Jesus Espinoza – TEL 311 – 8 April 2018

General Procedures
Beginning of Class:
Students will walk in, grab their class portfolio and free write journals located towards entrance,
and head to their assigned seats. During the first 5-10 minutes of class, students will turn in
homework and quietly answer the writing prompt on the board in their journals. If they feel that
they have written enough for the day before the 5-10 minutes are done, students should sit
quietly at their desks until time is up.
A. Attendance Check
a. Students will be marked based on if they are in their assigned seats or not.
B. Late Attendance Policy
a. Students who are not in the classroom by the time the bell rings will be marked
late UNLESS they have a note from the office.
b. Late students are always expected to enter the classroom and head to their
assigned seat without creating a disruption. If they are late within the first 5-10
minutes, they should also grab their portfolio and writing journal and attend to
the writing prompt. Students late past the first 10 minutes should grab their
portfolio and the necessary paperwork/material for the day that is placed at my
desk.
c. Late students must sign in if they enter past the first 5 minutes of class.
C. Previously Absent Students
a. Previously absent students should collect any necessary paperwork/materials from
the trays that correspond to their class, which are located in the same area as the
writing journals. Paperwork and materials will only be available for the previous
2-3 days. (See more on absences in the “Attendance” portion of the Participation
section)
D. Expected Student Behavior
a. Students will always maintain a respectful attitude towards their peers and their
teacher. Students will promptly follow instructions and bring up any concerns
they may have with instruction as well. Technology such as phones will not be
permitted for use unless I or the instructions for the day explicitly say so.
Collecting/Returning Work:
Students will have designated areas to submit their work.
A. Homework
a. There are designated in/out trays for homework towards the front of the class, by
my desk.
b. Students are expected to turn in their homework in the “In” tray by the first 5-10
minutes of class. Once those 5-10 minutes pass, I will collect the homework from
the tray and take it to my desk. Homework submitted to the “In” tray after I have
collected it for the day will not be collected and graded until the following school
day.
Jesus Espinoza – TEL 311 – 8 April 2018

c. Homework will typically be briefly discussed in class after I have collected it and
marked it off as turned in and completed for a grade. I will return it during class
so that we may discuss it. Homework that is not discussed in class will be found
in the “Out” tray by the end of the class or in the following days. This homework
should then be placed in their portfolios.
B. Major Writing Assignments
a. Both drafts, revisions, and final versions of major writing assignments are
expected to be turned in online.
b. When we do peer review workshopping, students should bring physical copies
with written feedback of their group members’ works to be discussed in
workshopping groups. If students cannot obtain a physical copy, they should
advise me no less than two days before a workshopping date.
i. Once workshopping is over, students are required to turn in the feedback-
marked copies of their group members’ works in the “In” tray.
C. Visual Projects/Presentations
a. Students will sign up for dates to present their presentations or visual projects at
least two weeks prior to the set dates. Once they have signed up, presentation
dates may not be moved around unless two students consent to trading
presentation dates with each other, or unless a student has a valid excuse as to
why they can no longer present on the date they signed up for.
D. Portfolio and Writing Journal
a. The class portfolio and writing journal will be graded at the end of each quarter. If
students do not have their portfolio and journal in the shelves near the front of the
class by the end of each quarter, they will not be graded.
Materials and Equipment:
Students will be expected to have a class journal, a class portfolio containing all the assignments
and handouts I ask for, a personal notebook or paper, any handouts that I have provided, and
writing utensils. Students are encouraged to have highlighters as well, but they will be provided
for in-class use if the students do not have the means to obtain their own. Electronics such as
phones or personal laptops are not required unless I state otherwise.
A. What to Bring to Class
a. Students are expected to bring their own notebook or paper with them to class.
While I may be able to occasionally provide paper, it is not always guaranteed.
b. Students should have a pencil, blue/black ink pen, and if possible, a different
colored pen such as green or purple.
i. Students may sharpen their pencils at any time within the class with the
exception of during lectures/presentations by either me, other students,
and guest speakers.
B. Teacher Equipment
a. Students should ask me for permission before borrowing materials and equipment
that I provide, unless I state otherwise. With in-class materials like highlighters or
Jesus Espinoza – TEL 311 – 8 April 2018

borrowed pencils/pens, students are expected to return them before leaving the
class for the day.
Ending the Period:
During the last 3-5 minutes of class, students are expected to pack away their journals and class
portfolios in the designated areas. There may occasionally be a quick discussion of the content
taught in class near the end of the period, and I will announce these instances so students can put
their journals and portfolios away earlier.
Out-of-Room Policies:
Students are held to the same high standard of compliance of rules and procedures at places
outside of the classroom as they are in the classroom. Students will be respectful to people and
objects around them.

Seatwork and Instruction Procedures

Student Attention:
Students are expected to pay full attention to anyone who is presenting, whether it is me, another
teacher or a substitute, a guest speaker, or their peers. This means that students should not be on
their phones (unless a presentation calls for it), talking with their classmates, or doing anything
else distracting or unrelated to the content being presented.
Student Participation:
Students are expected to participate in a variety of ways in the classroom.
A. Lecture/Instruction
a. During lectures, students are expected to participate through note-taking,
answering example questions that appear in a lecture, providing their own input
on the content at hand, or simply paying attention.
B. Partner/Group Work
a. When I assign something that needs to be completed with a partner/group,
both/all students are expected to contribute to the task at hand. I will walk around
the class during these assignments and check in on pairs/groups to see who has
done what.
b. Students may be assigned roles in completing an assignment, and they will be
graded based on their fulfillment of that role.
C. Discussions
a. In class, we will occasionally discuss readings, writing topics, or miscellaneous
language arts-related topics. While it is encouraged, students will not be forced to
verbally contribute to discussions. It is still expected that all students be active
listeners and pay attention to what their peers say regarding the topic at hand.
D. Debates
a. We may sometimes have debates based on readings we have completed, or certain
writing topics. During debates, all students will be expected to at least contribute
Jesus Espinoza – TEL 311 – 8 April 2018

once to the conversation; this can either be a starting point, a rebuttal, or a

supporting statement.
Independent/Seat Work
When provided time to work on a worksheet or other assignment in class, students are expected
to stay on task and complete the assignment by the end of class or whenever else I state it is due.
A. Collaboration
a. While students will typically be expected to finish class assignments/worksheets
individually, students are allowed to talk with peers about the assignment unless I
state otherwise (practice tests/quizzes, draft writing, etc.)
b. If a student would like to work with another student who does not sit near them,
they should raise their hand and ask me if they can move to sit by that student. If I
notice that students who were allowed to move to work together are not on task,
they will be asked to return to their assigned seats.
B. Teacher Assistance
a. Students can either raise their hands or come to my desk if they need help on an
assignment.
C. Out of Seat
a. Students are allowed out of their seats if they are getting something necessary to
complete the assignment or any other items they may need.
b. Students are allowed out of their seats to ask peers about a question or something
else related to the assignment they are working on. If I notice that they are
discussing something unrelated to the assignment, the student out of their seat will
be asked to return to their assigned seat.
D. Completed Work
a. When students are done with the assignment(s) of the day, they may work on
future work, or assignments for other classes. They may talk to the students
around them who are also finished, or ask if they can move to talk to a student
farther from them that has also finished the work. Talking volume should be kept
at a level considerate of those around them who are not yet done.

Grading Procedures
Basic Grades:
Grades are graded based on the following elements: participation, completion, effort, on-time
submission, and alignment to rubric standards.
A. Major Writing Assignments
a. Drafts and revisions will be graded based on participation, effort, and on-time
submission.
b. Final versions of papers will be graded according to the rubrics that are handed
out when students are first introduced to the assignment.
Jesus Espinoza – TEL 311 – 8 April 2018

B. Visual Projects and Presentations

a. Visual projects and presentations will be graded based on the presentation rubric
or the specific visual project assignment rubrics provided to students.
C. In-Class Work
a. In-class work will be graded based on participation and completion.
b. Group work will be graded per individual participation.
D. Homework
a. Homework will be graded based on participation, effort, and on-time submission.
E. Class Portfolio and Writing Journal
a. The class portfolio and journal will be reviewed for grading at the end of each
quarter. These will be graded based on effort and completion.
F. Extra Credit
a. Extra credit will be offered as added on work to some assignments, or reading
reflections based on books or short stories from a provided list.

Late Assignment Policy:

Most late assignments are accepted until five school days after the original due date, but points
will be deducted according to how many days after the due date a student turns work in.
Presentations/visual projects will typically not be accepted on any other day except the
presentation date that the student signed up for. Class portfolios and writing journals will not be
accepted for grading per quarter after the last day of each quarter. For example, if a student turns
in their portfolio and/or journal at the end of the second quarter but did not have it/them in at the
end of the first quarter, they will only be graded for what was completed for the second quarter.
A. Major Writing Assignments
a. Major writing assignments will not be accepted past five days after the initial due
date. For each day of those five that it is late, five points will be deducted. This
means that on day five after the due date, the highest grade possible is 75/100
points – a 75%, or a C.
B. Homework
a. Homework will not be accepted past five days after the initial due date.
Homework will typically be graded on effort and participation, so only one point
out of ten will be removed each day. This means that on day five after the due
date, the only grade possible is 5 points out of 10 – a 50%

Attendance Procedures
Students’ participation grades for the class are also based on their attendance to the class. If
students know that they will be absent for exceptional reasons, they are expected to advise me at
least three days before being absent. If students are unexpectedly absent to school/class for an
exceptional reason, they should see me before class or after school to explain what occurred that
Jesus Espinoza – TEL 311 – 8 April 2018

made them absent. A student’s participation grade will not be negatively affected if they provide
a legitimate reason for their absence.
A. Unless there is a very exceptional reason for absence (e.g. extended medical absence,
which should also be reported to the school’s attendance department), students are
expected to make up work assigned on the days that they missed.
a. Only work from the previous three class days will be available. (e.g. if it is
Tuesday, only work from Monday, Friday, and Thursday will be available to
obtain copies of without needing to ask me)
b. Students absent for extended periods (~over a week) should make time before or
after the absence period to meet with me and discuss how they can make up
missed work from past the previous three days.
B. Students who are late thirty minutes or over after the period has begun will be marked
absent unless they have a note from the office that excuses them.

Miscellaneous
Restroom:
Students will not be required to ask to use the restroom unless an incident occurs due to this and
it would be better to have students to ask me. Regardless if students need to ask or not, students
are always required to sign out at the clipboard by the door and take and return the hall pass.
Only one student is allowed to be out at a time, so they should be considerate of other students
who may need to use the restroom.
Contacting Parents/Guardians:
Circumstances in which I may contact a student’s parent(s)/guardian(s) include: a student being
continuously disruptive in class, a student constantly missing class without properly explaining
the situation to me, a student is demonstrating academic problems and I need to conference with
the parent(s)/guardians, a student is having problems with another peer in the classroom.
Signals:
When students hear a timer go off, students are expected to turn their attention to me so that I
may provide instructions for the next task we will be completing.
Announcements and Other Interruptions:
When announcements are on, both students and I should mostly be silent and paying attention to
what is being said. If another teacher/faculty member walks in to talk to me, students should
keep their voice volume low, if not silent, or continue to work on the assignment at hand.
Special Equipment:
Jesus Espinoza – TEL 311 – 8 April 2018

Students are expected to handle special materials like school laptops with the utmost care and
respect. With laptops, students will be expected to sign out their name next to the number of the
laptop they are using in class.
Fire/Lockdown Procedure:
Students and teachers are expected to strictly follow the school’s procedures regarding fire
(drills) and lockdowns. In fire evacuation, students should remain orderly, attentive, and will not
impede another person’s path. In lockdowns, students should remain very quiet, if not
completely silent, and listen to all procedures provided by me or the announcement system.

References
Emmer, E. T., & Evertson, C. M. (2013). Classroom Management for Middle and High School

Teachers. Boston, U.S.A.: Pearson.