Mr. Jamgochian\’s Humanities 7 Blog

The Basics
Getting to Class: You are expected to arrive on time and come prepared for class. Failure to do so will result in penalties that may include: warnings, detentions, or a reduction in class grade.

Food and Drink: Food and drink(except water) is for the cafeteria only.

Trash: All trash goes in the garbage cans (bin). Recycle your paper whenever possible (remove staples and tape). Constant messes will result in the loss of privileges.

Materials and Books: Items that are given to you to work with, or displayed for your interest, are not your own. Treat them with care and always put them back when you are finished.

Computers: Get permission before downloading anything from the Internet. All rules of “Acceptable Use” apply.

Getting Along:
Classroom Behavior: You are expected to be mature and respectful of others at all times. Take clues from your surroundings: is the music on and people are casually working in groups? Or, are people sitting quietly and focusing on a single speaker? Listen to directions, observe what others are doing, and adjust your behavior to the situation. Frequent disruptions and/or inappropriate behavior will result in administrative action.

Participation: Again, the number one rule is to treat others with respect. We want to create a classroom where everyone feels safe to speak his/her mind and where all opinions are valued and heard. This requires one person speaking at a time, raising of hands, and allowing others to finish their words and thoughts completely. The teacher, or designated facilitator, will determine who speaks next. Personal attacks or put downs will not be tolerated. Take risks and try to voice original thoughts, feelings, and ideas.

Teamwork: When working in teams, all members are expected to contribute (though frequently in different capacities). Be a responsible and reliable contributor. Work out your problems as a team first, seeing Mr. Jamgochian only for “insurmountable” difficulties. Remember that, in most group activities, you will be graded not only on the final product, but also on the process of working together.

Assignments and Grading:
Daily Homework: We will try to keep weekend homework to a minimum (depends on you, too). Daily homework will either be shared with the class, spot-checked, or collected and graded, however, you will not know in advance (so stay on top of it!).

Late Homework: Unless you have an excused absence, homework is due when assigned. NO LATE WORK IS ACCEPTED.

Projects and Presentations: These larger assignments will be announced verbally and explained in writing. The write-up will frequently contain important information (requirements, due dates, grading system, late penalties, etc.) as well as clues on how to achieve a good grade. Listen carefully to the instructions, follow the written guidelines, and see me with any questions. Planning and time management will be important, too. While writing assignments may be re-done, projects and presentations are typically not re-doable.

Papers: Compositions will also be announced verbally and in writing. Most papers will follow the writing process: pre-writing, rough draft, peer review, final draft, teacher review, and corrective revision (if needed). Unless it is a common assessment, Mr. Jamgochian is available for assistance throughout the process. Papers will typically be graded according to a rubric, though individual assignments may differ some. In any case, you’ll know in advance.

Quizzes and Exams: These forms of assessment will be used to some degree, but not exclusively. All quizzes of significant consequence and all exams will be announced at least one week ahead of time. You are expected to take the time to review and prepare. If you are absent on the day of the exam, you will be expected to take the test IMMEDIATELY upon your return.

Academic Dishonesty: Intentional cheating and/or plagiarism will receive immediate administrative action. Unintentional plagiarism also will not be tolerated. All assignments should reflect your own thoughts and be written in your own words. You must (and will learn to) reference external sources—including your parents–when the assignment dictates.

Final Grades: Will be determined according to the formula on the syllabus. You are encouraged to keep track of your progress.

Keeping Track:
Organization and Planners: You are expected to keep track of your daily assignments in your Planner. Bring the Planner to class everyday. The Planner will also serve as a form of communication between teachers and your parents. All comments must be signed and shown to the teacher the next day (your responsibility).

Binder: Your binder should be devoted to Humanities only. It will hold all handouts and work that you create in class.

Lost work: It is assumed that if you know how to use a computer to create your work, then you also know how to backup and save your work. Therefore, missing assignments that are attributed to computer failure will be treated as missing. Save your work on a USB drive and on the network. PRINT YOUR PAPERS BEFORE YOU COME TO CLASS (and give yourself time to handle any malfunctions). YOU WILL NOT BE EXCUSED FROM THE BEGINNING OF CLASS TO PRINT YOUR HOMEWORK. IT WILL BE CONSIDERED LATE AND WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.