Name: Chuck Tabb
Subject: English IV Standard, English IV Honors
Classroom Expectations: Students should come prepared (as in ready to learn, etc.) with loose-leaf paper, #2 pencil, black or blue ink pen, a small, spiral-bound notebook in which to take notes, and any book or other material we might be reading that is not in the textbook. Textbooks for classroom use will be provided daily. Also, I promise not to interrupt the student when he or she is speaking to the class, but I expect the same courtesy in return.
Rules/Regulations (The Four BE's): Be prepared; be on-task; be prompt; be respectful
My grading on assignments is as follows:
*Most classwork and homework count a weight of .5, or 1/2 of a quiz grade.
*Quizzes count 1.0, or full weight. (This means two zeroes on classwork = a zero on a quiz.)
*Tests count 2.0, or twice a quiz grade.
*Projects count 4.0, or four times a quiz grade.
*Final averages for a quarter are on a points-earned basis (total points earned divided by points possible).
Attendance: Just like success or failure, it is up to you. However, you cannot succeed in my class if you are absent. Makeup work (makeup quizzes and tests, etc.) nearly ALWAYS earns a lower grade than work completed at the assigned time. Late work will lose FORTY (40) POINTS and is not accepted after two school days have passed unless you have spoken to me and arrangements are made. Projects and other long-term assignments lose TWENTY-FIVE points per day late. Projects more than two days late are not accepted. An assignment is late once I have collected it and put a paper clip on the ones collected.
I am always willing to help students who are trying. I have little sympathy for students who wait until the last moment to try to improve their grades. You will find me very helpful if you need the help and you have demonstrated in the past that you are interested in passing my class. On the other hand, if you approach my class as not worth your time, I can't see why you would object to my feeling that your desire to pass at the last minute is worth my time. After all, not passing English in your senior year equals not graduating. Why would you choose to WASTE the previous twelve years of your education by failing this FINAL class needed to graduate?
I maintain a page on my website titled, "If You Were Absent" with a date range that covers two weeks of class. Guess what I post there? You got it! I post WHAT WE DID IN CLASS EACH DAY AND THE ASSIGNMENTS WE DID IN CLASS, INCLUDING QUIZZES OR TESTS, ETC! This way if you are absent, there is NO REASON for you to show up NOT knowing what we did and what you owe me to earn a grade for the day missed. Have assignments from your text or from pages posted on my website, such as questions to answer on a reading assignment, WITH you when you return to school. This way, you do not get behind, I do not have to answer the time-consuming questions, and EVERYONE is happy. Not only that, such actions impress your teacher (that would be me) a great deal, thus helping him when he is writing those recommendations so many people who are making decisions about your future want from your senior English teacher. Therefore, CHECK MY WEBSITE IF YOU ARE ABSENT!!!!!!! Got it? Good.
Now, allow me to give you a small hint, as well. I have a motto, several really, but this one is a phrase borrowed and altered slightly from Dante's The Divine Comedy: "Abandon all attitudes, ye who enter here." So called "attitudes" get you absolutely nowhere with everyone you meet. Come to class with an open mind. Doing so is a great life lesson for you, and you might be surprised at the results.
Finally, a class set of textbooks are available for use in the room daily. Textbooks checked out to you will be for taking home and leaving there for home use until I collect them when the class is ending for the semester. Not returning or paying for a lost book will get your diploma pulled as we approach graduation. I would define that as definitely NOT fun.
Curriculum for the beginning of English IV:
We start with a study of Beowulf. We will look at the culture of the Anglo-Saxons as revealed in the work as well as the themes of what is considered the national epic of England, even though the story does not take place there. In fact, it originated in Scandinavia, which is the region of the world where the Anglo-Saxons originated.
