CLASSROOM EXPECTATIONS & POLICIES
EFFORT
Welcome to your junior year! Now that you've had a couple years of experience in high school, you will be expected to arrive in class prepared and ready to get your work done. Remember, it is your time that you waste when you goof around. Deadlines approach whether you are participating or not, so use your time wisely!
GRADING POLICY
All assignments are set to be worth a pre-determined amount of points. More challenging or lengthy assignments will be worth more points than shorter, simpler assignments, but all points add up! This English 11 course has a total of 2 finals, one per semester, as well as several long-form written assignments, quizzes, unit tests, and a mid-term to assess student understanding and performance.
One of our measurement tools at Mingus Union High School to assess student knowledge and student growth is our NWEA Map Assessments. We give these assessments three times during the school year, once in the Fall, Winter, and Spring. To help ensure students truly demonstrate their ability and are motivated, they receive 10% of their classroom grade from their performance on these assessments in every class at MUHS. The student grade will be determined by learning growth and/or achievement during the semester.
LATE ASSIGNMENTS
Late assignments will be accepted for one school week past their due date for potential full credit. After one school week, the assignment will not be accepted. Exceptions for extenuating circumstances may be made at the teacher's discretion. For absent late work, students are given days equal to the amount of absent days to make up work. Communication about potential issues BEFORE they become emergent is strongly encouraged. Cutoff for final late work is the second to last Friday of each quarter.
COMPUTER OR "GOOGLE CLASSROOM/DRIVE PROBLEMS" WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED AS EXCUSES FOR LATE WORK. Always make copies of your work/save them until the semester is final and grades are input. USE YOUR SCHOOL CHROME ACCOUNT TO WORK ON DOCUMENTS. Google docs automatically saves your work as you go, so rename your documents with a relevant title so they are easy to find if you accidentally detach a document from a classroom assignment. Google drive does not "delete all your work" at random. Please stay attentive to what you are working with and on!
CLASSROOM POLICIES
When turning in an assignment to Google Classroom, do NOT share document. Be sure that you attatch the document to the assignment and hit “Turn In”. Any documents that are shared will not be graded.
PLEASE use the restroom before class. Per school policy, no students will be permitted to leave the classroom during the first and last 10 minutes of class.
Per school policy and state statute, phones must be off and put away during class. TURN OFF/SILENCE YOUR CELL PHONES before class. Cell phone disruptions are not only rude, but distract the entire class from the lesson. All cell phones must be placed in the caddy upon entry to class. If your phone is used at any time during class without teacher direction, it will be collected and sent to the front office and will have to be picked up after school.
Mature conduct is expected at all times. Honor one another as individuals. As an example, don’t roll your eyes and sigh when you disagree with what someone is saying. Don’t interrupt your classmates or the teacher. Don’t talk (or whisper or pass notes) when they are talking. Insults (even when you are “just kidding”), dismissive tone or body language, and interjections off of topic are inappropriate, and will result in intervention according to MUHS standards.
“No Name” Papers
No credit will be given to any “No Name” papers. "No Name" papers may be held for one day in an attempt to find their owner/get named, but will then be disposed of.
Intellectual Honesty
Plagiarism, even when unintentional, is a serious offense with serious consequences. This includes copying someone else’s in-class assignments. Do not take someone else's work (whether a person, a website, AI, etc.) and present it as your own.
Posting pictures of completed assignments on any social media site IS CHEATING. All associated assignments will be counted as zeros for those who copied, and for the person supplying the paper that was copied from.
Use of AI in class
There may be times where AI is mentioned in class. Unless explicitly directed by the teacher, students may NOT use AI at any time for any part of assignments. I use a combination of google doc work history and comparison to prior work to help determine when work has been plagiarized, whether from other students or AI. Student work found to be plagiarized with the use of AI will be entered as a zero, with escalating consequences for repeated infractions.
Personal Items
Theft of any kind will result in immediate administrative action. As a general rule, if it isn't yours, don't touch it!