Welcome to Sophomore World Studies!

Ms. Erickson
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Hello class, my name is Ms. Erickson, and I am looking forward to a great year with this sophomore World Studies class! Here are a few guidelines and classroom information that is necessary to make this year in World Studies successful, and even fun!

Ms. Ericksons World Studies Guidelines

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Please treat others the way you would expect to be treated. Respect others opinions even when they differ from your own is expected. Please raise your hand when you want to speak (unless otherwise specified). Always respect academic integrity. Appropriate language will always be used.
Please fell free to ask any question you may have. Remember

there is no such thing as a stupid question!

If you need help, always feel free to ask. You can email me at

erickso3@illinois.edu.

_______________________________________________________________________ Ms. Ericksons World Studies Procedures Beginning of Class- On days when an assignment is due, please

place your completed work in the homework tray that is located in the front of the classroom. After homework is turned-in, please bring out your World history book, a notebook, folder, and writing utensil.
Classroom Discussions- Please remember to respect your peers

and their opinions. Participation in daily discussions will help you to earn your five daily participation points.
Late Assignments- Each day that an assignment is late a half

letter grade will be deducted. This does not apply to days when you have an excused absence.
Promptness- Please come on time to class each day. One of the

five daily participation points will be deducted each day you are late. These point deductions can add up, so please do your best to always arrive to class promptly.
Absences- Students will not be penalized for an unexcused

absence. We will discuss new due dates if excused absences occur on the days of assessments or homework due dates. Also, I expect that there will be no cutting, or skipping of class. In the case of an unexcused absence, there will be no late homework collected.
_______________________________________________________________________ Ms. Ericksons World Studies Consequences I expect that there will be no behavioral issues in this class. However, if we encounter any, there are 4 consequences:

If a guideline or procedure is broken, a warning will be issued. We will discuss the proper protocol so that you are fully aware of the consequences of your actions. If a guideline or procedure is broken a second time, one after school detention will be required. If a third guideline or procedure, one after school detention will be required, and a referral to the dean will be issued.

 If a fourth guideline or procedure is broken, one after school detention will be required, a referral to the dean will be required, and a conference with a parent or guardian will be scheduled.
*** Remember, if you are having any difficulties or feel that there is something you need to address with me, please discuss it with me before or after class. You could also shoot me an email. I am here to help, and make your experience in World Studies the best it can possibly be! ***
_______________________________________________________________________ Ms. Ericksons World Studies Positive Reinforcement A reward will be given to the class every month that there are

no more than one consequence earned per week. This means that each week there can be no more than one day where a member of the class receives one of the consequences (not counting a warning). When a week has more than one consequence given out the count starts over. When a month of positive behavior passes we will have a reward day, and there will be a class vote over the prize. Majority rules, this is a democracy! There will be a choice between the viewing of a historically relevant Hollywood movie, or a historically relevant game. I hope that we will have many reward days this year!
Each student will have the opportunity to win their own

special reward. The special reward will be a chance to pick something out of the Star Student Candy Chest. This will happen when a student turns in five consecutive completed assignments on time.
*** Please inform me of any food allergies. ***
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Reflection
Please treat others the way you would expect to be treated. Respect others opinions even when they differ from your own is expected. This guideline about respecting the opinions of peers is very important to me. Since I will be teaching in a very diverse inner-city school there is bound to be a diverse array of opinions. The main way that I will teach this guideline is through the modeling format. I will make sure to show respect to students opinions when they are voiced during class discussions. I will say things like That is a valid point. I will praise students for sharing and thank them for their opinion. I will also have lessons that center around assigned debate topics. At times, students will be expected to present in debates and they will eventually have to present an opinion or belief that they may not hold themselves. After these debates we will have a discussion that centers on the diversity of opinions and hot they are created. We will talk about ways to see the other side of situations, and discuss how people could have come to their conclusion. This will force students to look at how the dissenting opinions are crafted. I will check the understanding over the course of the discussion. To make sure I have reached all students I will make sure to call on a variety of different students, not just the ones who often volunteer but the quieter students as well. The open discussions will be beneficial to any students I have in the classroom that may have difficulty writing on worksheets or taking more traditional formal written assessments. The least difficult part of this assignment was keeping the guidelines in the positive. I like this concept, and I feel that it is important for the overall mood of the classroom. I like how the positive guidelines start the students off on an upbeat note, and do not make them feel like they are in trouble right off the bat. The most difficult part for me was the creation of consequences. It is hard to

make set consequences when every situation is different. I will have to learn to balance being flexible with being strict.