Is my student required to read 50 books this year? Click here for more information.
I expect your student to read 20 minutes every night and complete as many books as possible in a year.
Have you really taught for 23 years?
Yes. First at Orem High and then at Timpanogos High school, and this is the beginning of my 3rd year at Pleasant Grove Junior High.
You said in class...
We discuss many things in class. Part of my job is to show things from many different angles. This means we will be looking at current events (most will come from Kelly Gallagher's site) and in class we will look at the articles from many different angles.
Students will always have the responsibility to come home prior to our discussion to talk over their thoughts and feelings with you first. Articles of the Week are given one week in advance, and I will never share my personal opinion, only present multiple opinions in class much like an open debate forum so that they can see that both sides have a claim/warrant/evidentiary support (which is part of the Toulmin model in the current state core).
Students will always have the responsibility to come home prior to our discussion to talk over their thoughts and feelings with you first. Articles of the Week are given one week in advance, and I will never share my personal opinion, only present multiple opinions in class much like an open debate forum so that they can see that both sides have a claim/warrant/evidentiary support (which is part of the Toulmin model in the current state core).
I am doing my very best to learn how to deal with junior high students and their differing levels. My goal is that every activity in the classroom be an enjoyable, understandable, fun learning activity. I don't want any activity to be hijacked by a group of students who are uncooperative or uninterested in participating. 
After teaching more than 20 years, most of it working with kids with special needs like ADHD/ADD, reading deficiencies or fluency issues, dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, dysnomia, decoding, behavior disorders, Asperger's Syndrome, central auditory processing disorder, aphasia, (amongst other issues), I believe that every student deserves the opportunity to learn in the least restrictive environment. I am still trying to find the boundaries of that in junior high, while delivering high quality differentiated, rigorous, individualized education for every other student along the learning spectrum, including the gifted & talented.
My specialty is teaching lessons that touch on every learning style for every student. I try very hard to have tight lessons that teach the entire state core twice in a year before the core testing in April. Students will exit my class prepared for high school, and better yet, prepared for life.
My specialty is teaching lessons that touch on every learning style for every student. I try very hard to have tight lessons that teach the entire state core twice in a year before the core testing in April. Students will exit my class prepared for high school, and better yet, prepared for life.
I guarantee I am giving your student my very best every day.
Students will be working on the skills and specific goals we are learning. Our department will work together on remediation and skills. Your student will have a list of skills that must be passed off to receive credit. This will be in their composition book.
Students who need alternate remediation for specific assignments will be sent to Flex Premium or the Lunch Work Club.
Students who are not passing benchmark skills as determined by the 9th grade team will be invited to sign remediation contracts to complete work so they can pass the quarter. These will be specifically tailored to each student's individual need.