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Bienvenidos a la clase de español!

• Soy Sra. Jennings
• y seré su profesora este año.

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Learning a new language is like learning to play
a sport or an instrument!

• When you learn a new language, you are learning a
  new skill set. (Its a new way of learning, so
  you must develop new habits.)
• Learning a language requires practice, practice,
  practice!!
• You wouldnt expect to be 1st chair trumpet or
  start on the volleyball team if you never
  practiced.now, would you?

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You WILL have to put in some time effort!

• Smart is not something you just are. Smart is
  something you get.
• Effort (not innate gifts and talents) is the
  key to high achievement.
• The Efficacy Institute, Inc.

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• You get out of a foreign language as much (or as
  little) as you put into it.
• On the grading scale, A does not stand for
  average. If you want that A (or even that
  Band in some cases, the C), you will have to
  be responsible enough to make the decision to put
  in the extra effort to make it happen.

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Effort leads to Achievement

• As a tenth grader, Michael Jordan (considered by
  many to be the greatest basketball player in
  history) was cut from the varsity basketball
  team. But this only pushed him to work harder at
  perfecting his game.
• He later said, "I think that not making the
  Varsity team drove me to really work at my game,
  and also taught me that if you set goals, and
  work hard to achieve themthe hard work can pay
  off."

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• Happiness does not come from doing easy work,
  but from the afterglow of the satisfaction that
  comes after the achievement of a difficult task
  that demanded our best. Theodore Rubin
• "Having once decided to achieve a certain task,
  achieve it at all costs of tedium and distaste.
  The gain in self-confidence of having
  accomplished a tiresome labor is immense.
  Thomas A. Bennett

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Effort leads to achievement.

• Your grade will reflect the effort that you put
  into this class.
• I carefully select assignments and I make sure
  you have plenty of them to accurately reflect
  your effort!
• So, if you want your grade to be good, be ready
  to work!

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• I was hired to teach you things even more
  important than Spanish!
• For example
• Study skills
• Work ethic
• Benefits of being detail-oriented
• Organizational skills
• Analytical skills such as critical thinking
• Interpersonal Intrapersonal skills
• Understanding of cultural differences
• Tolerance, appreciation of diversity
  (open-mindedness)

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• In other words, it is my job to get you ready for
  the real world.
• Therefore, I will expect YOU to work hard, have
  good attendance, and be respectful.
• I will NOT spoon-feed you. (Would you like me
  to fan you feed you grapes too?)

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You do NOT have to be in here!!!

• A foreign language is NOT (I repeat, NOT)
  required to graduate.
• A foreign language is only required for an
  advanced diploma, which would likely mean that
  your plan is to attend a four-year college.

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• It is, therefore, a college-prep class and I
  will teach it as such. You will learn many
  skills that will help you succeed in college.
• If you choose to stay in Spanish, I expect you to
  behave accordingly and be serious about learning.

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There are several important things you must know
before you commit to this class

• My expectations of you are high. (Ask anyone who
  has taken my class.)
• We will work every minute of every day. Your
  free days are Saturday and Sunday.
• If you are not up to that task, you are in the
  wrong classroom! You have until August 26 to
  change your schedule.

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The profile of a successful language student

• Has a good attendance record
• Keeps a well-organized notebook including all old
  quizzes tests for later review
• Has good on-task behavior is engaged in class
• Is willing to put in extra time outside of class
  even when there is not written homework (The
  universal suggestion is 20 min. per night.)
• Is open-minded has high interest in languages
  other cultures

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Good Attendance is a MUST!!

• Of course it is important to make up your work
  when you miss make sure all of your absences
  are excused when an absence is unavoidable.
• BUTit is not the same as being in class!

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You cannot be successful if you dont have good
attendance!

• If you are absent frequently (EVEN IF THEY ARE
  EXCUSED), it adversely affects your grade!!!
• You must be present in a language class EVERY
  SINGLE DAY POSSIBLE. You cannot comprehend
  retain material that you are not here to hear.
  I CANNOT TEACH YOU IF YOU ARE NOT IN CLASS!!

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• Also, you are also supposed to be learning real
  world skills in high school developing good
  habits for your adult life. You cant keep a job
  if you miss work all the time. (You may not even
  GET a good job in the first place when the
  employer looks at your attendance record!)

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Learning a F.L. is like building a tower out of
blocks.

• Every piece of the tower must be solidly in place
  for the tower to be structurally sound.
• Excessive absences cause weakness in the
  foundation and make it extremely difficult for
  the student to catch up and/or keep up.

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Learning a F.L. is like learning a math

• The student must master Step A before he/she
  can proceed to Step B.
• A student cant learn to multiply until he/she
  masters addition!
• (3 X 4 is the same thing as 3333)

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When you miss class,You miss instruction
practice.

• That can affect your comprehension of the
  material from that point forward
• (Think what a disaster math wouldve been if
  youd missed the lesson on addition came back
  just in time for multiplication!)

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Added Bonus

• The added bonus to having good attendance is that
  if you miss fewer than 10 days and you have at
  least an 85 average, you are exempt from the
  final exam in that class. Many students finish
  the school year a week early! (Sweet!!)
• (And a student that generally misses more than 9
  days per year is going to have a difficult time
  keeping up in a language class anyway. So, make
  exam exemption your goal!)

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If you miss class, you WILL have make-up work.

• So, dont ask, Did I miss anything? Ask, What
  did I miss?
• You can expect a quiz or assignment most every
  day. (What other way would we assess your
  comprehension to see that you can move on to the
  next step?)
• Not all quizzes will be announced.
• (There, that was your announcement! Youve
  just been warned.)

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An Organized Notebook is of the utmost
importance in a language class.

• It helps establish that sequence of learning in
  the students mind and makes it easier to recall
  old information integrate new.
• And, in the event that one cannot recall the old
  information needed, it can be located quickly.

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Las Reglas de la clase de español

• Preparación
• Always be on time to class prepared to work
  when the bell rings.
• Come to class with your textbook, notebook, and a
  pen/pencil. (Im not picky about pen color.)
• Please have all assignments completed on your
  desk ready to be checked at the beginning of the
  class period. (No, not by the end of the dayno,
  your mom cant bring it later, etc. Remember
  responsibilty, choices consequences.)

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Las Reglas de la clase de español

• Actitud (attitude)
• Please have a positive attitude in this class.
  Negativity isnt useful and will not be
  tolerated. A positive attitude creates a
  positive learning environment.
• Interfering with the learning of others will not
  be tolerated.

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Las reglas de la clase de español

• Respeto (respect)
• Have good manners be respectful. Respect your
  classmates, your teacher, and yourself.
• Help provide an attitude conducive to learning so
  that learning can be pleasant for all involved.
  (When learning a language, everyone will make
  mistakes. We must have an environment where
  everyone can get past their inhibitions be
  comfortable speaking up in class.)

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Your quarter (9 weeks) grade will be calculated
as follows

• Your grade has two halves
• 50--A daily average made up of quizzes,
  homework, class work, oral activities, etc. (with
  MANY grades)
• AND
• 50--A test average which may include projects,
  skits, oral presentations to the class, and
  chapter/unit tests (with only 2-4 grades).

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Sohow many times do tests count?

• So, a test doesnt count a certain number of
  times. (Refer to previous slide.)
• It depends on the total number of tests taken
• If you have four tests in a grading period, each
  of them would count 1/8 of your grade.
• If you had three, each would count 1/6.
• If you had two, each would count 1/4.

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• In a typical quarter (9-weeks grading period), we
  have several daily grades (usually 15-25), but
  only 2-3 test grades.
• As you can see, good preparation for tests and
  keeping up on a daily basis (being present,
  involved in class, and completing required work)
  are essential.

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Can I have extra credit?

• There are no substitutes for learning the
  required skills in a F.L. If you are playing
  basketball miss a shot, you dont stop and ask
  the referee, Can I do a report on Lebron James
  and get credit for the goal?

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Remember the math comparison?

• You must master Step A before you can
  comprehend Step B. (So, we cant substitute a
  3 pg. report on Spain for Step A! Youd be
  lost the rest of the year!)
• Students must learn the basic required skills by
  completing all assigned practice before
  progressing.
• So, extra credit in the place of step A would
  just set you up for failure later.

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• Therefore extra credit will be available to the
  student if and only if he/she has completed all
  required assignments in their entirety. (No
  incomplete homework/class grades.)
• So, the minute you make the decision to take a
  zero or a partial grade on a homework assignment,
  you have forfeited your right to extra credit.
  (In other words, Ill help you if you help
  yourself first.)

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• The extra credit grade would be quite lengthy and
  challenging and, depending on your average, may
  or may not bring you up an entire letter grade.
• Students should complete all required assignments
  along the way to maintain a good average, rather
  than (at the end of the quarter) expecting one
  extra credit project to magically improve their
  grade.

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Make-Up Work

• No make-up work will be done during instructional
  time. This would only cause you miss that lesson
  put you further behind. Make-up work will have
  to be done during guided-practice time or
  before/after school.

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Late Assignments

• Homework will NOT be accepted late. No
  exceptions! We go over the answers, so that
  wouldnt be fair to the students who DID complete
  it. (Remember responsibility, choices,
  consequences.)
• (I do, however, drop 1 low daily/quiz grade to
  help you out a little. ?)
• Projects will be accepted late (since they
  count as TESTS at a penalty of 10 pts. per day.

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There are a few things you should know about my
expectations.

• Students need to be responsible for their own
  learning.
• It is the job of the teacher to make resources
  available and to facilitate instruction. It is
  the STUDENTS responsibility to do what it takes
  to learn the material!
• It is NOT the job of the teacher to..

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You can lead a horse to water, but you cant
make him drink.

• I promise to do everything in my power to lead
  you. YOU have to meet me half-way and take it
  from there. I cant learn it for you!

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• We are responsible for our own lives. Our
  behavior is a function of our decisions. We have
  the initiative and the responsibility to make
  things happen.
  Steven Covey

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• You will be expected to take charge and
  self-regulate with strategies for correcting
  errors and redirecting yourself when those plans
  do not work.
• You will be expected to know your own strengths
  and weaknesses and know how to deal with your
  weaknesses productively and constructively.
• (This helps prepare you for the real
  world.)

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• All our choices have consequences the better we
  choose, the better the outcome. Choosing to be
  responsible and to work hard has many benefits.
  When you do make a mistake (and we all do), learn
  from it. A mistake can be considered worthwhile
  if it teaches you a valuable lesson. K.
  Jennings

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• Risk and responsibility help teens
  thrive. Michael Ungar, professor author
• Kids need to learn how to tolerate frustration,
  delay gratification, negotiate, and advocate for
  themselves in school. It is part of healthy
  development. Dr. Marisa Crandall

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• Experiencing what happens when you forget your
  homework or receive a bad grade is exactly what
  kids need to develop a sense of responsibility
  and self-mastery. Sheltering kids from inevitable
  hardships hurts them more. All children need to
  foster their independence. Dr. Mariso
  Crandall

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• Kids have to develop self-regulation skills
  which allow them to function in the world no
  matter what they face. They have to learn to
  deal with negative feelings when they are young.
  Dr. Marisa Crandall
• A mediocre grade can be a blessing, as its an
  opportunity to teach kids the consequences of not
  studying or not paying attention in class.
  Hara Marano, author

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You are in control of what you learn!

• If you believe in yourself and have dedication
  prideand never quit, youll be a winner. The
  price of victory is high, but so are the
  rewards.
• Bear Bryant,
  legendary Univ. of Alabama football coach
• (ROLL TIDE!!! ? )

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• There are many benefits to learning a foreign
  language.
• I look forward to a rewarding year as you
  successfully discover the advantages of learning
  Spanish!