Jane Gaylord

Engish 10 Honors Syllabus
Gaylord_Latin_Syllabus.pdf

Class Expectations

Mrs. Gaylord comes to class on time.  She expects students to also.

Mrs. Gaylord comes to class prepared, with her book, her pens, and paper.  She does not expect students to supply these needs. If students turn in essays written in pencil, she will return them to be rewritten in ink or typed.

Mrs. Gaylord observes the dress code.  She does not display cleavage in class.  All her skirts exceed the length of her fingertips when her arms are extended at her sides.  Her pants do not slip or slide, displaying what she is wearing underneath them.  She does not wear clothing with logos or slogans that are inappropriate or suggestive.  Mrs. Gaylord expects students to observe the dress code also.  If students fail to, she will supply them with an ugly green t-shirt to wear for the duration of her class.

Mrs. Gaylord takes care of grooming rituals, such as brushing her hair or freshening her makeup, before class and after class, not during class.  Mrs. Gaylord expects students to maintain personal hygiene outside of class.

Sometimes Mrs. Gaylord becomes so excited by what is going on in class that she interrupts people.  When this happens, she apologizes to whomever she interrupted.

Mrs. Gaylord prefers to identify problems and to ask the people whom they concern to solve them.  When this happens, Mrs. Gaylord is not opening a topic for debate.  She does not care to have her instructions questioned or to have students point out that they are being singled out unfairly.  She simply wants whatever the problem is to stop.  If a student cannot or will not solve a problem, Mrs. Gaylord will solve the problem.  No one is happy when this occurs.

Mrs. Gaylord deposits trash in the proper receptacle. Trash  left on her floor will be cleaned up before dismissal. 

Mrs. Gaylord does not expect students to consume bagels, cookies, chips, or lunches in class.  Mrs. Gaylord does NOT allow gum in class EVER.  Students who chew gum will report after school to remove gum from desk bottoms.

Mrs. Gaylord expects students will refrain from damaging other students, the furniture, or the room itself.  Not touching other people or their property is always appropriate.

Mrs. Gaylord expects students to leave their toys at home.  We don’t have show and tell at big school.

Mrs. Gaylord provides a tentative syllabus, listing assignments and their due dates, for every unit.  Sometimes it is necessary to adjust the schedule.  Mrs. Gaylord recommends that everyone find a “study buddy” to call in case of absences to check that nothing has changed.  For an excused absence, make an appointment for to make up quizzes, tests, or in-class essays. Homework is the students’ responsibility.  Place late homework in the appropriate container. Students have one day for every day of an excused absence to make up work.  One grade will be deducted from unexcused late work  one week overdue;  unexcused late work two weeks overdue will earn an F.  After thirty years of teaching, Mrs. Gaylord has heard every excuse for late work, including “the dog ate my computer,”  and “the computer ate my dog.”  She believes none of them.

Mrs. Gaylord believes that any student who does all assignments conscientiously will pass.  Mrs. Gaylord does not make up extra-credit projects for students who have chosen not to complete assigned work.  Mrs. Gaylord does give extra credit to major assignments, such as essays, turned in early.

Sometimes students cannot complete an entire assignment.  In that case, Mrs. Gaylord expects the student to identify the problem and to seek help. Mrs. Gaylord can be reached at 408-779-1092. 

Mrs. Gaylord does not use ethnic slurs, gender or sexual orientation in a pejorative way, or the verb “to suck,” which is transitive, without a specific direct object.  Mrs. Gaylord will be highly offended if she hears such language in her classroom.

Students will keep all graded essays.  Sometimes Mrs. Gaylord makes mistakes entering grades, especially for late work.  The fastest and easiest way to correct this is to produce the work in question.

Sometimes Mrs. Gaylord makes mistakes in totaling scores.  She isn’t very good at math.  It makes her anxious.  Students who find such a mistake on a test should bring the matter to Mrs. Gaylord’s attention after class so that she can correct it.  Mrs. Gaylord does not like to spend class time on clerical errors.

Mrs. Gaylord found out during the lengthy course of her own education that if she didn’t understand something, at least ten other people didn’t get it either.  She therefore encourages questions, especially grammar questions.  After all, she is the Grammar Goddess.

Some students do not find grammar and literature fascinating.  They are wrong, of course.  How form and content interact  to create meaning is central to any communication and  any fine or performing art.  If Mrs. Gaylord gets carried away, (Students will recognize this because she shouts and waves her arms.) do not take it personally or become afraid.  Such demonstrations of enthusiasm are part of Mrs. Gaylord’s ethnicity.  When she is really angry, she gets very quiet.  Please heed any cranky warnings posted on the board.