English 3 CP1

RESPECT PEOPLE

THINGS

IDEAS

Mr. Kevin Buckley Moeller High School – 2002 University of Dayton – BA English 2006 Xavier University – M. Ed. Secondary Education Integrated Language Arts 2009 KBuckley@Moeller.org

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Course Objectives To gain a greater understanding of literature and language To experience other cultures and identify common bonds with people of different times and places To develop a liberal knowledge of different types of literature and media To strengthen writing abilities and encourage more economic expression through analytical exercise

Homework Student homework will be comprised primarily of reading, and will be posted on NetMoeller. Typically, daily reading assignments will appear as ungraded entries on NetMoeller and will be given the grade “X” to indicate exemption for the grading program; this is normal.

Students who do not read the texts will not do well in this course. Quizzes to determine if students have read assignments will be given frequently; be aware that reading Sparknotes or Wikipedia is NOT a substitute for reading the actual assigned texts, and having a general knowledge of a text is not enough to suffice. Quite simply, if you want to succeed as a student in this class, you have to do the reading and come to class prepared to discuss relevant themes.

Students will be assessed on vocabulary units throughout the school year.

Analysis Papers Students will be assigned analysis papers for most (but not all) of the literature we cover in class. Analysis papers are single page, single spaced papers that students will compose in MS Word and submit to me via email at the beginning of class on the assigned due date. Papers will be returned via email with comments and grades will be posted to NetMoeller as soon as possible. All analysis papers MUST be written in 12 point Times New Roman font and can have a maximum margin size of 1.25 inches (these are usually the default settings).

PLAGIARISM OF ANY KIND WILL NOT BE TOLERATED AND WILL RESULT IN A ZERO FOR THE ASSIGNMENT AND A REPORT OF MISCONDUCT. Late papers will be penalized a letter grade per day. A common alibi for late or incomplete papers is “my laptop is broken.” This is not a valid excuse. I expect students to back up all documents on a physical medium or a separate database; archiving documents on an external email address (Gmail, Yahoo, etc.) or uploading to Google documents are viable (and free) options. I emphasize this practice to help students prepare for university and career expectations.

Classroom Discipline My number one classroom rule is at the top of this page: RESPECT. I like to further describe this rule with the headings PEOPLE, THINGS, and IDEAS. I encourage (and at times require) students to engage in discussion, but with the understanding that anything said or implied does not deliberately offend other students. Most first infractions will result in a verbal warning or 500 word essay; most second infractions will result in a school detention or M-Block detention; most third infractions will result in a conference with Mr. Kremer and/or a report of misconduct.

Here are some sample situations students should avoid: disrespecting teacher or other students, cell phone usage/texting in class, gaming on laptops, foul or inappropriate language, uniform violations, eating in class, habitual tardiness, completing work for other courses during English class, sleeping during instructional time, stealing from teacher and other students, etc.

When class starts, I expect students to be in their seats, signed in to DyKnow, and ready to get to work. In the first weeks, I will take attendance verbally to help learn names; I expect students to be patient and respectful during this process.

Congregating at doors before or after lessons is prohibited. The bell does NOT dismiss students at the end of a lesson; this is MY responsibility.

Students are responsible for staying signed in to DyKnow for the duration of the class period. If for some reason DyKnow is not functioning or your computer crashes, students are responsible for telling me immediately.

I retain the right to enforce a seating chart and to have students sit in certain areas to accommodate learning needs and facilitate classroom management. In science classrooms, students are only allowed to enter the lab area with my permission.

Students are expected to keep the classroom clean. Desks will be moved to accommodate group activities at times; I ask that students be conscientious about their surroundings and leave the room organized. I ask students to place their bags under their desks to keep aisles clear.

All students should be familiar with emergency procedures for each classroom. Ordinarily these are posted near the doors. In the case of drills or actual emergencies, stay calm and remain silent to follow instructions.

Grading and Assessment Student assessment will take place in a variety of ways. Grades are determined by a simple point system, where the total number of earned points is divided by the total number of available points per quarter. For example, if a student earns 350 of 400 available points in a quarter, that student has earned an average of 87.5% for the quarter. Students will have the opportunity to earn points through analysis papers, class activities, and quizzes or tests over assigned reading and vocabulary units. I do not offer extra credit assignments.

Testing Procedure Students must remain silent through the duration of a testing session. Answers must be covered and students must keep their eyes on their own papers. Cheating of any kind will result in an immediate zero and a report of misconduct. .

Students must keep all graded material.

Supplies and Expectations Students are required to bring the following to every class: tablet PC, stylus, charger, college-ruled notebook (can be single-subject or part of a multi-subject notebook), a functioning writing implement (pen is preferred), and a folder for saving all graded material. ALL STUDENTS ARE REQUIRED TO BRING A COPY OF THE ASSIGNED HOMEWORK TEXT. That means if you are assigned to read Chapters 1-3 of George Orwell’s 1984 for next class, then you read Chapters 1-3 of George Orwell’s 1984 BEFORE that class begins and you have your own copy of George Orwell’s 1984 so you may discuss and reference said text during class discussion. Excessive failure to bring supplies to class will result in discipline.

Absences It is the STUDENT’S responsibility to complete any missed assignments due to an absence. Students who miss inclass activities of low point value due to an absence will generally be exempted from that assignment. Students are ALWAYS responsible for completing homework and assigned readings. Check NetMoeller for assignments and communicate with me when you are absent. Students that are absent the day an analysis paper is due are still expected to submit their work to me via email THE DAY THAT IT IS DUE. Students are responsible for making up missed quizzes or tests within one week.

Communication with Teacher Students are free to email me with questions and concerns. I will respond to emails as soon as possible (I will occasionally check email on weekends as well). I do not consider last-minute, late-night questions about assignments that are due the following day an adequate form of communication. I am very willing to help students with any academic matters to the best of my ability; I only ask that students plan ahead and allow me some time to deliver thoughtful responses.

More serious issues may merit a conference and can involve students, parents, Mr. Kremer (Dean of Students), Mr. Wilke (Dean of Academics), and Mr. Girard (Chair of English Department). Any concerns regarding assignment completion dates, assignment content, classroom content, or any related topic should be addressed as soon as possible. Do not claim you do not know how to complete an assignment the same day the assignment is due. Communicate with me – and be honest – and you will find many problems can be avoided outright. In any case, I am a sensible person and will very likely respond favorably to hard work, honesty, and respect.

Students and parents are expected to maintain a professional relationship with me at all times.

Signatures

STUDENT

PARENT/GUARDIAN