MR.

NAPIERSCMPLANSPRING2016

HelloStudentsandParents/Guardians,

Ifirstwanttocongratulateyouformakingitthisfarinthejourneyofyoureducation!I
recognizethetimeandeffortyouhaveputintoyourworkthusfarandrealizethatthisyearyou
willstrivetosurpassallthatyouhavepreviouslydone.Ifyouarenotinterestedinthesciences
andthenaturalworld,bythetimeyouleavethisclassyouwillhavegainedasignificantamount
ofinterestinthesubjectasitiseasilyappliedtotherealworldandyourlivedexperiences.This
yearyouwilldelvemuchdeeperintothewondersofthenaturalworldthanthatofprevious
yearsandIamexcitedtotakethisjourneywithyoufromthebasicsofscientificinvestigationto
theformationofthesolarsystemandlifeitself.Icanassureyouthatyouwilllearninthisclass
inawaythatwillrenderyoumastersofintroductoryearthscienceorbiologybyusinghandson
projectbasedlearningfieldbasedworkandplacedbasedobjectivestoconnectthecontentto
therealworld.Iamanaturalisticlearner,meaningIpreferlearningoutdoorswhilepartakingin
kinesthetic(handson)activities.Thisyearyouwillbeoutsidemorethanyouprobablyhave
beforeduringaclass,butIamabletoteachinawaythatissuitableforalllearningpreferences
bydoingthisevenifitisjusttositbeneathatreeoncampustotakeatest.Inregardstomyself,
IamAaronNapier,aproductoftheMiddleAppalachians.IgrewupintheBlueRidge
MountainsofVirginia,thelocationwheremywonderingandwanderingbegan.Ihavealways
beenintriguedbythephysicallandscapeandthevariousprocessesworkingtoshapeit,atraitI
feellikespawnedfromthesettinginwhichIwasraised.Iattendedasmallhighschooland
receivedanexceptionaloneononeeducationthereandthatfollowedmeintocollegeasI
attendedEmoryandHenryformyundergraduateandgraduatedegrees.Ienjoytravelling
primarilytoobservegeologicfeatures,butalsotoimmersemyselfindifferentcultures.Iseethat
peopleandcultureareproductsofthesurroundingenvironment.Ifinditnecessaryformeasan
educatortoexperiencesuchadynamicinordertoimplementplacedbasedlearningintolesson
planning.NotonlydoIhaveapassionforlearningandexperiencingthenaturalworld,butIam
overfilledwiththelongingtosharethecomplexsystemsoftheplanetEarthtoeveryone.I
understandthatinterestlevelsinregardstothesciencesvaries,butconnectingthecontentto
youreverydaylivedexperiencesismyprimaryaim.Finally,Ilookforwardtogettingtoknowall
ofyouthisyearanditisapleasureofminetobeyourEarthScienceteacherfortheremainderof
theschoolyear.Belowareprocedures,rules,consequences,andotherpertinentinformation
studentsshouldunderstandregardingmyclassroom.Pleasereviewthemandprovideasignature
onthelastpageforconfirmation.

Morning/classOpeningProcedures
StudentswillentertheclassroomasIwaitatthedoorandgreetthem,whichisimportant
ingeneratingpositiverelationshipswithstudents.Theywilldosoinanorganizedfashion,while
maintainingaquietdemeanor.IwilltakerollasIgreeteachstudentsomoretimecanbeused
forinstruction.Thestudentswilltaketheirseatsgetunpacked/organizedandbeginworkingon


MR.NAPIERSCMPLANSPRING2016

abellringerassignment.UponfinishingthebellringerIwillverybrieflyinquireastohowthe
studentsaredoing,againtomaintainpositiverelationshipswiththem.Inthecaseof1st
period/morningclassesstudentswillspend3minutesstretchingandmovingaroundtostimulate
theirbrainsbeforethelesson.Studentswillthenbeginthedayslessonbyintroductionwhich
usuallyconsistsofaquestionposed,avideo,astory,orabrainstormingsession.
RollTakingProcedure
EachdayIwillgreeteverystudentwhowalksintomyclassroom.Thisisdoneto
increasepositiverelationshipswithmystudents,butalsototakeroll.Iamusingthistechnique
soIcanhavelongerinstructiontimewiththestudents.OntherareoccasionIamunabletogreet
everystudentastheywalkintheclassroomIwilltakerollwhilethestudentsareengagedina
learningactivity,suchasabellringerassignmentorreading.
TardyProcedures
Intheinstanceastudentistardy,thatisnotintheclassroomornotinhisorherseat
beforethebellringsfortheperiodtobegin,heorshewillbemarkedtardy.Thispolicywillalign
parallelwithschoolpolicytoensureconsistency.Someaccommodationsmaybemade
accordingtostudent'sneeds,includingdisabilitiesorinjurieshinderingmobilityateacher
holdingastudentinanotherclasslongerthantheallottedtimeandotheraccommodationssetby
theschool.Ifthestudentistardyresultinginmissingassignmentsheorshewillhavetoconsult
withmeafterinstructiontomakeuptheworkmissed.

Absentstudentprocedures
Absentstudentprocedureswillremainconsistentwithschoolpolicy.Intheinstancethat
astudentisabsentheorshewillberesponsibleformakinguphisorhermissedassignments.
Theyhaveasmanydaystomakeupsuchworkastheschoolwillpermit,asstatedinthestudent
handbook.Ifexcessivestudentabsencesbegintoaffectlearningpotential,parentswillbe
notifiedandaparentteacherconferencemaybeorganized.Iwillkeepanotebook,whichwill
consistofstudentmissedwork(i.e.tests,quizzes,writingprompts)anditwillbeuptothe
studenttocontactmebeforeorafterinstructiontoreceivemakeupassignments.

PencilSharpenerProcedures
Intheeventastudentneedstosharpenapencil,heorshehastheprivilegetoutilizethe
pencilsharpenerinmyclassroomatanytimeduringtheclass.Ifsharpeningpencilsbecomea
disruptionthentheprivilegewillberevokedandthestudentwillhavetoaskforpermissiontodo
so.Iwillalsoprovideabasketofpencils,whichwillbelocatedonmydesk,forstudentswhodid
notbringapenciltomyclass.Thestudentwillberesponsibleforreturningthepencilafterthe
periodisover.
ClassroomRules
Studentsaretofollowallschoolanddistrictrulesinadditiontotherulessetforthinmy
classroom.Myclassroomwillcenteraroundrespectforbothclassmatesandtheclassroomitself.
Iwillfacilitateadiscussionanddevelopasetofclassroomruleswitheachofmyclassesthefirst
day.Thisallowsstudentstoholdthemselvesaccountablebyinvolvingthemintherulemaking


MR.NAPIERSCMPLANSPRING2016

process.Itypicallytendtofocusonthe5PRulesofasuccessfullearningenvironment:
prompt,prepared,productive,polite,andpositive.Thestudentgeneratedclassroomruleswillbe
displayedatalocationwheretheycaneasilybeseen,suchasthefrontoftheclassroom.
ClassroomConsequences
Intheeventastudentbehavesinamannerthatopposesrulessetbytheschoolorthe
rulesestablishedonthefirstdayofclass,consequenceswillensue.Again,consequenceswill
adheretoschoolpolicytoallowforconsistency.Theywillbedecidedonacasebycasebasis
accordingtoseverityandoccurrenceofthenegativebehavior.
ClassroomRewards
Studentswillbeexpectedtofollowclassandschoolrules,aswellastocontributeto
classroomdiscussion.Furthermore,studentswillpresentthemselvesasqualityclassroom
citizens.Inthecasestudentsactresponsiblybycontributingtoalectureorclassdiscussion,heor
shewillberewardedbytheadditionofthecontributiontotheImportantConceptsbulletin
boardwhichwillbelocatedsomewhereonthewallintheclassroom.Ifstudentsactina
responsiblewaybybeingagoodclassroomcitizen,suchashelpingapeerorhelpingtheteacher,
heorshewillbenominatedforstudentofthemonthasdeterminedbytheschool.Inaddition,
studentswillberewardedbyquizandexamexemptionsaccordingtoacademicperformance.
SchoolwideProcedures
Myclasswillfollowproceduresassetbytheschoolandschooldistrict.These
proceduresaremadeavailabletostudents,parents,andteachersinthestudenthandbook.
BehaviorInterventions
Interventionstoaddressandcorrectnegativebehaviorwillremainconsistentwithschool
adistrictpolicy.Myclassroomwillbeformattedina3tieredsysteminregardstobehavior
intervention.Ifthebehaviorispetty,suchastalkingonceoutofturnImayaddressthestudent
quietlyduringclassorawayfromhisorherpeersafterinstruction.Thesecondtierof
interventionisforstudentswhoproducerepetitivenegativebehavioraftertheprimarytierhas
beenimplemented.Thesecondtierisalsousedformoreseverebehaviorsuchasusing
derogatorylanguagetowardsclassmatesortheinstructor.Thethirdtierisutilizedforthemost
severecases,suchasastudentendangeringothersand/ordamagingschoolproperty.Such
interventionsunderthistierincludedetention,parentnotification,lossofschoolwideprivileges,
behaviorcontracts,and/oradministrativeintervention.

BeginningSeatingArrangement
Iwillhavealistofstudentsineachofmyclassesandwillrandomlyassignthemseatson
thefirstdayofclass.Thiswillbedonebywritingstudentsnamesonnotecardsandplacing
thematdifferentseats.Thestudentswillentertheclass,findtheirname,andthatiswherethey
willsitforthefirsttwoweeks.AfterthattwoweeksisoverIwillrandomlychangetheseating
arrangement.Thisrandomizedseatingmethodsteersclearofbiasesandisexcellentin
structuringaclassroomsettingtohelpwithmanagement.


MR.NAPIERSCMPLANSPRING2016

ClassSeatingChart
Theclassseatingchartwillnotonlybemadeavailabletothestudentsonmydesk,but
canbeaccessedbyparentsafterarequesthasbeenfiled.Suchrequestsarenecessaryandseating
chartsaremadeprivateforsecurityreasonsandtoensurestudentsafety.Again,theseatingchart
willbegeneratedrandomlyandwillchangeonabiweeklybasis.
WorkingTogetherinGroups
Myclasseswilloftenbeengagedingroupworkasthenatureofthecourseiscentered
aroundlabexperiences.Therearecertainproceduresthatwillbefollowedduringalessonthat
involvescollaborativework.Studentswillrandomlybeputintogroups.However,Iwillpay
closeattentiontopairingtomitigatebehaviorissues.Inexample,iftwostudentsinteractina
waythatisdisruptive,Iwillmakesurenottoputthosestudentsinthesamegroup.Studentswill
benotifiedastohowthegroupdynamicshouldwork.Collaborativeworkisnotanexcusefora
studenttositidlywhiletheirpeerscompleteallofthework.Infact.studentswillcompletea
groupevaluationformattheendofthegroupassignmentwheretheywillevaluatetheother
studentsintheirgroup.Theevaluationswillbeincorporatedintofinalgrades.
GradeSummary:
Studentswillbeassessedusingbothformativeandsummativeassessments.Studentswill
beactiveworkingonacumulativeprojectthroughouttheyearusingskillslearnedinclassand
willbeweighedthehighestat40%.Othersummativeassessmentsutilizedinthisclasswillbe
teststocheckforunderstanding,aswellasquizzesfocusingontermsthatshouldbeunderstood
andwillcollectivelymakeup30%.Studentswilloftenbeengagedinlabwork,whichwillmake
up15%oftheirgrade.Studentswillworkondailybellringerstogaugepriorknowledgeorto
checkforunderstanding,activelyparticipateinclassdiscussions,andanswerquestionsto
enhanceengagementduringlecturewhichwillcountasparticipationandmakeup15%.

CumulativeProject40%
Tests20%
LabAssignments15%
Participation15%
Quizzes10%

Sincerely,

Mr.AaronNapier

StudentName:__________________________________________

Parent/GuardianSignature:______________________________Date:________________


MR.NAPIERSCMPLANSPRING2016