, he or she will get no credit for engagement or participation, as they are not doing their part to create a culture of learning. At the end of each quarter, I will subtract the number of days the student was a SCRUB from the total classes in that quarter to come up with a percentage. This will be your Engagement grade.

Conduct: Conduct is derived from your engagement grade. An engagement “A” translates to an “E” in conduct.  “B” or “C” engagement averages translate into an “S” in conduct. “D” engagement averages translate to an “N” in conduct, while “F” engagement percentages translate to a “U”. Please note, I reserve the right to ignore the SCRUB system and give a “U” in conduct for egregious behaviors.

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Policies

Assigned Seating: I graciously allow you to borrow one of my desks for fifty forty minutes every day. Please sit in the desk to which you are assigned. This helps me learn names and process attendance very quickly so we can maximize our ever dwindling time together. Additionally, someone in the wrong seat risks being inadvertently marked as absent or reported for class cutting.

Leaving During Class: Is expressly disallowed during the first and last 15 minutes of class by Board policy. Even during “acceptable” bathroom leave time, requests might be denied depending on the circumstances. Students who request excessive bathroom breaks will be required to bring a note from their parent, guardian, or urologist or risk denial.

Cell Phones and Personal Electronics: By board policy, these should be in your locker when on campus. Also, if you have time to text in this class then you have too much free time – a clear signal to me I need to increase the workload and challenge. The device will be confiscated and your day or weekend will be ruined because of poor decision making.  We can skip all of that unpleasantness if you just keep your electronics stowed. CD Players, MP3 players, and other consumer electronics used without permission will also be taken. Engage in these behaviors at your own peril.

Food and Drink:  Open containers of food and drink are explicitly disallowed: breakfast and lunch should be eaten in the cafeteria, not in my classroom. Be prepared to surrender or discard any food items being eaten in my classroom!

Dress Code: The complete Shelby County Schools dress code policy is enforced in this school and this classroom, but apparently not equally across the district. If you don’t like that, get involved in the process and take it up with your elected officials. Don’t give me grief about it.