Syllabus

COURSE DESCRIPTION & INSTRUCTIONAL PHILOSOPHY: The goal of the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Program is to help the students with limited or no English proficiency learn enough English to function linguistically and culturally in the Greenville County Public School System and in American society. In addition, the ESOL program emphasizes and focuses on helping the English Language Learner (ELL) learn English for effective participation in other classes. The education of the ELL is a collaborative responsibility that should involve the ESOL teacher, other content teachers ( Algebra, English, World History, Biology, etc.), and other appropriate staff depending on student needs, the student, and the parents.

The ESOL Program utilizes an integrated approach to teaching the four language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. These four skills are, to some extent incorporated in each lesson. The ESOL program aligns its instructional planning and practice with the Greenville County School Board Language Proficiency Curriculum that supports the Annual Measurable Achievement Objectives (AMAO) in progress and language attainment of English language proficiency.

The ESOL program also encourages and provides staff development opportunities so that all teachers can learn specific instructional strategies and effective standard practices for teaching the English Language Learner

ATTENDANCE: Regular attendance is critical to academic success. Students must be present for the entire class period to be counted present. Students who are more than 5 minutes late will be counted absent. Absences excused by a doctor, court, or school administrator, which are excused, are the only exception.

TARDINESS TO CLASS:

Students are expected to be in the classroom on time. Joining class more than 5 minutes after it has begun will result in an absence. Students who continue to be tardy to class will be turned over to administration. I can not help you graduate if you are not in class.

MAKE-UP WORK: Please be sure to read the handbook policy for days missed and how long you have to make up work. The best absence is an EXCUSED absence. Students will be given 5 days to make up work after returning to school. After the 5 days the grade will have 10% deducted from the total score.

ASSESSMENT & GRADING POLICY: Students are encouraged to conference with the instructor at a mutually agreed upon time so they can discuss their academic strengths and needs. Assessments will be formative (evaluating academic needs) and summative (evaluating academic progress).

Major: 60% (includes essays, projects, and quarter binder average)

Minor: 40% (weekly binder/agenda checks, tutorials, other assignments)

LATE WORK: Students will make every effort to turn in work on time the day that it is due. All assignments will be turned in by 12:00 a.m the day the assignment is due. For every day that the assignment is late following the due date, 10% will be deducted off the total of the grade.

*Teacher Note: I was a student once and I realize that every now and then situations arise that make completing your work on time difficult or impossible to happen (like family emergencies). If something happens to make completing your work on time difficult, PLEASE e-mail me or speak with me as soon as you can and we can work something out.

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY: As members of the Southside Learning Community, we have inherited Southside’s vision as a “high school Celebrating Diversity that is United in Learning.” Fundamental to this vision is a mutual commitment to truthfulness, honor, and responsibility, without which we cannot earn the trust and respect of others. Furthermore, we recognize that academic dishonesty detracts from the value of a diploma. Therefore, we shall not tolerate lying, cheating, or stealing in any form. Academic dishonesty is further defined as:

Giving, receiving, or using unauthorized aid, including the inappropriate use of electronic devices, in any work submitted to fulfill academic requirements. In examination situations all electronic devices must be off and stowed unless otherwise authorized by the instructor;
Plagiarism, which includes the intentional or unintentional copying of language, structure, or ideas of another and attributing the work to one’s own efforts;
Attempts to copy, edit, or delete computer files that belong to another person or use of computer accounts that belong to another person without the permission of the file or account owner.

REQUIRED MATERIALS:

1 Spiral Notebook

Pencil Pouch

Pencils

Pens

Highlighters

Laptop - Greenville County School Board Issued

Agenda or Planner

Colored Pencils

BEHAVIORAL EXPECTATIONS:

Be on Time.
Be Prepared.
Be Respectful.
Be Responsible.
Be Positive.

****Students are expected to follow all Greenville County School District rules and guidelines.

CONSEQUENCES:

1st Offense: Verbal Counseling/Warning

2nd Offense: Parent Contact

3rd Offense: Removal from Class

4th Offense: Referral to Administrator

PERSONAL ELECTRONIC DEVICE (CELL PHONE, TABLET, SMART WATCH, LAPTOP) POLICY:

The use of personal electronic devices in the classroom is strictly prohibited without the express permission of the teacher and for educational purposes only. Ear buds, headphones, etc. are forbidden in the building including classrooms at all times. In addition, when assessments that measure individual achievement of skills and/or content are being given, students will be required to put their cell phones in their backpack and/or purse and place these in the front of the room. If they do not have a backpack or purse or do not wish to put them in the front of the room, a location for keeping their device will be provided. Any evidence of a personal device during these assessments will be treated as an academic honesty/cheating violation. See academic honesty in this syllabus for details. Students may NOT receive or make calls or text messages, film video, take pictures, play games, work on other assignments, etc. during class, even if it is an ‘emergency’. In the case of a student emergency, the student will be sent to the office and allowed to make a phone call. In the case of a family emergency, please notify the front office and they will locate the student for you.

1st Offense: Student will be issued a warning, asked to put the device away or return to appropriate task.

2nd Offense: Instructed to put device away, discipline referral resulting in 2 hours of after school detention and parent contact

3rd Offense: Instructed to put device away, discipline referral resulting in 1 day OSS (out of school suspension), parent contact and loss of privilege to use PDE for the remainder of the year e.g. no longer allowed to use a laptop to take notes or access notes in class.

Note #1: If a student is caught using a device at an inappropriate time and the teacher gives a consequence based on the above matrix, and the student puts the phone away as directed, but then gets the phone out again later in the class, the teacher will treat the infraction as a 2nd offense and write a discipline referral to administrator.

Note #2: If a student is caught using a device at an inappropriate time and the teacher gives a consequence based on the above matrix and the student refuses to put the phone away and continues to use it, the student will be removed from the class, a referral for refusal to obey will be written with the consequences up to suspension from school. If a student refuses to put their device in the front of the room when instructed, it will be treated as a refusal to obey and a referral will be written. In addition, the student forfeits the right to take the assessment given and a zero will be recorded in the grade book.

COURSE OUTLINE: Instruction will follow the timeline below. (The schedule may be modified as progress is monitored, and the major texts may be adjusted to accommodate varied learning rates and availability of supplemental materials. Changes will be noted on weekly lesson plans.)

1st Quarter

Unit One: “Welcome to ESOL in High School” Reading Strategies

Major Assessment(s) - Bi-weekly Language Testing/Projects/ Presentations/Journal Entries

Unit Two: “Our Cultures” Analyzing Events and Ideas

Major Assessment(s) - Bi-weekly Language Testing/Projects/Presentations/Journal Entries

Unit Three: “Reading For Meaning I” Determine Viewpoints