OUR AMERICAN HISTORY CLASS
My name is Christine Smalley and I am excited to be teaching for my fourth year Glenwood Springs High School. I taught Social Studies for three years at Glenwood Springs Middle School and taught for one year in Chicago, Illinois. I teach because I love working with students and believe in the importance of having a positive school experience. I am a track coach for the high school, and run a youth track program in the summer. I also have a three year old boy Drayton, who you will see around school.
I am looking forward to getting to know each student and build a respect for civics and history. Please contact me at any time if you have any concerns, questions, or ideas to share.
Christine Smalley
[email protected]
970-384-5583
room 2506
MY JOB:
YOUR JOB:
WE MUST:
What is History?
A. History Rocks!!!
B. History is YOU!!!
C. History is constantly changing (evolving and sometimes, de-evolving)
D. History is about PEOPLE!
E. History requires skills in reading, writing, mapping, analysis, and problem solving.
F. History requires you to think and think, and think some more.
G. History WILL MAKE YOU SMARTER!
Class Policies
SERIOUS FUN:
We will do our best to mix serious learning with fun and creativity. My philosophy is that people learn when they are enjoying what they are doing, like the environment in which they’re learning, and understand the importance of what they’re learning. We will do our best to ensure that these aspects of learning are evident in this classroom. However, YOU have an extremely important role in making our class a positive and fun place to learn.
EXPECTATIONS:
Throughout history there have been many revolutions and rebellions because were living under a set of rules, which were oppressive and unrealistic. In these revolutions, the leaders of the oppressive regime were hunted down and destroyed. We don’t want educational revolutions in our room, so in order to keep the peace, we have only a few specific rules and some general ones that will ensure the positive atmosphere of our room and make it a great place for us to be.
RULE NUMBER ONE: YOU WILL BE RESPECTFUL OF OTHER PEOPLE’S RIGHTS, RELIGION, PROPERTY, CULTURE, THOUGHTS, OPINIONS, HAIR COLOR, HEIGHT, WEIGHT, NUMBER OF PIERCINGS, FEELINGS, RACE, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, GENDER, AND MUSICAL TASTES.
HONOR CODE: Honor is a core value of our class. The purpose of this Honor Code is to instill a sense of honor and an atmosphere of trust among all members of the community. Honor can be difficult to define because it manifests itself in deeds more often than it does in words. We all desire a community in which trust, security, happiness, and respect are prevalent for their own sake and are practiced as second nature. To be an honorable member of this class is to employ respect, truthfulness, and civility. Your grade should be one that reflects your abilities and your work. As a member of this class, you will always submit work that is done with full effort, honesty, and give credit where credit is due.
2. Clean up after yourself.
3. Phones/I-pods/and stuff should never be out in a whole class setting. If we are talking together, I should not see your devices.
4. You know how you should conduct yourself in class. I will remind you once if you are not meeting my expectations. If you do not adjust your behavior, you may be asked to leave the class for a few minutes and talk to me before you come back in.
HOMEWORK: Homework is expected to be completed when you walk through the door. If it is not complete, you will be required to complete a bonus assignment. This bonus assignment is a take-home graded assessment and needs to be turned in at the beginning of the following class. If the bonus assignment is not completed, you will receive a one.
ABSENCES: Only an excused absence may be made up. You are responsible for making up work you missed. See me and we will find a time to catch up. Unexcused absences are not eligible for make up work; class is important make sure you come.
Materials:
1. A three-ring binder with paper.
2. Something to write with.
Grading Scale:
Roaring Fork is a standards-based school district. Our curriculum is aligned with the state standards. These standards are written at a certain level of understanding. Grades are based on the student’s ability to meet the standard. Below is a brief description of what each grade means.
A-Advanced (4): student exceeds the standard. This is not more work, but higher level of thinking.
B-Proficient (3): student meets the standard.
C-Partially Proficient (2): student is able to meet part of the standard, is able to meet the standard sometimes, or is able to meet the standard with help.
F-Unsatisfactory (1): student has not yet demonstrated an ability to meet the standard.
My name is Christine Smalley and I am excited to be teaching for my fourth year Glenwood Springs High School. I taught Social Studies for three years at Glenwood Springs Middle School and taught for one year in Chicago, Illinois. I teach because I love working with students and believe in the importance of having a positive school experience. I am a track coach for the high school, and run a youth track program in the summer. I also have a three year old boy Drayton, who you will see around school.
I am looking forward to getting to know each student and build a respect for civics and history. Please contact me at any time if you have any concerns, questions, or ideas to share.
Christine Smalley
[email protected]
970-384-5583
room 2506
MY JOB:
- Provide you with a clear learning goal so you know where you are going.
- Facilitate activities to ensure that you reach those goals.
- Guide and advise you in your learning.
- Provide feedback to you about your progress.
YOUR JOB:
- Participate in learning activities so you can better yourself.
- Analyze if you achieved the learning goal.
- Contribute to the learning environment.
- Work with me to make sure you are improving
WE MUST:
- Treat everyone with respect.
- Work together to make sure each student is growing.
What is History?
A. History Rocks!!!
B. History is YOU!!!
C. History is constantly changing (evolving and sometimes, de-evolving)
D. History is about PEOPLE!
E. History requires skills in reading, writing, mapping, analysis, and problem solving.
F. History requires you to think and think, and think some more.
G. History WILL MAKE YOU SMARTER!
Class Policies
SERIOUS FUN:
We will do our best to mix serious learning with fun and creativity. My philosophy is that people learn when they are enjoying what they are doing, like the environment in which they’re learning, and understand the importance of what they’re learning. We will do our best to ensure that these aspects of learning are evident in this classroom. However, YOU have an extremely important role in making our class a positive and fun place to learn.
EXPECTATIONS:
Throughout history there have been many revolutions and rebellions because were living under a set of rules, which were oppressive and unrealistic. In these revolutions, the leaders of the oppressive regime were hunted down and destroyed. We don’t want educational revolutions in our room, so in order to keep the peace, we have only a few specific rules and some general ones that will ensure the positive atmosphere of our room and make it a great place for us to be.
RULE NUMBER ONE: YOU WILL BE RESPECTFUL OF OTHER PEOPLE’S RIGHTS, RELIGION, PROPERTY, CULTURE, THOUGHTS, OPINIONS, HAIR COLOR, HEIGHT, WEIGHT, NUMBER OF PIERCINGS, FEELINGS, RACE, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, GENDER, AND MUSICAL TASTES.
HONOR CODE: Honor is a core value of our class. The purpose of this Honor Code is to instill a sense of honor and an atmosphere of trust among all members of the community. Honor can be difficult to define because it manifests itself in deeds more often than it does in words. We all desire a community in which trust, security, happiness, and respect are prevalent for their own sake and are practiced as second nature. To be an honorable member of this class is to employ respect, truthfulness, and civility. Your grade should be one that reflects your abilities and your work. As a member of this class, you will always submit work that is done with full effort, honesty, and give credit where credit is due.
2. Clean up after yourself.
3. Phones/I-pods/and stuff should never be out in a whole class setting. If we are talking together, I should not see your devices.
4. You know how you should conduct yourself in class. I will remind you once if you are not meeting my expectations. If you do not adjust your behavior, you may be asked to leave the class for a few minutes and talk to me before you come back in.
HOMEWORK: Homework is expected to be completed when you walk through the door. If it is not complete, you will be required to complete a bonus assignment. This bonus assignment is a take-home graded assessment and needs to be turned in at the beginning of the following class. If the bonus assignment is not completed, you will receive a one.
ABSENCES: Only an excused absence may be made up. You are responsible for making up work you missed. See me and we will find a time to catch up. Unexcused absences are not eligible for make up work; class is important make sure you come.
Materials:
1. A three-ring binder with paper.
2. Something to write with.
Grading Scale:
Roaring Fork is a standards-based school district. Our curriculum is aligned with the state standards. These standards are written at a certain level of understanding. Grades are based on the student’s ability to meet the standard. Below is a brief description of what each grade means.
A-Advanced (4): student exceeds the standard. This is not more work, but higher level of thinking.
B-Proficient (3): student meets the standard.
C-Partially Proficient (2): student is able to meet part of the standard, is able to meet the standard sometimes, or is able to meet the standard with help.
F-Unsatisfactory (1): student has not yet demonstrated an ability to meet the standard.