Our Classroom Community

Ms. Gonzalez
“Tell me and I'll
forget; show me and I
may remember;
involve me and I'll Do you remember the first time you rode a bike or the first time you
understand.” — learned how to skate? Do you remember how you learned? Maybe
Chinese Proverb someone told you how to do it, then showed you, but it wasn't until you
actually got on the bike or on the skates that you began to understand and
learn how to do the task!

Math is very similar. I can tell students how to solve a problem and then
show them, but the real understanding begins when they become immersed
with the content. This can be students working with their peers in group
activities or by providing content where students "authentically see
themselves in the learning" (Muhammad, 2020). In this classroom, students
are actively engaging with the material and examining how the material
relates to their lives or the lives of those around them.

Math can be a challenging subject, but I believe that all students are more
than capable of taking on that challenge! I aim to create a classroom
community where students feel proud of the mistakes that they make.
Acknowledging that the mistakes they make are a great asset to them. A
community where we incorporate the knowledge that each student brings
to the classroom.

In this course, students will develop the skills that they have, while acquiring
new ones, as they learn about geometry that is aligned with the Common
Core State Standards. Students will be creatively developing their own
projects to help them better understand similarity and right triangles.

Contact Information My name is Ms. Gonzalez I graduated

from California State University,
Fullerton with a BA in Mathematics with
If you have any questions, or
a teaching concentration. I am working
suggestions, please let me know.
Feel free to contact me if you
on my teaching credential at Cal State
have any concerns. Fullerton.

Email: I am looking forward to working with

wendy.gonzalez@csu.fullerton.edu students in helping them become active
participates of their learning.
Phone:
(XXX) XXX - XXXX
Classroom Rules & Expectations
Students will read the main board and gather the necessary supplies for the day (pencil,
notebooks, worksheets,...etc).
Students will evaluate problems/questions discussed in class with a critical eye.
We will be respectful of each others thoughts and ideas.
We will listen to one another and collaborate with others.
In a physical classroom, electronics should be turned off and put away (unless told
otherwise by the teacher).
In a virtual classroom, Chromebook should be charged.
In a physical classroom, there will be no food or drinks on the tables (unless students are
sharing with everyone)
In a virtual classroom, feel free to eat just make sure you are muted!
As a class, we may develop more rules/expectations.

Environment (Physical/Virtual)
Physical: Students will be sitting in groups of four to encourage communication and peer work
between students. Each group will have designated supplies either in the center of the four groups or
at the back of the room. Groups will be grouped based on their struggles and who they feel
comfortable with. These groups will vary depending on students. By placing students in groups, I will
be able to listen in to the conversations students have and be able to get to know them better.

Virtual: The break-out room feature will be available to allow students a chance to collaborate with
their peers. I will create a break-out room request form where students will fit out a Google Form and
let me know which students, they feel comfortable with and who they would like to
work with. I would also ask students who they don’t work well with or would not want
to work with because they know they won’t get work done. This way students feel
open to share their thoughts about the material.

Consequences
Teacher will ask the student(s) to refer back to the classroom
rules/expectations and determine if those were reasonable
classroom norms. (Maybe we need to modify a classroom
rule/expectation.)
Teacher will give student(s) a verbal warning.
Teacher will discuss with the student(s) individually.
Teacher will call the students' parent.
 Homework Policy
Homework provides students with a great opportunity to practice the material that
they learned in class! However, I am aware that many students have busy lives
outside of school. Therefore, homework will be assigned at least once a week and
these assignments can vary from worksheets, quizzes, or projects. For homework
like worksheets or quizzes, students must show their work and box their answers.
Homework must be turned in through google classroom (unless the teacher says
otherwise).

Grading
Partial credit will be given to students who show their work and/or write
out what they were thinking. Students will be graded for exams, quizzes,
and homework. Exams are 30%, homework is 45%, in-class activities are
15% and participation is 10%
100 - 89% A
88 - 78% B
79 - 68% C
67 - 56% D
55% F

Grades are tentative to change

Late Work & Retakes

During virtual teaching, students are allowed to turn in late work until the next
unit begins. For missing assignments, students will not receive any credit until
they turn in their work.

In face-to-face setting, late work will be excepted until the end of the school
week. Students who were absent will get an extended day on their submission.
For missing assignments, students will not receive any credit until they turn in
their work.

Students are allowed to retake quizzes, they just need to discuss with the teacher
to determine a possible day to retake the quiz. In a virtual setting, students
should email the teacher letting the teacher know that they retook a quiz.
1
Promises to Students
I promise to value your prior experiences and take into account that you did
not learn math the same way I did. In order to do this, I will ask students to
write a math autobiography at the beginning of the school year where they
tell me about their experiences in their previous math classes.
Acknowledging students' prior experiences is important to be and supported
by research that says by gaining an understanding of students' prior
experiences, teachers are able to determine if students' missed out on rich
pedagogies (Muhammad, 2019).

2
I promise to listen to your thoughts and ideas. In order to do this, I
will not speak when students are speaking and I will wait a few
seconds after they are done speaking before I begin to speak.
Listening to students' input is important to me and supported by
research that says that teaching should also involve the action of
listening and creating a space where students can have
discussions (Philip, 2019).

3 I promise to provide you with multiple opportunities to collaborate with

others. In order to do this, I am incorporating group work into the lessons I
create to encourage you to work with others. By doing so, students get to
know their peers while the teacher can listen in on conversations and begin
to identify any strengths or areas of struggles. Giving students opportunities
to collaborate with others is essential to me and supported by research that
says adolescents need to be able to learn about their own identify while
examining how their identify may differ from others (Muhammad, 2020).
 Promises to Students
4
I promise to promise to respect and value the language or
languages that you speak. In order to do this, I will provide you with
opportunities to speak your language(s) with your peers through
small groups and/or discussions. Respecting and valuing students'
languages is important to me and supported by research that says
language(s) should be respected and valued within the classroom
(Ascenzi-Moreno, 2018).

5
I promise to examine and address any implicit biases that I may have which
could affect our interactions or your overall achievements within the
classroom. In order to do this, I will constantly reflect upon the antiracist
strategies from Pollock's book "Everyday Antiracism" (2008). Examining my
implicit biases is important to me and supported by research that says in
education we should be "rejecting false notions" and treating students as
worthy and capable (Pollock, 2008).

6
I promise to give you the chance to make decisions about what goes on in the
classroom. In order to do this, I will ask for students to help me co-create
some classroom rules/expectations. I will continuously ask students for
feedback or suggestions by having students fill out a form through Google
Forms. Providing students with the opportunity to have a say about things
within the classroom is important to me and supported by research that says
when students are involved in the decision making for things within the
classroom, this "promotes compliance" (Kohn, n.d.)