Classroom Management Plan

Course Title: World History

Teacher: Charles Bennett
School Telephone Number: (562) 266-5233
School E-mail: cbennett@fjuhsd.org

Classroom Expectations
1. Students will be active participants in their own learning
2. Students will give 100% in class
3. Students will dare to take chances
 Think about what you need to learn, and don’t be afraid to ask for it
4. Students will come on time prepared to learn
 This means both with materials and mindset
5. Students will respect themselves, the teacher, other students and the space around them

Social Expectations
By nature, the learning methods of this course are decided by the instructor and the relationship
between him and his students is unequal. Therefore, the relationship between student and teacher is
different than that between students. However, the instructor will frequently provide options and
alternatives for students to learn information. The instructor will seek to create a space where
questions can be asked in the pursuit of knowledge without judgment. While the instructor should be
friendly and respectful of his students, he is NOT the students’ peer. It is also the responsibility of the
students to be respectful of each other and the space around them. Examples of respecting the space
around them are raising hands to ask questions or to leave one’s seat. Students are expected to
collaborate, ask questions and answer questions.

Consequences and Rewards

The following behaviors may trigger intervention:
1. Excessive tardies or period cuts
2. Failing to give 100% effort
3. Classroom disruption
4. Poor academic performance
5. Academic dishonesty

 For consequences of academic dishonesty, see the “academic dishonesty” section.

 The first two instances of misbehavior in the other four areas will result in warnings.
 The third instance of behaviors 1, 2 and 3 will result in detention.
 For tardies, students will typically receive one detention per three tardies.
 Additional instances of classroom disruption will result in referrals, parent conferences and/or
Saturday schools.
 Continual disruption, tardiness, lack of effort or period cutting will adversely affect the student’s
participation, effort and citizenship grades.
 Continual poor academic performance or lack of effort will NOT result in a referral, but it may
result in a parent-teacher conference and/or placement in HiSTEP.
A student is primarily rewarded in this class through grades. Satisfactory performance, participation and
effort will result in passing grades. Passing grades and acceptable deportment in all classes will result in
earning Long Lunch.
Routines and Procedures
A teaching strategy I will use almost every day is the funds of knowledge Popsicle sticks. Questions will
be asked frequently of students, often at random, and the funds of knowledge Popsicle sticks will be
used to select students. These questions cover a variety of topics and levels of thinking. A student is
expected to be attentive throughout class, particularly when called upon to answer.

Students will receive several classwork assignments per week. If a student is unable to complete a
classwork assignment in class, the assignment will become homework. Occasionally, additional
homework assignments that are not also classwork assignments will be assigned. Students should also
expect to allocate time out of class for studying for quizzes, tests and the final. A student should expect
some homework every week, but the homework load will typically be less than 90 minutes per week,
often significantly less.

Homework and classwork assignments will be graded and returned prior to the end of each unit.
Quizzes and tests will typically be graded and returned within one week.

Most classes will begin promptly with a warm-up activity that will either review previous knowledge or
introduce the day’s topic. Students will complete this activity either on the day’s worksheet, the day’s
HyperDoc, or a warm-up worksheet. Homework assignments will typically be collected at the beginning
of class. Classes typically will end with a two-to-five minute review of the day’s key concepts.

The instructor will ask if there are questions about an assignment immediately prior to the class time
given to the assignment. He may also ask if there are any questions elsewhere in the period. It is
acceptable for a student to raise their hand to ask a question during time assigned to classwork. If a
student is interested in receiving academic help, they should contact me or their counselor. Students
may also request help during HiSTEP or via e-mail. Students will receive replies within 24 hours.

Our textbook is Modern World History. Each student will receive a copy to use at home throughout the
year. Students may also view the textbook at https://sites.google.com/a/polkschools.org/will-
pack/assignments/world-history-online-textbook.

Students are encouraged to take notes and methods for taking notes will be introduced during the
course. Notes will only be collected when they are part of a worksheet, study guide or HyperDoc
assignment.

Students should generally stay in their assigned seat unless instructed to move. A student may raise
their hand to ask permission to use the pencil sharpener or restroom. Students will receive 12 restroom
passes per semester.

One important aspect of this course is learning vocabulary. Important vocabulary words are written on
the whiteboard. If the instructor is teaching from a PowerPoint, the word and its definition will be
displayed on the PowerPoint. The day’s worksheet or HyperDoc will typically involve questions based on
the day’s key vocabulary.

Grading
In accordance with the policies of the Fullerton JUHSD, grades are reflective of student performance and
mastery of skills and content, and are based on consistent standards. Students will receive updates at
least 4 times a semester, or more frequently as their Aeries grades are updated.
Students will be graded on the following:
 Participation-20% (This includes coming to class prepared and actively participating in whole-
class and small-group discussions)
 Quizzes and Tests-30%
 Homework, Classwork and Small Projects-30%
 Summative End-of-Semester Project-10%
 Final-10%

In general, there are more available points in the second and fourth quarters than in the first and third.
Grades will be awarded based on the following:
A: 90.0% and above
B: 80.0% to 89.9%
C: 70.0% to 79.9%
D: 60.0% to 69.9%
F: 59.9% and below

Routine homework and classwork assignments will be graded relatively leniently with a focus on effort.
Rubrics will be provided for major assignments. Tests will be scored based on the number of correct
answers. Students will also receive citizenship grades reflective of behavior, and work habit grades
based on effort, participation and organization. Parents and guardians may contact me if they have
concerns about grades.

Academic Dishonesty
Students are expected to turn in work that is theirs and cite relevant sources appropriately. They are
also expected to keep their eyes to themselves and their phones off when taking tests. Major
assignments may be run through an online plagiarism detector. I have a low tolerance for plagiarism of
homework and major assignments. ANY instance of plagiarism or cheating will result in a “0” for the
assignment and “U”s on citizenship and effort grades. Multiple instances of plagiarism or cheating will
result in an “F” for the course.

Absence Policy
Make-up assignments are available on request to students with excused absences. Parents must call the
attendance office to excuse absences. Students must complete make-up homework and classwork
within one week of their final day of excused absences to receive credit.

Teacher-Student Conferences and Parent-Teacher-Student Conferences

A teacher-student conference or parent-teacher-student conference will occur if a student has failed to
meet expectations for academics or behavior. A student or parent can also schedule one with me for
any reason (refer to my contact info at the top of the page).

Communication Plan
Aspects of the classroom management plan will be reviewed with students on the first day of school,
and will be displayed in the classroom throughout the year. Students will receive a copy along with the
parent letter and are expected to share it with their parents and guardians, then return a signed copy to
class for the second day of school. The copy will be recorded and returned to students. Students and
parents will receive feedback about performance as their grades or updated on Aeries. If major
intervention is needed, parents will receive a call or e-mail from me.
Dear Parents and Guardians:

Greetings! My name is Charles Bennett and I’ll be your child’s world history teacher for the remainder
of the 2018-19 school year. I hold a Bachelor’s Degree in History from Occidental College, a Master’s
Degree in Public Policy from the University of Southern California, and am a teaching credential
candidate at CSU Fullerton. I am an Eagle Scout and am active in a number of community organizations
in my hometown of Whittier, California. This is my first year of teaching, but I engaged in a number of
tutoring and afterschool jobs prior to this.

I became a history teacher because I was interested in teaching factual content to others. I believe that
knowledge of American and world history is an essential part of being an effective citizen. My
philosophy as an educator is that education is in large part about acquiring a common set of key
concepts, some of which have persisted over the generations. My philosophy as a historian views
history as fundamentally about movements of people and uses of the land. This classroom will be
academically challenging, and grades will be based on mastery of content and of critical thinking
practices. This class will employ a variety of learning strategies ranging from videos and projects to
lectures and reading of textbooks to critical reading of primary sources. Students are expected to be
active participants in their own learning who think critically and give 100% in class. Expect your child to
have some homework every week.

Students will cover a wide bevy of topics in this course, ranging from the political to the militaristic to
the philosophical to the economic to the cultural. Examples of key topics include the Renaissance, the
Reformation, the Age of Exploration, the Enlightenment, revolutions in France and Latin America, the
Industrial Revolution, the World Wars, the Age of Anxiety, decolonization and the Cold War. We will
also explore a variety of strategies for note-taking, critical reading and research, many of which have
applications for life outside of history class.

I invite you all to meet me at Open House on January 9 in Room 67. I am looking forward to meeting
you. I am also available during the year. Generally, the best times to reach me are my conference
period (9:55-10:45 AM) or right after school (2:30-3:30 PM). You can find my contact info below my
signature. I encourage you to view the course website at http://mrbennettpedagogy.weebly.com/.

Please review the attached classroom management plan and syllabus with your child, sign at the bottom
of the page, and return it to your child.

Sincerely,

Charles H. Bennett
School Phone Number: (562) 266-5233
School E-mail: cbennett@fjuhsd.org
Student’s Name _______________________________________ Date: ___________________
Parent/Guardian Signature _______________________________________ Date: _______________
Parent/Guardian email (optional) _______________________________________
Remarks (optional) _____________________________________________________________________