CLASS PROCEDURES AND RATIONALE

SLIDES DO NOT ADVANCE AUTOMATICALLY

Welcome to Social Studies

My Contact Information

I can typically be contacted by phone or by email: Phone: 915-204-6028 (fastest, except during school) School: 915-926-4700 (can leave a message) Email: mstinson@horizonmiddleschool.org Email: mark.stinson@clint.net

I use the internet (a lot) Twitter: @mstinsonhms (one-way – this is not to contact

me, it is just for me to put information out there) Class blog: www.horizonmiddleschool.org (the link to

my site is on the right side of the homepage)

About Me

Born and raised in DallasGraduated from Richardson High SchoolServed in the U.S. Army for six years

Hanau am Main, Germany Fort Sill, Oklahoma Dallas, Texas (active Reserve)

About Me

Colleges: Dallas County Community Colleges (Richland Jr. College) West Texas State University (now part of Texas A&M

system) University of Texas at El Paso University of Phoenix (as both student and teacher)

Major: History (focus on U.S. and Modern Europe) Minors: Political Science & Education Additional Focuses: Paralegal Studies and Information Systems Additional Studies: Philosophy, Economics

20 years in Clint ISD Clint Jr. High, East Montana Middle, Horizon High School,

Horizon Middle School

Hobbies and Other Things I Like to Do

Learn – history, philosophy, business and economics, science, linguistics … it’s all interesting, relevant and connected

Read – for information (learning) and for entertainment; both at once is great

Video Games Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Assassin’s Creed, Civilization,

Mass Effect … mostly games with a good storyTinkering – figuring out how something works

or figuring out how to make it work better

Quotes

There is only one good, knowledge, and one evil, ignorance Socrates, as quoted by Diogenes Laertius

All men, by nature, desire to know. Aristotle, Metaphysics

Leisure without study is death; it is a tomb for the living man. Seneca, Epistle 82

My Approach to Social Studies

Social Studies is not names, dates and places; it is people and all of the things that they do Every artifact tells you something about who made it Every book or letter tells you something about the

time in which it was written Every picture or painting tells you something about

the people and time in which it was madeThe keys:

Seeing is different from looking Listening is different from hearing Reading is different from looking at the words

Your Approach

Because Social Studies is everything that people do, it includes a WIDE range of subjects

You need to understand a lot of things for Social Studies to make sense as anything other than memorizing facts

You cannot be like the Las Vegas commercials: What happens in Math cannot stay in Math What happens in ELAR cannot stay in ELAR What happens in Science cannot stay in Science All of it must come with you

Sooo…. Here are the Rules

Comply with all federal, state and district policies

Do not do anything that creates unsafe or unhealthy conditions in my classroom

Do not do anything that interferes with your learning

Do not do anything that interferes with anyone else’s learning

Do not let anyone else interfere with your learning

Procedures

Time is a limited resource There are only 24 hours in a day – no more There are only 60 minutes in an hour – no more There are only 49 minutes in a class period and there are

only 180 class periods in a school year (less, actually)Time is a nonrenewable resource

Once that minute is gone, it is not coming backBecause time is limited and nonrenewable, it must be

used wiselyClassroom procedures are designed to efficiently use

the time and other resources we have - if you think something can be done more efficiently, tell me

Daily Expectations

Be in dress code before entering the classroomNo gum or food (this is district policy – I will enforce it)Bring and use the proper materials at the proper timeDo not talk except when the activity requires it or when you

have a question (raise your hand first).Stay in your seat unless you have permission to do

otherwise.Do not do work from other classes unless you have

permissionListen carefully to instructions, execute them to the best of

your ability, and ask if you do not understand themParticipate in the lesson by doing the correct activity at the

correct time: listen, ask questions, discuss, read, write, research.

Fire Drill Procedure

We are required to conduct one fire drill per monthExiting the building (we should be first out)

We will exit the room one row at a time – this automatically forms a single-file line – you must stay together

We will exit by the cafeteria and walk quickly and quietly to our designated assembly area

The first person in line will hook the door so that it stays open for other classes and then catch up with the rest of us

I will do a head count when we reach the assembly areaEntering the building (we should be last in)

We will walk quickly and quietly back to the classroom and take our seats

Tomorrow

We will look at the various fields or “strands” of Social Studies

Bring back the signed part of my class information This is an easy 100 unless you don’t do it

Questions or concerns?