Grade 8 First Day Sept. 2, 2014

   Hey, I'm Bell Dude. Every day when you come to class, you will start by answering  whatever I ask. 

The bell work could be long, short, a quiz, a writing assignment, etc.  (up to 5 - 10 minutes)

We collect bells (and everything) every Friday - you can use the same paper all week. Keep it in your folder to pass up Friday.  

The first bell is an easy one - jump right in!

First Social Studies Bell Dude:  What is YOUR definition of History?  Write a thoughtful answer

 

class notes - 

7:30 - 8:15 - homeroom
8:15 - 8:45 - Specials (1/2 hour)
8:45 - 9:15 - 7th Social
9:15 - 11:30 - 7th Reading

11:30 - Switch! 

11:30 - 12:30 - 8th Reading
12:30 - 1:15 - Lunch / recess (45)
1:15 - 2:15 - 8th Reading
2:15 - 2:45 8th Social Studies

10:15-10:30 Break if earned
2:00 Break+Switch

Homework assignment - supply lists, locks for lockers

           Understanding Perspective and Setting

Nuts and Bolts of this class - Here we go:

1. Every day we will start with a bell. 
2. Don't make me ask you to get started.  

Next,




Get ready 'cause I'm gonna cruise through this material ... 

I will talk more today (and this first week or so) than the rest of the semester combined. 

Be respectful and hang in there with me. 

I DO want you to know how to do well in here.   So ... here's how

First thing's first:

1. notes - taking and keeping
2. quizzes based on those notes - usually daily. Starts tomorrow.
3. tests - based on those quizzes.  everything builds on the thing before it ...
4. fun stuff! creative projects - lots of them.

• What you NEED: Your textbook stays here, paper, and a pen.
• You need to hang on to your notes all year - pocket folder or 3-ring folder works best.
• box of crayons or colored pencils is helpful
• one box of kleenex per student is very helpful - everything else on list
• seating - where you want, but make sure you help substitutes.  More on that to come. 

> Assignments are turned in every Friday, so you need to hold onto them every week

• There will usually be a small, quick daily quiz - on the material from the day before.

Class Procedures and Policies

• bathroom - plan A, plan B (respect thing here)
• make up work / retesting by arrangement 
• makeup policy - DO THIS, below, before asking me "what did I miss?

First: check the website, then ask a classmate. Then, come see me to confirm what you missed.

Got it? check site, ask a peer, then ask me.

• food and drink
• NO red, seeds or gum
• cell phones 
• cheating / plagiarism 
• guests in our class (and rule number 3)
• role of this website in our class
• unfinished work = homework
• class trays
• running class yourselves / substitutes
• getting your attention - I will never fight for your attention. Ever. When I start talking, you stop. This is at the heart of respect ... and respect is a two-way street in here. 
• class leaders
• running class yourselves - attendance to handouts to website (drills)
• look around at rules posted on walls ... tell me what you see.

Once more:  Daily - bring paper, something to write with, your notebook, art supplies. 

I have extras, but if you come every day without your materials, you are not doing your job as a student.

More stuff you need to know

I didn't used to ask for this - I just expected it.

Sadly, I need to actually say it.

• no touching each other. No lap sitting, no wrestling or punching. DUH

• in seats at bell / quiet and working
• packing up early - don't. 

- tardies: A big deal - tardies are part of attendance and that is a LEGAL matter.

To me tardy is a respect thing. Running in my door every day at bell makes both of us look stupid. Don't do it.

If you are walking halls, causing trouble or are gone too long - makes both of us look foolish. Don't do it. 

• hallway talks - we have lots of them for lots of reasons
• my detention policy

• don't write on desks. DUH.  

____


Computers

Computers are for you.

 I worked at a really wealthy school my last year in North Carolina, and they didn't even have six computers in the room.

Respect that.  You are old enough to know what you need to be doing and what you shouldn't. Please don't make me waste your classmates' time with watching over your shoulder.    That's disrespect to yourself, your classmates and to me.

We will use computers before school, for group projects, and occasionally when work is done early.



CHANGE OF PLANS ....


1.  EXPECTATIONS FOR YOURSELF ... WHAT I NOTICED, TALKING WITH MR. KARL

ATTITUDE WE SEE:   OH THIS SCHOOL IS GHETTO - I'M NOT TRYING

I'M NOT TAKING MYSELF SERIOUSLY; I CAN'T SUCCEED ANYWAY - way their attitude seems.

SO.

Write to me and yourself a letter for your own expectations.   How do you respect yourself?

what are your dreams? Do you believe in yourself?



2. FLOOR - ???

Okay, moving on ...

First day stuff to pass out

• syllabus

All forms and syllabus can be found at our online filing cabinet.  I will let you know when I add something to it.

Index cards:

• Your name
• Your contact info: Cell, email
• Your parent or guardian's phone
• Your parent or guardian's email
• I want to be able to contact YOU as well as your parent / guardian

Remember, everything's online for the most part. Let's take a quick guided tour of the website. Actually using this site will help your grade! 

I put a lot of time into this site, every day for you guys. 

Use it, learn it, respect it. 

Lastly: Absolutely no standing by the door and crowding for the final bell. I think I said that.

Stop for a moment, and be courteous. Pick things up.     Respect.  You have no idea, yet, how far respect will get you with me.  But you will understand more as we go.

If I am happy, you will be happy.  It's really that simple. 


a few more basics -

 bell procedure reviewed ...

• every day
• start on your own
• come in, sit down, get started. chat quietly with your neighbor, but get started.
• Yes I WANT you to feel relaxed in here. But work AND talk. Humans are remarkable creatures - we can do two things at once! 

Be ready to work bell to bell - you will see I give you PLENTY of time to socialize.  


IF I AM NOT HERE - LOG ONTO THE COMPUTER AND GO TO OUR WEBSITE.

TAKE CHARGE.  Politely explain to the sub that EVERYTHING is online, and you can help him or her scroll right through the day's stuff!   I find that most subs are cool with this.

- more on this later, but it's your class and I expect you to know how to run it.  Again, you'll understand this a bit more as we go.

- I will be looking for LEADERSHIP.   We will start to do sub drills This Week!


A few requests from custodian staff we will respect in here ...




NO red, no sunflowers, no gum.   

You can come to class with an entire fried chicken dinner - just bring me some - but you can't do red, seeds or gum.   

Anything else to make you comfortable.

There's a way we move through the building. 

First - on a very strict Yellow.  (See Stop Light - Red, Yellow, Green). 

Second - in lines.   Young men and young ladies - 2 lines. 

This is for fire drills, moving to specials like Gym, Art, Music.  

We will practice moving through building.   When we move through building, we are showing the rest of the school what the school leaders look like.   

- Respect

-Don't tick off Mr. Bank

Okay - Restroom - We'll have break every day, and go down together as a class.

Procedure once more - 2 lines ... On a Tight Yellow ... Wash hands ... come back and use Sanitizer! 

Use a ton of sanitizer - I don't want you guys missing school because you are sick, and I don't want to be out either. 

LOCKERS

I will assign them by last name.   Get a combination lock and give it to me.

NO Key Locks!  They turn into big problems.  Get a combination lock - and give me the combination too.

More about my expectations ... 

• values
• my choice to be here - vs. what I could be doing 
• IBH / my background - nothing I haven't seen or heard.  Impossible to shock me. 

Oh - the importance of ...

. . . respect, please, thank you . . . Yes Sir, No ma'am (for your female teachers!) ... 

.........................

? do you have the right to be respected?

Well then,

you have the responsibility to treat others with respect.


Discipline policy - school's and mine
paper, pens, crayons 
work trays
pass up procedure for weekly work

Finally - why my class is different - this is the key to everything!

• Letters from last semester's students to YOU:

NEXT,

Let's meet the cast of classroom characters!

  Note taking 

- one of most important things you will do in my class


  end of day / wrap up assignment 

 Movie Guy. I spend hours looking for movies for you guys - to break up the class and make it more interesting ... and because I understand this is how you guys learn.

So I have expectations when I play movies - same as when I talk.

Quick review of my two main rules:

Don't talk when I talk; don't talk when I play movies.

Movies and rule #3

 The ladder principle

Marzano Grading Scale - How we grade in here

 The cupcake - this is how we write formally in here

- Check it out, I already started stocking up on paper plates and cups.

 Housecleaning ...

 Standing assignment guy - work to be done on your own time - a lot of before school work might be standing assignments

Quiet time - I expect it to be on red (notice the stoplight)

 Purple ball time (and expectations)

 Grade Boosters

• Morning Work before class
• Where to find it
• How it boosts your grade - can raise - or lower - entire letter grades. 

  Teams!

We will use teams - A, B, C, D - for group activities, getting on the computers, contests, games, etc.     Teams are ...

 When you see me walking around with a legal pad or attendance roster in my hand - I'm grading you.

 Adult Stewie means a creative assignment.

 This means we are going off track, and I want to prevent us from going totally in a ditch. Hopefully we don't see this one.

 This means we are thinking on a higher level, or it's extra credit

 This means we are engaging in a careful reading of the text.

 This means pass up your assignment - don't hold on until Friday as usual.

 Writing Workshop

  Ninja Training

 Quote of the week or wisdom

... and finally ...  Redneck Vince. 

We don't want to see him. We just don't.

So - what about the big ? - how do we do well in here? 

It's so simple, so don't complicate it!

1. Come to class
2. Do your work. Be social, relax a bit - but do your work. 
3. Respect. Don't break my key rules 
4. Show leadership. 

I promise you a good grade if you follow these simple guidelines.

And again, I promise to respect you.




 Oh, this means switching gears, btw. That was a lot of talking. Let's take a breather with a semi-informal activity ...


We are a small class which is cool.  I want us to get to know each other better.

Think of the answers to these questions.  Then stand up (or sit down if you prefer) and answer.   If you are just not in the mood today, say, "pass today." 

- you can write it on the bell paper

1. Your name
2. Favorite movie
3. Favorite food
4. Do you believe in aliens / monsters like bigfoot?
5. Cat or Dog person? 
6. Did you go here last year ... ? 

Let's share!  

 Okay, switching gears briefly ... 






Facts:  

1. Tests suck.  But you have to take them, and you have to do well to move on with your goals.
2. My classes get very high scores on tests
3. I will train you and coach you, but you have to trust me - and listen to me. I am your teacher, but I'm also your coach.  
4. You are taking an OAA bubble-type test at the end of this semester.  
5. I want a commitment from everyone in here that you will work to getting the highest scores in this school. 

     I'll let Ashton give a little pep talk here ...



Part II of this Champion conversation:

My class will feel relaxed; a lot of students say, "I learned stuff and it didn't even feel like learning."

- Upside: Class atmosphere
- BUT:  Your responsibilities: show leadership and respect at all times


Let's go Beast Mode.  It's your life - live it like a champion, or just be average.  It's 100% your choice. 


 Okay, switching gears again ... 


First Hour = Social Studies

NEXT 2 Hours = English / Reading

So First up today is Social Studies.  

Class normally will jump right into a Social Studies bell, then we'll take it from there.

BREAK: 3 hours is a long time.   

I really want to give you a break between Social Studies and English.

You have to earn your break every day.  

________________________

Next,  Let's go ahead and continue with Social Studies

- We started by asking What is History? 

   Personal Coat of Arms

WALL QUALITY ALERT

To Do:  Let's get familiar with the art supplies, and get comfortable with moving around this work space. 



In the Middle Ages, people used a Coat of Arms to identify themselves in battle.  The symbols are chosen carefully to represent the people or families. 

To Do: 

 Create your own COAT of ARMS based on your hobbies, personality, character and family.    (need class leaders to help pass out papers)

Read through the list of colors, animals and symbols shown below—which represent you?

Can you think of more animals or symbols that you could use on your Coat of Arms ?

Include the following information on your own Coat of Arms

1. A symbol / picture to represent an important place.
2. A symbol / picture to represent a hobby / activity
3. An animal that represents you
4. Any other symbol or picture that represents you.
5. Include a Personal Motto (words or a phrase that represent you) at the top

_____________________________________________



The brick wall will help you find English - and know Social Studies is over for the day.

This is very important for when a substitute is here.


English Class   Grade 8    7.2  Tuesday

    One cannot always be a hero, but one can always be a man or woman.  What does this mean?  

- try and write a 4
- remember, start writing the bell without being asked!








What makes a hero a hero?  (Or a leader a leader)


   Keep notes in your folders ... don't pass up notes when we pass up everything Friday!  

You CAN use notes on many tests and quizzes - so take them, and keep them. They are YOURS to hold onto in folders.

- one of most important things you will do in my class

Let's watch a quick clip, to see what makes some leaders stand out.

To Do: 1.  Write What Makes a Hero? on the top of your paper

2. List 5 things that makes a hero a hero

3. Write a paragraph about one of your favorite heroes. He or she can be real - like a relative - or from movies or books or games.


????????????????

What do we do with our work, unless I ask for it now? 

(hold onto it until .... ?) 


 Okay, switching gears ... 



Practice time! 

Remember - We are school leaders.

When we move through halls, we are not clowns. 

Let's practice lining up and moving through school for 1.  Bathroom and 2. Fire Drill

2 lines
young men, young women
RESPECT
VOICES ON YELLOW


 Okay, switching gears for the last time today ...

Okay, by this point, hopefully we've had a pretty awesome first day.

On the same sheet of paper you did your Bell Dude - do your closing assignment.

Today's assignment centers around a quote from a pretty awesome guy, Tony Dungy.


 (pic linked)




Tony writes:

"If you want to make a difference in the lives of the people you lead, you must be willing to walk alongside them, to lift and encourage them, and to spend time with them - not just shout down on them from high."

I am personally, right now, calling each of you to be leaders. 

I'm calling on you to step it up a notch, and bring respect back into your lives, your class, your school, your community and your country.



Closing activity: (Again on the bell dude sheet - hold onto it all week)

How are you a leader? At home, at school, in the community? Write it out.

And, what can you better to bring values and respect into your life - instead of just drifting along mindlessly with the pack?

There's no right answer - this is between you ... and you.