Biology 1-2 Classroom Procedures

 

Required Materials

1. Writing instrument (pencil or blue/black pen).
2. Notebook

Tardy Policy

1. No consequences for the first four tardies in a semester.
2. When a student gets a fifth tardy, he/she will be referred to the office for a Saturday school assignment. Each tardy after the fifth will carry the same consequence

Hall Passes

1. Hall passes are not given out when the teacher is addressing the class.
2. Only one student is permitted to leave class at a time.
3. Students are limited to six hall passes per semester.
4. Any unused hall passes will be converted to extra credit at the end of the semester.
5. Hall pass privileges will be suspended if a student is caught or suspected of misusing the privilege.

Homework

1. An assignment sheet and a calendar will be handed out before each chapter.
2. Use the calendar to get an idea of how much to have done on the assignment sheet on a given day.
3. Homework will be collected the day of the chapter test. Late homework will not be accepted.
4. Homework must be neat and legible in order to be accepted.

Tests

1. Chapter tests are announced several days in advance. Therefore students who are absent the day before the test will still be expected to take the test along with their classmates.
2. If you are absent the day of a test, be prepared to take the test on the first day you come back.
3. Dropping the lowest test score: Any student who has fewer than four days tardy will have his/her lowest test score dropped when it is time for report cards to come out.
4. Test retakes: Any test can be retaken up to one week after the test. The average of the two scores will be recorded in the grade book. Example: Herman scores a 60% on his first test and an 80% on his second test. A score of 70 will be recorded.

 

Beginning of Class Activity

1. Each day some sort of activity will be on the board or on the overhead projector. The activity will consist of questions corresponding to whatever is being studied at the time.
2. Each student will need to do the activity in his/her notebook within the time allotted.

Notebook

1. Students will be expected to keep a notebook in this class. The notebook will consist of the following sections:
• Notes
• Homework
• Labs
• Tests
2. The notebook will be worth 10-15% of the grade in this course.
3. Each day of the notes is to be formatted as follows:

Activity (answers to daily activity)

         Notes (any notes taken during the class period).

         Summary (a 1-2 sentence recap of what was learned that day)

4. The student is expected to fill in the gaps of any day he/she is absent. That means getting any notes taken from other students.

Extra Credit

1. Extra credit opportunities are rare in this class. Most of the extra credit activities can be found on my web page (http://geocities.com/m_runyon_85937/webpage/homepage.htm)
2. Unused hall passes are also converted to extra credit at the end of the semester.

Labs

1. Laboratory activities will be done in this class on a fairly consistent basis. Most labs will be announced in advance.
2. Make sure you dress appropriately on lab days.
3. Follow all safety instructions.
4. Goofing off or nonparticipation in lab activities will result in a zero for the lab and a writing assignment for the guilty student(s).

Textbooks

1. Each student will be issued a textbook that he/she should take home.
2. Textbooks do not need to be brought to class—there will be a classroom set.
3. Textbooks are to be put back in the proper place at the end of the period.
4. Each textbook needs to stay at the desk where it is found.

Grades

1. Grades are posted on a regular basis.
2. Every three weeks a progress report will be sent home for any grade lower than 65%.

Student seating/class work

1. Students are to be in their assigned seats when the tardy bell rings.
2. Students are not to change seats without teacher permission.
3. Group work is not permitted unless the teacher says otherwise.
4. Students are to do their own work. Students observed copying from another paper will be given a zero for the assignment and be referred to the office.