Classroom Management, Norms & Rules, Behavior Management

• • I value instructional time and will utilize every minute appropriately to make sure that my students learn the content and have a good understanding of the topic. So, I love to use timers to make sure that I am on track with my lectures and/or activities. At the beginning of every class I like students to work on a "DO NOW" that takes 5 minutes and is usually a quick activity to refresh their minds from the previous lesson.

  • I also believe in a "No Cell Phone" policy in my room, however, there will be a few science activities that will require slow-motion capture that are only available on cell phones. This is my exception to the rule, but I believe that distractions, such as cell phones, are detrimental to the learning process.

  • My classroom seating setup is typically groups of 3-4 students for collaborative learning. Each student in the group is assigned a role and must fulfill the role until seats are rearranged. An example of student roles can be seen in the document below.

Homework Policy

• • Typically, I believe that all assignments should be turned in on time, and do not give credit for late classroom/homework assignments. I do, however, for larger assignments (i.e. lab reports, projects, etc.), I give percentages taken off each day it is late (for example - one day late means that the highest grade that can be obtained is 90%; two days late means that the highest grade that can be obtained is 80%; and so on)

Working with Students & Guardians

• • I believe that students should build confidence and approach me when they want to inquire about anything related to my class. I like to keep an open mind and open communication with my students.

  • Parents and/or guardians are also welcome to inquire about their student(s) or my teaching philosophies. As a lifelong learner myself, I always prefer to receive feedback and reflect on feedback from to improve the way that I can better serve my students and their families.

Before & After school hours

• • I prefer to have my room open before and after school to allow students who are struggling to get help or those who want to catch up on work.  I do not believe in turning a student down if they truly want, and seek, help.

  • A given day of the week will be assigned to a course.  For example, every Tuesday before school and Wednesday after school will be dedicated to AP Chemistry students; or every Thursday before and after school will be dedicated to Academic Chemistry students.

  • Depending on the number of courses (i.e. 3 Academic courses and 1 AP course), I will assign more days of open hours to allow me to have smaller numbers come in for assistance.

Open Communication

• • Communicating with my students and their guardian(s) is an important aspect of keeping students successful in my course.  Doing so will allow me to figure out what is the best way to help my students succeed in my class.

  • This is why it is important for guardians and students to contact me by phone, in person, or digitally.  Digital communication in my class is readily available and has been found to be very successful in keeping in touch with my classroom communities.

  • Digital Communications

    • Remind app

      • This is an education-friendly way of communicating with students and parents.  Students and guardians can sign up for the appropriate class to receive daily communication.  Almost every day I will send reminders about assignments; PowerPoints; and/or upcoming labs. If needed, this app allows me to send an individual or group a text.  I have sent communications with guardians and their student(s) with a group text to discuss excessive absences and/or missing assignment(s).  This app does not require the use of a phone number, email is also acceptable.

    • Email

      • The majority of guardians prefer to use email as a means of communication to address concerns and questions about their student's progress.

    • Google Classroom

      • This is a great way to stay in communication with students, especially when students have questions about a specific assignment.

Student accountability

• • Students are given a list of assignments on the classroom board and sent a reminder text, it is the student's responsibility to turn in assignments on time.  I do allow late work, but for a fraction of the originally assigned points.