Frequently Asked Questions: This page contains answers to common
questions of students and parents.
- What will be expected of me in class?
- What are your classroom rules?
- What is a social contract?
- What are your pet peeves, or things that really bother you?
- What puts a smile on your face?
- How about homework?
- How will I be graded?
- How can I contact you?
- Can I turn in assignments, homework, and/or projects late?
- What supplies do I need to have for your class?
- Do you allow extra credit?
- Why does my progress/ assignment report show points as well as grades?
- Can I visit your classroom?
- How can I find out how my child is doing in your class?
- How can I find out what kind of work is due for my child?
What will be expected of me in class?
You are expected to be involved in your learning.
This means that you need to come to class on time,
and be prepared to begin work immediately. I have
high expectations for work quality so don't be
surprised if a paper is returned to you to be done
again.
During direct instruction,(that means I'm talking
to the class as a whole) I expect you to be quiet
and attentive. This also applies when we are doing
something as a whole class. Once I am done, and I
don't talk all that much, then you may speak with
your friends.
We will be doing a lot of group work and I expect
that you will participate fully in any discussion
or project that is assigned. I want you to ask
questions of me if you need clarification or
further explanation on a topic. I love to discuss
topics in depth after I have completed the lesson.
What are your classroom rules?
My rules are pretty easy: Respect other students,
respect the teacher, and, most importantly, respect
yourself. This seems rather vague, but if you
think about it, it covers just about everything
that might happen in class. For instance, if you
are talking to a friend when I am giving
instruction, you are interrupting others from
learning, you are distracting the teacher, and you
are not learning the material.
As always, normal school rules apply.
1. No Gum
2. No electronics of any kind. Cell phones are to
be off and in your pocket, backpack, or purse. If
I can see your phone, I will confiscate it!
3. No one will be allowed out of the classroom 10
minutes after the bell and 10 minutes before the
bell.
4. You will be given a small number of Potty
Passes each semester. Use them wisely and protect
them; they will not be replaced if lost or stolen.
No pass, no potty, no exceptions.
5. No pencil sharpening (ones that make noise)
during direct instruction.
6. Pick up your trash and throw it away after class
or during independent exercise time; not during
direct instruction.
7. No food or drinks in the classroom. (water is
OK)
8. The back door is for exiting only.
9. Be in your assigned seat when the bell rings or
you will be marked tardy.
10. Be nicer to substitute teachers than you are to
me.
See your Binder Reminder for school policy.
What is a social contract?
At the beginning of the year, we will talk to
gether as a class as to how we want to treat each
other. Many of you are friends already but you
need to learn how to function as a team. We will
accomplish great things if can work together this
year.
We will form a social contract with all of the
students to set up expectations for classroom
behavior and attitude. The contract will allow
all students to assist in the social management of
the classroom.
What are your pet peeves, or things that really bother you?
1. Students that are late to class. I expect you
to come directly to class when the first bell rings
and in your seat at the tardy bell.
2. The words "I didn't know...," This tells me
that you were not listening or that you have not
used your resources to find out the information.
3. Talking when I am talking. This is a basic
respect issue.
4. Stupid questions. Yes, there are stupid
questions; usually along the line of "What do I do"
because you have decided not to listen to the
instructions that I repeated 3 times already.
5. Inconsiderate people.
Oh, and I really don't like talking on the
telephone.
What puts a smile on your face?
1. Students that are involved in their learning.
2. Students that allow me to help them in
meaningful ways.
3. An occasional "Thank You" "Please" "Good
Morning" or "Good Bye" as appropriate.
4. Seeing happy and contented students each day.
5. Students who are proud of themselves and their
acheivements.
How about homework?
Yes, there will be homework. Sorry.
Much of the
work will be done in class. Any work you did
not complete in class is considered homework.
You will also be given a homework menu that will be
primarily focused on the weekly vocabulary words.
You will have your choice of what to do off of the
menu each week as long as it adds up to 20 points
or more.
All work for the week will be turned in on
Wednesday. You are responsible for the daily work in
class even if you are absent on that day. If you
are absent on Wednesday, then it is your
responsibility to turn in your homework on
the day you return to school. I will not ask you
for your work.
In addition to classwork, you will be required to
read a self-selected novel at home every 6 weeks
and do a report on it. Every eight weeks, we will
be working in a different writing genre which will
require you to complete the final editing,
revising, and draft at home. Since we are working
toward mastery, you may have to editing and revise
your writing multiple times before I will accept it
as a final draft.
In Social Studies, there will be periodic projects
that will require independent research and
completion at home.
How will I be graded?
Your grade is dependent on your effort. I don't
"give" you a grade; you "earn" your grade!
For writing, projects and more complicated
assignments, I will give you a rubric so you will
know how I am grading for that assignment.
However, for homework and other, smaller
assignments, this is the general breakdown:
A- Excellent work, goes beyond all parts of the
assignment, proud to show Mom
B- Good work, covers all parts of the assignment,
might show Mom if she asks
C- Work, most of the assignment is done, Mom has to
threaten to see it
D- Poor work, parts of assignment are done, Mom has
to call me for the grade
F- Embarrassing work, unrecognizable assignment,
Mom is in tears.
Please note that in order to get an "A" you will
need to demonstrate that you have gone beyond what
was required or assigned. "Going beyond" could
include neatness, organization, early completion,
additional work, new concepts, deeper
understanding, more complicated artwork, observable
extra effort, etc. If you are not sure, ask me.
Beware, some grades are more important than other
grades. Some assignments, tests, and projects are
weighted which means that their grades count more
toward your final grade that other grades. It's
essential that you do well on these assignments.
How can I contact you?
I am available my e-mail or personal appointment.
You can use the link at the top of this page or
send you email to: andrew.trantum@leusd.k12.ca.us
I check my e-mail multiple times per day so this
would be best for quick questions.
I am not a big fan of the telephone as I prefer to
have in-depth discussions in person. I am usually
at school by 7:05 am and my door is open. Students
and parents are welcome. I leave school around
3:00 pm as I have my own children to get to scouts
and sports.
I will be availble for afterschool tutoring or
meetings as needed.
Can I turn in assignments, homework, and/or projects late?
Yes, you can. However, there will be a grading
penalty assessed for each day it is late. I will
be expecting the same work quality/ quanity as if
the work had been turned in on time.
What supplies do I need to have for your class?
Please see the Supply List page on this website.
Do you allow extra credit?
Sometimes... I feel that if you do your work well, and turn it in
on time, you will have a great grade without the need to
supplement it with extra credit.
Extra credit is graded "credit/ no credit" and
entered into the gradebook as a classwork
assignment.
Why does my progress/ assignment report show points as well as grades?
I grade using the A B C D F format. However, my
grading program needs to have points in order to
make it work. This program is not linked to the
school's system and I enter grades by hand into the
school's system, taking into account behavior,
extra credit, and other circumstances. For final
grades, I do not add + or -'s.
The letter grade is what is important. Most
assignments are given 100 points which allows each
assignment to be point neutral. If an assignment
is more important, it may be assigned additional
points in the program to give it more "weight" to
the overall grade. An "A" gets 95%, or 95 points,
a "B" gets 85%, or 85 points, and so on... Each
assignment is put into a specific category that is
weighted by percentage based on importance.
Essentially, the points mean nothing; they are
there because the grading program uses them to
calculate overall grades. If you were to take your
grades and average them out using the traditional
system (a=4, b=3, c=2, d=1, f=0), you would find
that this system is accurate. Unfortunately, I
cannot modify my software to calculate this way (I
tried!) so I need to use the next best thing.
The grade report is informational only to the
extent that it shows an overall grade along with
specific grades for individual assignments. This
allows the student review and reflect on their work
product, make corrections and changes, and turn in
unfinished or sub standard work.
Can I visit your classroom?
I have an open door policy for my classroom. I
encourage you to come and observe your child, my
lessons, and even help out if you are so inclined
(you will need to have the appropriate school
volunteer badge).
Please check in with the office and come to class;
there is no need to make an appointment.
How can I find out how my child is doing in your class?
There are multiple ways of getting a status on your
child's work.
1. I grade their weekly homework in front of them
each Wednesday. I usually post those grades the same day. Students
that
do well on the weekly homework do well in the class
as a whole.
2. I will post grades to the website. Missing work
will be obvious as there will be an "F" grade
and a 0/100 points listed.
3. Email me with your concerns and I will get back
to you as soon as possible.
How can I find out what kind of work is due for my child?
I update the website every week. Check the Weekly
Schedule page for the weekly work. If there is a
project we are working on, I will have a special
page outlining the requirements as well.