American Lit Home
Grading. . .
A. To clear up any confusion on this point, I will not GIVE you a grade for this class. You will EARN your grade. The following scale will be used to determine a letter grade based on the points you've earned:
You will earn points in the following ways:
1. Unit Tests - worth 50-100 points apiece.
2. Quizzes - worth 10 - 20 points apiece.
3. Papers - at least three major papers worth 50-100 points apiece.
4. Projects - presentations or special projects, worth 50-200 points apiece.
B. "Extra Credit" is nothing more than a way for students to get a grade they didn't earn--after all, no one asks about extra credit until just before grades come out. My advice to those concerned about their grade is to work hard all along. I have much more sympathy for someone who recognizes a problem early and takes steps to solve it, rather than expecting me to solve it for them. If your performance has you in a grade situation you don't like, come talk to me EARLY in the term, and I will help you develop strategies. If you come to me for the first time two days before the end of the term, I will point at you and laugh, and then walk away. To sum up, extra credit is the devil.
C. Your grade will be updated weekly. If you are curious about your grade at any time, you can monitor it in the Pinnacle Internet Viewer system. If you have questions about your grade, make an appointment with me and I will be happy to discuss it with you.
Make-Up and Late Work. . .
If you miss class for any reason, and the absence is EXCUSED, you will almost always be able to make up the work or test you missed . You will have ONE WEEK from the date of your return to hand in make-up work or make up a test without penalty. It is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to make sure your absence is excused, to find out what you missed, and to make it up. This does NOT apply to major papers or projects, however, since you will be given a minimum of two weeks for these assignments. These should be turned in the day you return. LATE WORK WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. If you are given a due date for an assignment, and you fail to meet the deadline, you will receive a zero for that assignment. No excuses, no discussion. You must accept responsibility to get your work in on time. Think of this policy as good practice for real life.
Plagiarism and Cheating. . .
Honesty truly is the best policy. Plagiarism and cheating are serious offenses and will be handled as per Rocky Mountain H.S. policy (we will discuss definitions later): the cheating student(s) will receive a "0" on the assignment, project or test. Parents or guardians will be notified, and the administration and appropriate counselor(s) will be informed. A second willful instance will result in the student's being dropped from the class with an "F."
Attendance. . .
I will follow the attendance policy as outlined in your RMHS handbook: excessive absences will be referred to the administration, and may result in being dropped from the class. Tardiness can usually be avoided, and will not be tolerated.
Classroom Atmosphere. . .
I expect you to conduct yourself with maturity and respect, and you should expect the same from yourself. To clear up any confusion on this point, below is a list of some behaviors that I find offensive, and the consequences for those behaviors:
-Tardies: walking in to class late is rude and usually avoidable, and will not be tolerated. If you have a pass excusing your lateness, come in QUIETLY, hand me your pass, and then sit down QUIETLY. Note-- simply getting a hall pass from the attendance office does NOT excuse your tardiness; it just gives you permission to be in the hall. If you do not have a pass excusing your tardy, you must turn in one of your hall passes.
-Food & drink: as clearly stated in your handbook, food and drink of ANY kind are not allowed in the halls or classroom. This includes any ingestible liquids or solids.
-Disruptive behavior: a good rule of thumb is to remember that you are not the only person in the universe. The people around you are attempting to hear, learn, study or read, and you do not have the right to interfere with that process. Disruptive behavior includes:
a) talking, whispering or laughing while another person is speaking, listening, or studying; Note-- finishing your work early does not entitle you to disregard others who are still working.
b) profanity or offensive language;
c) coming to class without the proper materials or homework;
d) failing to quiet down and make yourself ready to begin when the bell rings to start class.I will go over all of these guidelines with you during the first week of class, and I encourage you to bring them home and discuss them with your parents. YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE for everything listed here, so if you or your parents have any questions, please do not hesitate to talk to me or call me. My voice mail number here at Rocky is