Sunday, April 29, 2007

Rules, Rationale, and Rantings

Respect everyone - I recently had a young male student say, "that a girl" to me, after I gave him points back on a quiz answer he technically got right but misspelled badly (with a word bank I might add). Besides being rude in general, that's no way to treat any teacher, young or not. I don't give two figs if I look young enough to be your sister; I'm not so don't treat me like I am. (Don't treat your sister like that either, unless you want to be smacked.) I've lost count of the times students have put each other down, albeit sometimes "deservedly."

Spelling Counts if you have a word bank - If I'm going to bother to make up a word bank, at least have the decency to use it. If I misspell something, then that's my mistake and you copying that mistake won't be counted against you. Typos do occasionally happen, but not usually when you're writing things by hand.

No cell phones or ipods or ipod nanos or anything else distracting - Students do not need to text message each other in the middle of my class.

No talking during a quiz or test - There are plenty of other opportunities to talk and add your two cents to classroom discussions. If you talk during my test or quiz and I feel in a really really really good mood you get a verbal warning, but otherwise and if it happens consistently you fail the quiz or test. I can only assume you're cheating. If you need a pencil (which you shouldn't), you raise your hand and address your concern to me.

Throw things away in the beginning or end of class - There should be no reason to get up in the middle of class to throw something away.

Prepared for class - means having notebook, book, working pens or pencils, and being IN your seat.

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