Dear students,

As I sit here, finishing up the ’08-’09 school year, there are a few things that I want to address before I even get my roll sheet in August. If I don’t write them down now, I’ll forget by the time school starts back up again. (Yes, I wrote this way back then, and it’s still relevant today.)

1. Please turn in all of your work on time. If you need an extension, talk to me and we’ll figure out a reasonable due date. This includes note taking and test reviews. If you have previously been able to pass classes by procrastinating, you will need to change a few habits. I do not assign “busy work” or worksheets because I respect your time in my classroom. This means that since I respect your time in my classroom, I expect you to respect my time. I don’t give completion grades. I don’t do make-up days. Movies are a rarity in my classroom. There is always something that needs to be done in my room, so if I have taken the time to try to come up with something other than the assignment from the textbook, please take the time to do it when I assign it.

2. Please do quality work. This is a senior English class. My motto is GIGO: Garbage In, Garbage Out. I grade and read everything that you turn in. I think that is only fair. If you aren’t clear on the instructions, please ask me. If you need help, I’ll be more than happy to help you out. This is the rigor in the Vistas curriculum.

3. Please do not touch my belongings without permission. I have a lot of personal property in my classroom, and it is for instructional purposes. If it’s not yours, don’t touch it. Don’t take things that don’t belong to you. Even if you have the best of intentions, things can still get broken or damaged. It’s not that I don’t trust you, but… I don’t trust you.

4. Keep conversations appropriate for school. I love my job. I like to have a laugh. I hope that we will develop trust for each other and you will be able to confide in me. But, this does not mean that you can talk about whatever you want in my classroom. I do not tolerate discriminatory, offensive, or disrespectful language. It’s my classroom, so I’m the one who gets to determine what is discriminatory, offensive, or disrespectful.

5. No sleeping. If you give me the PERCEPTION that you are sleeping, then I’ll correct you. Don’t tell me that you were listening, or that you just had your head down, or that you just had your eyes closed. That doesn’t work in my classroom.

6. If I do correct you, please don’t argue with me. It’s disrespectful and I didn’t become a teacher to argue with people. I’m telling you to wake up so you can graduate. I’m getting on Dyknow to get you off the game so that you can pass my class. I promise you that I do not go home and think up new and creative ways to torture you. I just want you to pass my class and graduate high school.

7. If we are on Riley Time, then don’t multi-task. No online classes, no work from other teachers, no job hunting, no Craigslist, no games. This is disrespectful to me and to Klein Oak.

8. Be present. I can’t teach you if you aren’t here. Even when you come in to do the make up work, you miss the show.

I hope that my excitement is contagious and that you will look forward to coming to my class each day, even if you don’t particularly enjoy English class. I promise that I will try my hardest to make it as interesting as possible (even with the huge time crunch we have for the first semester this year). I can’t wait to get to know you all and see te amazing things that you will do!

How you will meet the Four ARRRR’s – Relationships, Respect, Responsibilities, and Rigor? Is there one area that you think you will excel in? Is there an area that you think you will struggle in? How can I help?