MR. Willison’s

Rules, policies, and Procedures

Rules:

I. Respect People and Property

II. Do Your Own Work

III. Do Your Best

IV. Be Prepared And On Time

POLICIES:

• CHEATING
• Cheating will be defined as:
• Any attempt to take credit for any work that is not your own
• Any attempt to give someone else credit for work that is your own

• Cheating applies to everybody and everything, including the work of other students, textbooks, magazines, the internet, and all other random sources of information.

• (From the Cono Staff Handbook) If a student is caught cheating, he or she receives a zero for that test or assignment. If caught cheating again in the same class, the student will be removed from the class and receive a failing grade for the year.

• DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR

• Disruptive behavior will be defined as any attempt to prevent Mr. Willison from teaching or other students from learning.

• Disruptive behavior will be dealt with in the following manner:

• One warning will be given per class period.
• After one warning, if you disrupt again, you will receive a 0% on the quiz or homework assignment for that day.
• If you disrupt a third time, you will be sent to the principal’s office and will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

• MISSED CLASS

• If you are not in class for any reason (sports, illness, discipline, etc.) you must report to Mr. Willison as soon as possible for the following three reasons:

• You must receive the daily homework assignment or quiz information
• You must receive a copy of that day’s class outline notes
• You must report and confirm the reason for your absence

• If for any reason, Mr. Willison is unavailable to personally report to, you must email him by the end of the day missed to request the information. (If you miss more than one class period consecutively, then you must report to Mr. Willison or email him by the end of the final day missed.)

• LATE WORK

• All daily homework assignments and other writing assignments must be turned in on time.

• Any daily homework assignment or other written assignment is considered late if you do not turn it in to Mr. Willison as you walk through the door at the beginning of the class period.
• The penalty for any late daily homework assignment or writing assignment will be a 20% reduction of the score for every day that it is late. For example:
• Keeping in mind that 20% of 20 equals 4, a daily homework assignment worth 20 points will lose 4 points every day it is late. After one day late, the assignment will be worth 16 points. After 2 days late it will be worth 12 points. And so on.
• If you are excused for being late or absent you may turn in your assignments late without penalty (see MAKE-UP WORK).

• All tests must be completed on time.

• There will only be one opportunity for you to take a test after an unexcused absence from the test period.
• If you must take a test late after an unexcused absence, the test will be worth 20% less than the original test. For example:
• Keeping in mind that 20% of 700 equals 140, a test worth 700 points will only be worth 560 points if the student must take it late.
• If you are excused for being late or absent you may make up your tests without penalty (see MAKE-UP WORK).

• All quizzes must be completed on time.

• There will be no opportunities for you to turn in a late quiz. If you do not turn in your quiz when Mr. Willison collects the quizzes, you will receive a 0% score for that quiz.
• If you are excused for being late or absent you may make up your quizzes without penalty (see MAKE-UP WORK).

• MAKE UP WORK

• If you are excused to make up your work for full credit, you will have as many days as you missed to make up the work. For example, if you were absent for two days, you will have two days to make up the work. After that, your work is considered late.

• LATENESS

• You are expected to be on time. If you arrive late without a written excuse, you will receive a detention.

• FORMAT OF ASSIGNMENTS

• Put a proper MLA heading on your paper. Refer to the model posted at the front of the room as needed.

• Use complete sentences.

• Use blue pen, black pen, or pencil. Mr. Willison will not grade your assignment if you use anything else here. If you must change your format after turning it in, the assignment will be considered late.

• BORROWING BOOKS

• If you are interested in borrowing a book from any shelf in the classroom, you must speak to Mr. Willison first.

• USING YOUR BREAK

• Your break is the appropriate time to use the bathroom, get a drink, sharpen a pencil, hurry back to your locker for materials, etc. You will not be permitted to do any of these things during class.

• GRADES

• Mr. Willison’s grading system operates on a 3500 point scale for all of his classes. A semester grade is divided into five segments as followed:

§ Quizzes (Wednesdays and Thursdays)	§ 600 Points
§ Daily Homework Assignments (Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays)	§ 800 Points
§ Semester Essay or Research Paper	§ 700 Points
§ Quarter Term Test	§ 600 Points
§ Mid-Term Test	§ 800 Points

• There will be a net gain of extra points in the grading system because Mr. Willison will not give enough quizzes and daily homework assignments to meet the required point standard. These extra points will be granted to students based upon classroom participation. If Mr. Willison determines that you have participated in the classroom discussions and have paid attention and have taken good notes during the class lectures, Mr. Willison will grant you 100% of these extra points. Mr. Willison will be gracious and give any student who consistently puts forth effort in class 100% of the points. But if any student clearly does not participate, Mr. Willison will deduct points from their classroom participation accordingly.

PROCEDURES

• ENTERING THE CLASSROOM

• At the beginning of each class period, you will hand in your daily homework assignment and any other written assignment that is due to Mr. Willison as you walk through the door.

• At the beginning of each class period, you will walk through the door in silence and immediately sit down at your assigned seat to begin work on the daily quiz or review assignment, which will be written on the board.

• If you fail to make it through the door to your seat and complete the daily quiz or review assignment before Mr. Willison erases the board and collects the quiz or assignment, you will be considered late and will receive a detention.

• REVIEW DISCUSSIONS

• Once the daily quizzes or review assignments are collected and the board is erased, Mr. Willison will begin a review discussion.

• In order to engage in this discussion, you must raise your hand and wait to be called upon in order to talk.

• Do not leave your hand raised while others are talking. It is important to listen to what others are saying. Do not allow your desire to talk overrule your desire to listen.

• When someone is finished talking, Mr. Willison will either take over the discussion or ask if there is another question or comment. If Mr. Willison asks for another question or comment, then please raise your hand once again and wait to be called upon in order to talk. Mr. Willison will do his very best to call upon those who have been waiting the longest. Nevertheless, even if Mr. Willison fails to call upon you, do not leave your hand raised in your frustration. Listen to what others are saying.

• If you are frustrated at not being able to express a point or ask a question in class, please see Mr. Willison any time outside of class and he would absolutely love to continue the discussion with you personally.

• LECTURES

• At the end of each day’s review discussion, Mr. Willison will begin that day’s lecture.

• The lecture is for Mr. Willison to teach and for students to listen carefully and take notes.

• You may interrupt Mr. Willison with a raised hand, but only if you need clarification about something or if you have a pressing emergency need. Do not attempt to begin a discussion with Mr. Willison during the lecture time.

• END OF CLASS DISCUSSIONS

• Mr. Willison will attempt to leave time at the end of each class period to discuss the lecture with the class and to go over the upcoming assignment or quiz.

• The procedure for end of class discussions are the same as for the review discussions at the beginning of class.

• If Mr. Willison fails to leave enough time to answer important questions about the lecture, assignments, or quizzes at the end of class, then please feel free to approach Mr. Willison at any time outside of class to gain the needed clarification. Remember, he would love to go over it with you!

• LEAVING THE CLASSROOM

• You are not permitted to leave the classroom or even to stand up from your seat until Mr. Willison gives you permission to do so. Mr. Willison is responsible for dismissing you, not the bell.

• You are not permitted to begin collecting your things (such as zipping up book bags and notebooks) until Mr. Willison has dismissed the class. If Mr. Willison hears you collecting your things before being dismissed, you will receive an automatic detention.

• SPECIAL DAYS

• There will be times throughout the semester that class will not operate according to normal classroom procedure.

• On such days, please come into the classroom silently, take your seat, and wait respectfully for Mr. Willison to give instructions on the day’s procedures.