Syllabus

Ms. Woodmans Class

2017-2018 School Year

Introduction
Hello everyone, and welcome to English 9. I am excited to have you in our class this year, and
for all of the wonderful opportunities that you will have throughout the course. The study of
literature is nothing more than the study of a persons thoughts that were at some point put onto
paper. It is important for us to understand these thoughts, because literature can help us better
understand each other, ourselves, and the world around us. We will be diving into the minds of
many talented authors, as well as your own intellectual minds. Each one of you are going to have
the chance to express your own thoughts, and discover ways to effectively share your voice in
the classroom, and outside of the classroom.
Procedures
Beginning of Class:
Students will enter the class and immediately take out their writing journals and a pencil. The
warm up discussion question will be on the board, and students will have five minutes after the
final bell as rung to have the response completed. Once the final bell rings, signaling the start of
class, each student needs to have their journals open, and be writing silently. Students will
receive a one minute warning to finalize their thoughts. When the time is up, selected students
will share their responses and we will discuss. The question will either pertain to the days
studies, or recap on the previous days studies.
End of Class:

Students will not pack up their belongings while there is class time left. I as the teacher will
indicate to students when they can pack up, which will generally be about a minute before the
bell rings, unless I need to finish giving instruction. If students are working on an assignment
that requires the use of extra tools such as colored pencils, markers, etc., all supplies will need to
be put away, and trash will need to be thrown away before students are allowed to leave. The
classroom may not be left a mess for the next class.
Student Absences/MakeupWork:
Students who are absent should not approach me to ask for their missed assignments. In the back
of the classroom will be a bin with folders labeled Monday through Friday. In each folder will be
any worksheets that were passed out during the missed class. On my classroom Weebly page, I
will upload any PowerPoints or presentations done in class, as well as a quick overview of what
was discussed, such as any newly introduced assignments. After students have completed all of
these steps, I am more than open to any questions about missed work. Students who were absent
will have as many days as they were absent to make up the work. If they were absent on a
Monday and come back to school Tuesday, they will have one day (due Wednesday) and so on.
Student Work:
The time needed to grade student work will vary on the length of the assignment. When students
have completed an assignment, I will give them a general time upon which their grades will be
determined. Lengthy essays or projects will take no longer than three weeks to be graded. For
worksheets or multiple choice exams, grading will not take longer than a week. When student
work needs to be passed back, I will do so while students are quietly answering their warm up
questions. Students will not be able to ask me about their grade until after class.
Late work:

In the case that a student does not turn in an assignment on time, late work will be accepted with
a penalty. Each day after the due date, an automatic 20% will be taken off of the grade. That
means that a student only has four days after the due date to turn in any assignment for credit. If
there is an outside circumstance affecting the completion of work or any unique circumstance
such as a family emergency, feel free to contact me to discuss work.
Communication:
I will best be able to communicate through my email. I will need at least 24 hours to respond. Do
not rely on waiting till the night before something is due to ask questions, because I may not see
it. Also for parents. Email is also the best way to reach me after hours. I will be communicating
with parents when their childs grades begin to approach a D grade, as well as when there are
behavioral issues, or even in the case of excellent performance where a student deserves
recognition.
Grade Scale
100% - 90% A
89% - 80% B
79% - 70% C
69% - 60% D
59% - 0 %

Expectations:
This class will cover mature topics, and will require participation from mature students. This
class will require complete respect for other students and their opinions to ensure a safe learning
environment, where students feel free to share, as well as make mistakes. Students are not
expected to change their positions on topics, however each person needs to be treated with

kindness, and needs to be heard equally when sharing ideas. Being open-minded does not mean
compromising who you are or what you believe in. Students will have many opportunities to see
things from another persons perspective, even if we do not all agree.
Rules:
I uphold all District and school rules/regulations in my classroom. During the first week of
school, each class will come up with their own set of rules for the class in order to ensure that
every student feels safe and respected. These rules will be agreed upon as a class, and will be
displayed on the wall throughout the year for reference.
Consequences:
Failure to uphold classroom rules and/or expectations may result in loss of privilege to
participate in class activities, which will greatly affect the students grade. Behavioral issues such
as being disruptive, using inappropriate language or gesture, or harmful behavior towards
another student will be dealt with immediately on the spot. This may result in after school hours,
lunch detention, or additional work depending on the action.
Materials:
As of now, the only material you will need for this course is a journal to do warm ups in, or
possibly some quick writes/short responses. I would like this to be a composition notebook, but a
spiral notebook will do just fine as well.
I look forward to having a wonderful year! The next page will have a signature sheet that
students will sign only after they have read, and understood the syllabus.
**NOTE: Teacher holds the right to adjust syllabus guidelines during the school year. Students
will be made aware of any changes.

I, _________________, have read the syllabus, and understand what is expected of me. I
understand classroom procedures and regulations, and agree to abide by what is outlined in the
syllabus.
_______________________
Student Signature

_______________________
Parent Signature