Ö Vocabulary that you can use in every class, but especially conversational and academic English.

Ö Identifying and using correct grammatical forms in English sentences, paragraphs, and essays or reports.

Ö Reading for information and finding the main idea as well as supporting details in the text you are reading.

Ö Practicing and improving your English reading, writing, listening, speaking, and grammar skills.

1. Reading new words correctly and using clues to guess the meaning of new words.

2. Increasing your knowledge of words and how to put words together correctly.

3. Talking with me and with other students about what you read in and out of class.

4. Writing about what you read, or creating projects to show what you have learned

My Policies

Notebook: every day, students write goals for learning and the English as a second language standard connected to each day’s lesson.

Vocabulary, important notes, and reflective writing will also be written into the notebook.

Every day an assignment is late, I reduce the total number of points available by 1/3. When returning from an excused absence, turn in all assignments within two days after the day of your return to school.

Unexcused absences are “cuts.” Students who cut class cannot receive full credit for missed assignments. Complete and turn in the assignment as quickly as possible, because every day the assignment is late, I reduce the number of points you can receive by 1/3.

For planned absences, see me as soon as possible before you leave so I can give you an alternate assignment or make-up work.

Be in your seat and ready to work when the bell rings. 3 tardies will result in my contacting your parents as well as other classroom consequences.

Over 20 minutes late will result in my recording a “cut.”

Besides your notebook, I assign written work in class and as homework. Use standard 8 ½” by 11” lined binder paper and blue or black ink. Write neatly and do not wrinkle or tear your paper, or I will reduce your score on the assignment.

Typed assignments: Double-space, use 1 side of the paper, 12 point font (Times, Century Schoolbook), and always use black ink. Do not put in all italics or use wider margins.

Title every assignment you turn in to me. On the upper right hand corner of every assignment, follow this format for labeling your work:

Name

Period

Course Title

Date due

No eating in class.

No wearing of hats or head coverings in class.

No use of electronic devices in class.

All of the above will be enforced by me with the following steps:

1)Taking it away

2)Calling home

3)Referral to the Dean

4)Class suspension

Respecting each other and the belongings of others is also a rule which you must follow if you want to succeed.

I have zero tolerance for cheating. Those who cheat will receive a zero for the assignment and a letter describing the cheating put in their cumulative San Francisco school file, as well as a letter sent home for a parent signature.

I compile (add) points for every assignment. Most assignments done in class or as homework reflect about 30 minutes of independent work and receive 5 points. A semester’s worth of points will average about 600 to 800 points. The point values for each assignment add into the total number of points available for each grading period.

(1 grading period = 6 weeks; 3 grading periods = 1 semester.)

The letter grade of the semester is an average of the three grading period grades and the final “test” for the semester. That semester letter grade is assigned based upon the percentages detailed below. The ESL Department’s grading policy reflects the importance of language use and practice and is as follows: 20% writing assignments, 40% tests, 10% class work, 10% homework, 10% projects, and 10 % class participation. At the end of the semester, a final test is given on everything learned in the past three grading periods. That final test becomes 15% of the semester grade, with the average of the three grading periods counting as 85% of the semester grade.

The assignments and tests completed during the semester are given a certain number of points. Every point during a grading period is equal to every other point within that grading period, except for quizzes and tests, which might have only 5 questions, but will be doubled or tripled to give them more value in the point system.

When I assign a letter grade, or mark, for the grading period, I find the percentage of total points received out of the total points available during that grading period.

The grading system for that letter grade is as follows:

A: 90 - 100% B: 80 - 89% C: 70 - 79% D: 60 - 69% F: 59%

Ö Class or group discussion

Ö All group work assigned

Ö Presentations

Ö Reading aloud

Ö All individual or shared projects assigned

For you, communicating regularly in English during class discussions shows your effort to reach fluency in English.

I assign homework in class to help you practice skills learned in class, so that you can do those activities on your own. Always have your homework completed on time to receive full credit.