Even if learning means going to trade school after high school or enlisting in the military or enrolling in a 4 year university, these are all forms of learning which allow students to discover a whole new world out there.

When students learn about social studies it helps them see different perspective, make sense of the world and be understanding of people's experiences.

In my classroom, there is no doubt that I will expect hard work and determination(Gupta and Sampat, 2021). Even if it is not their strong suit, there is always room for improvement to learn to be better.

Throughout class, they will be met with primary source documents which give a glimpse of time periods and regions they may never have experienced. This challenge will teach them to learn to be open to exploring new ideas and thinking critically about how our world came to be.

Additionally, students will be completing projects in different forms of media to explore their creative outlets and display their knowledge.

These flipped agreements help us in the class to stay on top of our goals and make sure we are all being responsible learners (myself included). I believe it is only fair that if students get rules and expectations in class, then so should the teacher in order for us all to do work to best of our abilities.

Additionally, there will be different forms of interaction for students to complete work such as individual, group and whole class. This is helpful for different communication styles (Kellough and Kellough pg. 108)

1. Individual allows students themselves to understand what they might know. This allows them to see their knowledge and capabilities as a person.

2. Working in a group allows them to work closely with their peers as this can help fill gaps in knowledge and learn to be comfortable in interacting with their classmates.

3. Whole class discussion allows students to share and learn a broader range of ideas and perspectives--this is an important factor in social studies is learning about and from others.

Each day in class, it is expected that students are well rested and prepared to learn.

1. Being well rested ensures that they are establishing a good routine so they are alert and engaged in class. Having good rest means that they are having structure to their morning and nights to prepare them to be engaging in class instruction. This means staying on top of classwork (if not finished in class), having set procedures on how to be prepared and energized the next day, and how to take care of themselves while managing life outside of school. Realistically there will always be responsibilities for school, work, families and themselves so it is creating good habits to take care of themselves, in order to take care of other duties

2. Being prepared to learn is having materials ready such as writing utensils, notebooks, laptop (if needed), and organizational systems in place to make learning run smoothly. This includes reviewing canvas daily for upcoming assignments, projects, or assessments to be well prepared to excel in this class. My personal recommendation is to keep of planner of specific dates such as when homework is due, when to study for an exam, and when to take a break is important too. Announcements on canvas will be utilized as well so families and students can stay updated on class activities.

Grading

While I grew up in a household of high expectations, meaning As and Bs only acceptable, I understand this is not always attainable for everyone. However, everyone is capable of earning a passing grade so long as they put in the effort and time.

1. Grades are meant to show progress rather than stunt it. Typically getting an F and an A on an assignment averages as a C (Feldman pg.5), however, if the student improves from that F to an A, it will be replaced with the highest grade in the end. There will be multiple summative assessments throughout the year to demonstrate mastery; at the end of the year the lowest score will be dropped.

2. Grades will not be rounded. Even if it is an 89.9%, it will remain that way. Various opportunities will be offered throughout the year to improve their grades, it is up to the student whether or not they want to take the opportunity.

1. Phones should be put away in backpacks (not on the desk or in pockets) on silent while in class.

2. If there is an emergency, the school should be contacted and will contact the student. If students are expecting an immediate call or text while in class, it is expected they communicate with me prior to the start of class that this is the case. In this scenario, I will allow students to have their phone face down with their ringer on loud enough for them to hear but quiet enough that the class cannot hear it. Then they can step outside if they need to answer the call or next. If I am not told, and a phone is out, it will be taken to my desk.

3. Laptops are only necessary if they need to research for projects. Only should be used when instructed to do so. Most materials will be pencil and paper.

Discipline for abuse of technology

1. When phones are used without permission, the first offense will be a warning to put it away and silenced in their backpack.

2. Second offense, it will be put away securely in my desk drawer and can be picked up at the end of the class period.

3. Third offense, it will be sent to the office and student will be a notification home.

Use of AI/Chat GBT

1. Please refrain from using AI as when assignments are submitted they will be screened for AI. This includes softwares like Grammarly. For students with accommodations, grading will be modified but in general all students should avoid using this.

2. It is not beneficial to developing critical thinking skills. While AI can summarize and article for you to understand it, that already limits you being able to process information to and comprehend it.

3. If AI is detected, the student will receive an automatic zero on the assignment. If done consistently, the student will be sent to administration for further guidance and discipline.