Welcome to US History II! Ms. Callahan and Mr. Humes Room A108

Establishing Our Classroom Values, Rules, and Consequences The Social Contract Establishing Our Classroom Values, Rules, and Consequences

What is a “Social Contract”? According to John Locke, a social contract is an agreement between people and government: People agree to obey the laws of government; In return, government agrees to protect people’s rights to life, liberty, and property. John Locke 1632 - 1704

What is a “Social Contract”? In a classroom, a social contract is a list of values, rules, and consequences that define proper behavior deemed necessary for good learning and teaching to occur.

An Important Distinction Rules and procedures tell us what to do and how to do it. Values help explain why we do these things the way that we do them. Rules and procedures are more meaningful when they are based upon a set of shared values.

Classroom Values Everyone has a right to feel safe, both physically and emotionally. Everyone deserves to be given the opportunity to learn. Our time here is precious and ought never to be wasted. We all have a responsibility to take care of our school, which includes this classroom and everything in it. Everyone deserves to be treated fairly and with respect. Everyone has a right to feel safe, both physically and emotionally. There is a reason that this is number one. When we do not feel safe, learning is virtually impossible. If we have to constantly look over our shoulder, there’s no way we can concentrate. Or if we are always worried that someone might laugh or ridicule us, we are less likely to participate. Safety is ABSOLUTELY necessary for learning. Everyone deserves to be given the opportunity to learn. Whether or not they take advantage of that opportunity is up to them. However, none of us has a right to rob another person of their opportunity to learn. Our time here is precious and ought never to be wasted. I don’t know about you, but one thing that really upsets me is when someone wastes my time. I promise I will do my best never to waste your time and I trust that you will show me the same courtesy. We all have a responsibility to take care of our school, which includes this classroom and everything in it. The place was built by the hard earned money of some of your grandparents, or even great grandparents. It is maintained by the hard earned money of your parents, aunts, uncles, and neighbors. It must be shared not only by you and all of your classmates today, but by every student who comes after you – your younger brothers and sisters, your children.

Two New Proposals Respect. Everyone deserves to be treated equally. *Keep in mind . . . what is FAIR is not necessarily EQUAL!

Fair vs. Equal In baseball, closers are paid a lot of money to play one inning while shortstops have to play nine. Often the pitcher makes more money than the shortstop. Surgeons earn a lot more money bus boys. Is it fair to give the same Spanish test to a native speaker and a student who has never spoken the language before class? Your family moves to Japan . . .

Values-based Rules Keep your hands, feet, objects, and insults to yourself. Raise your hand before speaking and listen when others speak. Do not distract someone who is trying to work. Bring your text book, binder, student handbook, and a pen or pencil to class everyday. No food, drinks, or gum in class.* Leave the room at least as neat and clean as you found it.* Cell phones, I-pods, or any other electronic devices must be turned off and kept out of sight.* Students should write these under one of the four/five values. *except for water in a bottle with a lid *No trash on the floor, straighten your desk, push in your chair, etc. *unless instructed otherwise

Consequences Include (but are not limited to): A Reminder or Warning Loss of Participation/Preparation Points Additional Practice (either before or after school or during lunch) Create an Action Plan Teacher/Student Conference Community Service Phone Call Home Office Referral *Keep in mind that this list is in no particular order. When deciding on a consequence, we will do our best to be fair by giving you what we think you need to be successful and to act in a more responsible way.

Today’s Exception: Remind Remind is a free app that allows me to text or email you with important reminders about assignments, projects, quizzes, etc. It is private (I never see your phone # and you never see mine), and easy to use. Sign up by sending a text or email.

School Rules Every student is also expected to follow school rules as described in the student handbook at all times. Any student who chooses to ignore a school or class rule will face the appropriate consequence.

Consequences are decided on a “case by case” basis Consequences for breaking school rules are outlined in the student handbook (open your handbook to page 56). If a classroom rule is broken, the consequence will depend upon the severity of the situation.

Starting Good Habits While you have your handbook out . . . Find today’s date in the calendar sections . . . And write down your homework!

History Class Q & A What will I learn in this class? What do I need to bring to class? How will I be graded? What should I do if I have to leave my seat? For your homework assignment, review the answers to these questions carefully. If anything is unclear, write a question about it in the margin. If you have an additional question that is not addressed by this handout – write it down! We will try to address all of your questions over the next few days. Discuss deadline for getting a binder (Monday)