Expectations
- Students should actively participate in discussions and group work.
- Students should do homework neatly and in a timely fashion.
- Students are encouraged to use word processing for written work.
- Students should plan for an average of twenty to thirty minutes of homework/reading per day. (Keep in mind that the time necessary to complete homework will be greater or less for particular assignments and for particular learning styles.)
- Students are encouraged to pursue independent reading
Organization
- Students should bring paper, pens, pencils, and other materials to class daily.
- Students should arrive promptly.
- Students should have appropriate folders to keep track of assignments in several areas of study.
- Students should keep one set of assigned literature and writing texts at home for study purposes. These texts should be returned in the spring in good condition. Texts should not be highlighted or written in, as other students will use them next year.
- Students should bring vocabulary and grammar workbooks to class daily unless told otherwise.
Grading
- Graded areas include daily assignments, projects, quizzes, tests, writing assignments, participation, and class contribution.
- Extra credit is occasionally offered for efforts above and beyond expectations.
- Grades will be shared with you frequently and upon request.
- The policy for late work includes a grade reduction of 20% per day late.
Reading
Each quarter students will be assigned selections from the anthology, Adventures for Readers, and other sources. In addition, novels will be assigned. When choosing novels for assigned topics, students should have books approved by Mr. Nash to assure appropriateness of content and reading level. Students will also be required to turn in one formal book review per semester about a book they have chosen for independent reading. Other independent reading will receive additional credit after students complete a book report form or have a conference with me.
Formal Writing Assignments
There will be a number of formal writing assignments. Students will practice pre-writing, editing/revising, and writing multiple drafts. Students will develop writing in the areas of organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, and writing mechanics. Final drafts are to be carefully proofread and printed on word processors when possible. Any formal writing assignment with frequent errors will receive a reduced grade.
Portfolio
A portfolio, which will include selections from your writing assignments, will be assembled and passed on to your seventh-grade teacher.
Special Help
Students are encouraged to use special help for individual or group work or to conference about their writing or reading. Please see Mr. Nash to make an appointment. Students also need to sign up in the link before 11:00 a.m. each day.
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