Citizenship - Discipline

Citizenship and Págames

Learning a language demands your full attention and practicing the language demands your active participation. Students active participation and engagement is crucial. Participation is a great percentage of your overall grade. Being distracted or disruptive interferes with your learning and participation as well as your classmates learning environment. Be courteous, be a good citizen, show manners and respect for others, including the teacher. In case a student forgets manners and courtesy, student will be asked to visit with me after school to figure out how we can work better together in class. Unfortunately, until this happens the student will have a 5-point penalty called “págame”. I’m certain this group won’t need any reminders or penalties.

“Págame”=”pay me” infraction for disrupting the learning process in my class. It’s a 5-point fine/deduction of your overall grade.

Infractions:

• Act engaged.
• If you are blurting out unnecessary comments and you are being a distraction; you're not acting engaged.
• If you have your head on the desk as if you were resting; you’re not acting engaged.
• If you are laying on your chair as if you were in bed and looking at the ceiling; you're not engaged
• If you’re texting or passing notes; you’re not acting engaged.
• If you are reading a book that is not in Spanish or working on other subjects; you are not acting engaged.
• If you are visiting and it’s not in Spanish and it’s not part of group work; you are breaking 2 rules. You’re not engaged and you’re not practicing the language you are learning in class.
• If you are not in your assigned seat and ready to work you are not acting engaged.

Since “págames” are easy to avoid and to make up I expect everyone to be “págame” –free!

Make up these “págames”:

1. First Págame: You can make an appointment to talk to me after school. You’ll tell me what you’ll do to avoid “págames” in the future. I will also call your parents/guardians and coach to let them know you have an after school appointment with me and why.

2. Second Págame: You can bring me a non-monetary “gift” from the heart (make a card). You can write me a card in English or in Spanish telling me about something you appreciate about my class or me as your teacher. I will also call your parents/guardians and coach to invite them to be part of our next appointment when you bring me an appreciation non-monetary gift.

3. Third and Last Págame: This “págame” is accompanied with 1hr of detention and you can’t make up the points. During detention, in my class after school you can write a short essay telling me what you appreciate about the privilege of being in my Spanish class and what changes you need to make to avoid “págames” in the future. We will need to meet with your parents/guardians and/or coach, at this time we will sign a behavioral contract.

If you still have a hard time being cordial and respectful, we will have to try working together the following academic year.