Calculus and Advanced Algebra

Introduction

This is a college preparation class where students are expected to have mastered all of the necessary behavioral and study skills to succeed in a course beyond high school. Furthermore, students are to have mastered all of the previous mathematical concepts and skills in the prerequisite courses. The Calculus course will be faster paced, obviously. Thus, the individual students are to be responsible for all of the material presented or assigned for that lesson; whether or not they are present. Each lesson will usually have pages to be read and studied by the student. Also, the instructor will emphasize the key points and or alternate methods and approaches that students are to keep in their notebook. Each student’s notebook will consist of reading assignment notes, instructor notes, homework, and corrected homework. A syllabus will be handed out the first week of school and the instructor’s website will hold the following week’s daily reading and homework assignments. When a student is absent, it is their responsibility to obtain the instructor notes from another student and put them in the appropriate position in their notebook.

 Procedures

Expectations: Students will pay attention in class and concentrate only on learning the mathematics. This includes participating in the class and following along with the class at all times. There will be no reading of novels, no listening to music, no talking with other students, no electronic devices visible, and no behavior detrimental or disruptive to the learning process. The instructor shall determine any such behavior and deal with it. The instructor dismisses the class, not the buzzer. Students will remain in their seats until the instructor does so unless given other directions.

Calculators: All students will be assigned a calculator to be used in the classroom. They are responsible to check to see that it is in its proper spot at the beginning of class. Before the instructor will dismiss the class, all calculators must be returned to their proper spot. Only the school’s calculators will be utilized in the classroom.

Tardiness: Students will be in their assigned seats with their materials ready to be utilized at the start of the class (when the buzzer rings). Three tardies will result in an extra assignment being required. Any additional tardies will have the same consequence.

Homework: No late work is accepted. Homework must be out and visible for the instructor. Homework must have all of the steps written out for students to receive credit. Homework must be done completely and clearly to allow any other person to read and understand it. Communication is extremely important for a math student to explain his/her ideas about his/her solutions and convince others of the correctness and appropriateness of his/her solution. No unclear or unreadable work is accepted. Students may work together on homework; however, copying of another student’s homework is not allowed.

Make-up Work: Make-up work due to parental excuses must be completed in two days as per school policy. School excused absences require that the homework be completed the day the students first return to class as per school policy.

Cheating: Cheating in any form whatsoever will not be tolerated. This means no talking at all during a test or quiz, no looking around, using “wrong” materials, looking inside clothes, etc. Merely talking about a quiz or test problem to another student is considered to be cheating. A calculator, pencil or two, ruler, quiz or test paper, one sheet of blank scrap paper (to be later turned in) is all that would be ever possibly allowed during a quiz, test, or exam. Furthermore, students will sit facing the front, feet on the floor, head down and will have all solutions and answers covered.  The instructor will answer no questions over concepts and skills to be tested. Instructor discretion determines cheating. Consequences will start with a zero on the assignment and, if repeated, removal from the course.

Grading: Students will be graded on individual and/or group homework, programs, notes, journals and projects for a total of one-third of their grade and on tests and/or quizzes for two-thirds of their grade. When writing is required in an assignment, proper grammar and punctuation will be taken into account.

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