Course Expectations

Mrs. Arnold, Room 15, Block 5 Prep

Attendance

Attendance is a critical piece of being successful with the core values of the Benton Community School District. I plan class time with purposeful instruction and activities for you to improve your math understanding while incorporating these core values. Each day, you need to be prepared and bring the following materials to class: pencil, pen, planner, binder, graphing calculator, and a charged Chromebook. Those items are all required for this class. Please be sure to take technology and class materials with you each night in the event that you have an unplanned absence from school.

We all know that there may be times when you are unable to be here during in-person instruction. Regardless, you are still responsible for the work done in class during that absence. With our current situation, it is likely there could be a video of the instruction you could view or practice you could complete before your return to class. With the technology capabilities we have, the expectation is that you communicate your absence with me. Send me a message through Schoology or email me to touch base when you are absent, and I will let you know what you may need to do as a result of your absence. All lesson plans, classroom activities, resources, and practice problems for class will be housed in Schoology.

In addition, I am typically available before and after school, and I welcome you in my room throughout the day whenever you have time. 

Daily Materials and Routines

You are expected to use your class time to its fullest. From participating in the new lesson to practicing new and old concepts to working with other students, time is not wasted. If you have an open mind and a positive attitude, you will learn important skills that will last a lifetime. The key ingredients to upholding the core values of Benton Community is to become a creative problem solver, a complex thinker, a cooperative contributor, an effective communicator, a self-directed learner, and a responsible citizen. I will hold you accountable for progressing and improving in each of those areas throughout the content of Calculus. 

Working in isolation is not going to be an option in this class. You may be asked to share an idea with a neighbor in class, work through problems together in a small group, or collaborate via Chromebooks. You will learn how to adjust to working with different people with different perspectives who will challenge your thinking in different ways.  You will learn that it is okay to make mistakes in front of other people and be incorrect. We already know that mistakes create opportunities for deeper learning when we reevaluate, retrace, and correct our mistakes. Brain research also shows making mistakes as a time when our brain grows. The expectation is that all of us will create an atmosphere where mistakes are welcomed and not ridiculed.

Technology

Technology at Benton Community is a privilege, not a right. You are expected to follow Benton Community's Acceptable Use Policy at all times. While in this classroom, Chromebooks are to be used for Calculus activities only. When not in use for classroom work, Chromebooks should remain under your desk. Personal cell phones, including smart watches, are not to be used during class time. Research shows that the part of our brain responsible for comprehension is actually interrupted and wiped clean when an unexpected event occurs, such as a cell phone notification or text. You are expected to place your technology in your backpack during class to avoid the possibility of a distraction and resulting technology violation.  Any violation of these expectations will be logged in the school's behavior management system along with the piece of technology being taken to the office.