Welcome to 8th grade history! This year in social studies we will be learning reading and writing skills as we study the history of America, how we became a nation, and how we formed our government. I hope that students will leave my class being experts at thinking critically – taking in the information they see, hear, and read and analyzing and processing it in a way in which they can clearly explain it to someone else. Students in this class should constantly be asking questions and working together with their classmates to problem-solve and try to find answers.
Class Policies
Absences – Students who are absent are responsible for making up the work they miss. Extra copies of handouts can always be found in the black bins on the wall at the front of the classroom. Students can pick up copies of the handouts or worksheets that they miss and get help from a classmate who was present to catch up. If you know ahead of time that you will be absent, please let me know. That way we can make plans for you to take care of whatever work you will be missing.
Tardies - Being on time to class means being in your seat, ready to learn, when the bell rings. That means you have all your necessary supplies out and ready.
Late work – The expectation is that work will be turned in on time. However, I know this is not always possible. I will accept late work until the end of the trimester; however, the assignment will lose points for every day that it is late.
Discipline – If students are not following directions and participating with the class, it makes it difficult for others to learn. Therefore, I need to have a discipline system in place in case one or more students disrupt the learning environment for the rest of the class, although I hope I won’t have to use this very often. The first step will be a warning. If the behavior continues, I will ask the student to fill out a "Zeisler Strike," where they will take a minute to think about their actions and how they affected the class. Zeisler Strikes are collected via a Google Form and keep a written record of classroom incidents for easy reference. If I see that one student has gotten several strikes in a given period of time, I can then contact parents to be sure we're on the same page in terms of student success. If the behavior still persists after a discussion with the student’s parents, I will then have to write a referral to the office. Again, I hope to never have to do some of these things, but I want you to know how the system works, just in case we get to that point.
Bathroom Passes – I hope that 8th graders are self-aware enough to take care of their business before and after class – the four-minute passing period should be enough time to go to the restroom if you need to, get a drink of water, and still make it to your next class on time. You also have ample time to take care of those things at recess and lunch. However, I know that sometimes you have to go during class. For each trimester, you get three free bathroom passes.