Thursday, October 15, 2015 - SECTION 6.1 / THEN DISCUSSED EXPECTATIONS

Today, class started with Mr. Clark's intent being to discuss the test that the class wrote on Wednesday, and going over the homework fromTuesday.  As is was, the students were very much all over the map in terms of progress, completion, understanding of policies, and understanding of mathematical material.  Some had their homework completed, some said they forgot their books at school last night and that this was the reason for not being finished.  Others cited the fact that they had been absent yesterday, and that this was why their homework was not completed.  Some claimed that their homework had in fact been completed, but was left at home.

1.) Mr. Clark will write any assigned homework on the board, and he expects that students copy this information down, so they are aware what they need to complete for next day.

2.) Mr. Clark also expects that students will bring their binders and textbooks home, so that they have all required materials necessary to complete assigned work (it is also expected that these materials make their way back to the school) as work left at home is considered incomplete.

3.) In the rare event that either or both of these first two expectations are not met, Mr. Clark has all necessary materials on his Math 8 Website (which students have been shown how to access, and how to navigate).  Mr. Clark will also do his best to update this blog, so that students can look at what was done in class in case they were absent or simply forgot to write down the assigned work from the board.  The website and the blog provide a "safety net" as the former contains all materials that may have been left at school, and the latter contains the description of what needs to be completed.  These will also allow students who are away to check the blog to see what was done in class (and what was assigned as homework), then find the materials on Mr. Clark's website, and get started.

4.) Students who have not completed assigned work will be assigned to homework club after school, and are expected to remain there until 4:00 or their work is totally up to date and properly completed (whichever happens first).  Completed work is described as totally finished (or at least all problems genuinely attempted) at the BEGINNING of the class that it is due.  Please note, being assigned to homework club is not a punishment for failing to have one's homework completed.  It is a solution to a problem.  The problem is that work remains unfinished, and homework club provides the opportunity to students to complete missing work in a supportive environment.  As such, even students that have a legitimate reason for having not completed assigned work will be assigned to homework club, because they too deserve a supportive environment to complete missing work.

This is a busy course with many learning outcomes to satisfy.  For many of our students, keeping up to date is the only way they will have any chance for success in this course(due to the vast amount of learning that must be demonstrated in a relatively short period of time.  I am hoping that students will understand why I have to have such tight policies, and that I do so with their likelihood of success in mind.

HOMEWORK - 

On Wednesday, students were asked to complete the 6.1 text work (P. 202 #4b, 5a, 6-12, 15, 16, 17) for Thursday.  Since many did not complete this, Mr. Clark reviewed the expectations, and asked that these questions be completed for Friday.  From this point forward, students arriving to class without homework completed will be assigned to homework club.