Geometry Mr. Richardson -- Room 2224 Welcome back! My email: wrichardsononw@olatheschools.org My webpage: teachers.olatheschools.com/wrichardsononw/ current & past assignments all handouts worksheets notes sheets chapter reviews textbook pages My Raven 50 availability: 1 st half (Lunch A) Come see me for math help or catch-up. Course description: We are big on logical reasoning and justifying each step we make to solve a problem. We do some of this through proofs. We will also study parallel and perpendicular lines, quadrilaterals and other 2D figures, 3D figures, triangles, circles, similarity, congruence, transformations, and lots and lots of triangles. We also use a lot of Algebra! Materials: Be Prepared! I do not loan materials. Pencil. Yes, even in the digital age, we still write stuff. Lots of stuff. Pen any color, for grading homework. Homework complete, high quality, and legible Math notebook see organization below Scientific or graphing calculator Cell phones are OK for homework, but they are never allowed on quizzes or tests. Organization Have a place in a notebook or binder to keep all of the following: handwritten notes together in one place, not scattered handouts 3-ring binder or folders homework together in one place, not scattered quizzes Keep these, regardless of your grade. They re great study tools for tests. tests Keep em at least until the end of the semester. They re great study tools for semester exams.
Grading Your grade will be based on how much you learned. Is this for a grade? How much is this worth? If you only focus on your grade as a number, you won t be focused on learning, and your grade will suffer. So how can I improve my grade? Focus on learning, and not just your scores. If you learn the material inside & out, forwards & backwards, to the point where you can teach it to someone else, then a good grade will be the natural result. Homework: 10% of your quarter grades Homework is assigned almost every day, including weekends. Full credit is given for homework that is complete, legible, and mostly correct. Partial credit is given for late, sloppy or incomplete work, or if several answers are incorrect. Late work is accepted until we take the test on that material. Maximum score: 3 out of 5 (60%) All work must be shown! Depending on the complexity of the assignment, partial credit or no credit will be given for answers only. Quizzes: 30% of your quarter grades. These will usually be at least one quiz each week. You ll know in advance when they are. Be ready for them by staying up-to-date with the material. Tests: 60% of your quarter grades. Each semester will have five or six tests. A chapter review is given prior to each test, so there are no surprises. Preparation for tests is expected. Ways to study for math tests: Test re-takes will be available for all unit tests except the last one of each semester. They will be different problems but cover the same material and have the same level of difficulty. To be eligible for a test re-take: You must have no missing assignments in the unit, including the chapter review, before taking the original test. You must attend a re-take review session during Raven 50. Study on your own. Re-takes will be offered at specific times before and after school. No exceptions. Your retake score will replace your original score, even if you do worse the second time. Semester grades will be calculated using a running total of Quarter 1 and Quarter 2 which will account for 85%, plus the final exam which is 15%. Bathroom policy: Leave your phone face down on my desk to get a restroom pass. Please do not interrupt me for this while I am presenting to the entire class.
ALWAYS show your work! It helps you get the correct answer. How you got the answer is just as important as the answer itself. You can get partial credit for incorrect answers if you show your work. Extra Help Getting extra help outside of class is an expectation of everyone in this class. It is not a suggestion. This is what Raven 50 and Seminar are for. Who? A students, F students, and everyone in between. Yes, this means you! What? Homework help, test review, practice problems, or just to say hi and tell me a funny story. When? During Raven 50 the first half (Lunch A) Seminar Get a pass from me before Seminar. Before school most days except Thursdays After school most days Where? Right here in room 2224, or with any other Algebra 2 teacher. Why? Because you need help completing some homework questions. Because you were absent and need to catch up. Because you want to do well on an upcoming test. Because you want to maintain a good grade or improve a bad one. Because you have another concern that may not have to do specifically with math. Final Tips for Success Believe that you can succeed. You re all here because you re capable of doing well in this class. Some of you will need to work harder than others to succeed. Never never never give up! Nobody will do your thinking for you. Don t wait for the answers to be given to you. Don t just copy what I write. Work ahead of me. Find an answer yourself before I write it on the board. Even if you get it wrong initially, you will learn more than just copying my work. Speak up and risk imperfection. Don t be afraid to ask a dumb question or volunteer an answer that might be wrong. Nobody will judge you. They re all thinking the same thing as you! They re all beginners at this, same as you. Nobody is correct all the time, not even me! Better to speak up and show that you re at least trying than to say nothing. Doing the minimum to get by will get you a minimal grade. Get to know your classmates. Meet new people, especially outside your normal circle of friends. Whether you like this class or hate it is entirely up to you. It all depends on the choices you make. You have the power to set the tone in this class! I am here to help! My job is to help you learn and succeed. If you have anything you want to ask me or talk about whether it relates to math or not please...let s chat!
How to handle absences in high school like the mature, responsible, and generally awesome people that you are. Absences exemption You are responsible for learning all material and doing all assignments that you miss when you are absent. Write down (or take a picture of) all upcoming assignments as soon as they re posted. If you know about an absence in advance, tell your teachers. Ask for the work you will miss. Check the teacher s website for the assignments. Before absences happen: During an absence: Don t ask me, Is there any homework this week? It s on the board. Don t let yourself get behind. Ask a classmate if there is anything you missed. Copy their notes. Watch the video tutor online. Don t assume you can get caught up just by coming back to class. Don t sit around and do nothing all day. Study the examples in the book. Try the homework. Turn in the make-up work ASAP. (It counts as a zero until turned in.) Ask a classmate for help. Copy their notes. See your teacher for help outside of class. We don t bite! Schedule a time with your teacher to take the test, during Raven 50, Seminar or before/after school. After an absence: If you miss a quiz or test: Don t ask me, What was the homework last night? It s been on the board all week. Don t expect to make up the test during class time. I don t want you to miss new material. Don t wait too long. The sooner you get caught up, the better you ll do.
Technology Acceptable Use Guidelines Richardson 2018-19 Use of personal electronic devices (laptops, tablets, smartphones) is permitted only at times specified by the teacher. Students are always required to put away devices when instructed to do so. All external sound sources must be muted during device use. If instructed, students may use headphones to listen to audio. Photography, video, and audio recording are not permitted unless instructed by the teacher. Exception: to take pictures of the homework board Any device which is being used during class must be kept above the surface of the desk at all times, in plain view of the teacher. The use of electronic devices is never permitted during quizzes or tests. Use of a device during these times will be considered academic dishonesty (cheating). Device use privileges may be revoked on an individual basis if the need arises. Devices may be confiscated by the teacher if a student is using it inappropriately. Confiscated devices may be picked up from the office after 3:00. Repeat offenders will need to have a parent pick it up. While your teacher may assist you as time permits, you are ultimately responsible for your own device, including technical support and charging.
Find area, perimeter, surface area & volume Use properties of right triangles, including trigonometry Understand properties of various figures Understand and prove relationships between Geometric figures Big-picture reasons for learning Geometry: Problem-solving skills Logical thinking skills Analytical skills Capacity to learn Persistence Communication skills Categorize figures based on their characteristics Solve algebraic equations How? Responsibility: Be prepared for class. Participate in class. Nobody will judge you. Stay current with the material, even if you are absent. Do homework to learn, not for points and not just to get it done. Are you getting the answers right? Do something with the incorrect responses. Learn from your mistakes and figure out how to do it right. Study for tests. Yes, you can study for math. Anyone who says otherwise is giving lame excuses. Seek help outside of class, no matter how well or poorly you re doing. Help classmates. You will understand the material better if you can teach it to someone else. Getting to know new people (especially ones outside your normal range) is always a good thing! Focus on learning more than scores. If you learn the material inside & out, forwards & backwards, then your grade will take care of itself.