Welcome to LHS and Algebra 1B!

You are at a wonderful point in your mathematics education. As high school students, you are ready to see math as a way of thinking that is useful, is beautiful and makes sense. This attitude will at once make math more interesting, easier and more fun.

We will be doing this in the context of a high school classroom, so there will be the usual lectures, classwork, homework, quizzes and tests, but you will do best and have the most fun if you can find a way to make the subject interesting and relevant to you. I will help, of course, but your effort and your attitude are your responsibilities. The more you can make this (or almost anything) interesting, the better you will do and the more fun you will have.

Math, like most things worth doing, can only be learned with lots of practice. You can't just read a book about playing a sport or a musical instrument and know how to play. You have to practice! Like sports or music, the more you do math, the better you do math. Also like sports and music, often if you keep at it, things that appear impossible become possible and even easy.

Expectations

The classroom is shared between you, me, and many other students, and we all have to work together, so we have to have some shared expectations. Here are some of them:

Kindness

Yes.

Honesty, trust and respect

Earn my trust. I will earn yours. In particular, unless I say otherwise, assignments must be your own work, though you may get help. Of course, tests and quizzes must be entirely your own work. Infractions are violations of the LHS honor code, which are dealt with very seriously.

Almost no electronics

I should not see or hear any electronic devices except calculators acting like calculators.

Leaving the room

If you need to leave the room, raise your hand; I'm likely to grant your request as long as these requests are rare and you go where you said you were going and come back soon. Usually only person should be out at a time.

Supplies

Students should have a graphing calculator by Sept 8. (This should be in the TI-83 or TI-84 series, or the TI-Nspire, which can emulate them. If you want to use a different kind please come see me first.) LHS will not be taking orders for these this year; please buy these locally or online, or if necessary borrow one from the math department. In addition, you will need graph paper, lined paper, and a binder or some other means of organizing your work. (You may keep recent work in a folder to reduce carry weight.) A computer at home with an Internet connection is encouraged but not required.

Readiness

Come to class prepared, with enough pencils or pens to last through the class, a math binder or folder with all your recent work, plenty of paper including graph paper, with your assigned reading done and the assigned homework on your desk, and start on the warmup activity that will be posted. You will not need your textbook unless I ask you to bring it; you will probably have enough to carry without it.

Textbook

Read the textbook, not like a novel, but with pencil and paper to work out anything that doesn't make sense to you. Read it before you get stuck on a problem!

Hand raising

Yes.

Assignments

Assignments will be given in class and posted on the Web. When you are absent, it is your responsibility to ask about what you missed, and then I will help you get caught up. Generally, if you are absent for a certain number of days, you will have the same number of days to make it up.

Promptness

I expect students to try to arrive by the bell, but I will usually allow a minute or two beyond the bell. Class officially begins when I close the door or start addressing the class. For full credit, homework must be turned in at the beginning of class on the day it is due (usually the day after it's assigned).

Neatness

It should be easy to read what you wrote. Crossing out or erasing are fine with me as long as I can read it easily. I also ask that you submit your work on unwrinkled 8.5x11 paper without spiral notebook confetti (some spiral notebooks are perforated to avoid this problem) because I may want to scan it. Don't feel the need to redo an assignment if it fails this latter criterion, but please give it a try.

Contacting me

The best way to get in touch with me outside of class is via email; I am usually quick to respond. I also have voicemail at 781-861-2320 x7864, but I tend not to check that often. I also encourage you to come see me, in the math teacher office (room 713), in my study hall, or in my classrooms (823 and 817). My schedule is posted on my web site. If you would like to make an appointment, email is probably the best way to start.

Feedback

I love it when students correct me or the book; when I make a mistake, please raise your hand immediately to let us all know. I also appreciate suggestions for how to improve the class, but those suggestions should not take up class time.

Take responsibility

You are responsible for your learning, including reading the material, participating actively in class, doing homework, and seeking help when you need it. Sources of help include your textbook, classmates, the math help room, and, of course, me. Helping individual students is an important part of my job so please don't wait if you need a hand.

Fridays

I will try to reserve the end of class on Fridays for something math-related but more relaxed and not necessarily in the curriculum. Whether this happens will be determined both by my efficiency and yours during the week.

Grading

Here is a rough breakdown of the grading.

Passionate curiosity

A former student told me that Einstein once said, “I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.”

Signatures

Please read the Algebra 1B course guide, discuss it, sign below, and return to me by Friday, September 5.

Student signature ______________________________

Parent/guardian signature _________________________