General Answers & Procedures
What supplies do I need?
- Writing utensils (I don’t discriminate between pens or pencils). I would suggest that you keep your pencils or pens at the house or your abode, or it will be for general use for all.
- Mead Journal
- Headphones
- Markers
- Glue (Personal use)
- Kleenex (1 box per student typically will get us through the year)
Tardy Policy
- 1st and 2nd tardy- Student will receive a verbal warning
- 3rd tardy- Teacher will make parent contact via email or phone
- 4th tardy- Student will receive lunch detention
- 5th and 6th tardy- Student will be assigned ISS for the class period
- After 6 tardies, a meeting will be scheduled with student, parent, teacher, and admin to figure out an action plan.
Tardy policy will reset each six weeks period.
What will I learn?
We start Texas History with major geographical landmarks and regions and work our way all the way through to the Civil Rights Movements in the 70’s and 80’s. We cover major eras such as, but not limited to, Colonial/Exploration, Mexican Colonization, Texas Revolution, Republic of Texas, Civil War/Reconstruction, Texas Frontier, Oil Boom, Great Depression and World War II, and Civil Rights Movements. My lesson plans on my website will specify what era and major time period we are covering at the time. We will also try to mix in some U.S. History when it overlaps in order to build that prior knowledge heading into 8th grade year.
Will I have homework?
I rarely, if ever, assign homework. My planning allows us to complete our lessons in class. With that said, if we are unable to complete the day’s agenda in class, you may have a short assignment or reading to complete before the next school day.
Grading Procedures
60% of your grade will come from daily work/homework assignments.
40% of your grade will come from tests. You will take a test at the end of each unit and at the end of each 6 weeks.
If you are ever absent, the first thing you need to know that is this… The work will be on or in google Classroom. All Google class codes will be located in the classroom. You are responsible for submitting the work to me. If videos can be research how gain moves for a PlayStation role playing game, you can research at home how to do the work. If you are still having issues or you do not understand still, reach out to me at the email below and email me you question. I only check my email only in the mornings and at the end of the day. I will do my best to scan the text from the Texas textbook and have it in the Google classes.
I have a total of 77 students in my class. Everyone in your class will receive one copy or a handout of the in class. I will have a blue bin (if you are absent) where you can find your handout IF you do not want to do the work online or in the Google classroom. You are still responsible for returning the your work the following day. Please do not disrupt class asking for makeup work; hold your questions until the beginning or end of class. You will have the same amount of days to turn in your make-up work as the amount of days you were absent. Once that time limit has passed, you will be counted off for late work. The student handbook has policies or rules established for deduction or subtraction for each day when it is determined to be late.
Our Class Rules or Expectations or Norms:
Be Respectful!!!
● Respect yourself
● Respect others and their belongings
● Respect our school.
You are free to choose, but you are not free from the consequences of those choices. If you choose to break our rule, there will be consequences. Examples of consequences are verbal warning, phone call home, detention, office referral, or whatever I see fit for the severity of your offense.
Final Remarks
I am extremely excited to start a new school year at Nichols Middle School and start another new year in History. I look forward to teaching your child and building relationships in the classroom and out. Please, at any time you have concerns and/or positive comments to pass along, reach out to me. I am easiest to reach through email, and I will typically get back to you within 24 hours.
Coach James Stuer
Email: stuerj@joshuaisd.org
Phone: (817) 202-2500