All students can learn and achieve at a high level. I use scaffolded instruction to ensure that all students learn. Student agency is essential to engagement in the classroom, as well as differentiated learning. I teach the whole student; while in my classroom, it is my goal that students feel welcome, that they belong, and that they are citizens of Bell with all the rights and responsibilities that come with it. My teaching style is reflected in my favorite movie quote from Dead Poets Society, "I always thought the idea of education was to learn to think for yourself." My job is to help students find their voice and understand their personal biases and perspectives. Once they have the groundwork for understanding who they are, they can begin to think for themselves without the influences of the world clouding their perspectives. 

I use the standard grading for all of my assignments and assessments:

90 - 100 A

80 - 89 B

70 - 79 C

60 - 69 D

50 - 59 F

Assignments are usually due the same day; if students do not complete a task in the classroom during their time, it is considered homework. As a general rule, I do not assign homework. I do not give tests in the general sense to test knowledge; instead, we have assessments that judge student learning through multiple work choices, such as Google slides, a Google document, a video presentation, projects, or something agreed upon beforehand between the student and me. Should you ever need to contact me, please reach out via email as I check that very often, email me here rick.espey@jeffco.k12.co.us 

Thank you for reading a bit about me and my classroom. 

The Pacing Guide is attached below. You will need to scroll to the calendar to get the day-to-day work that we will be doing.