Teacher Class Policies Course Name:  AP Psychology                                           Course Number: 1447 Level: Advanced Placement Department: Social Science Instructor Information: Name:  Jennifer Juenke Phone: (708) 335-5318 Email:    jjuenke@hfhighschool.org Welcome to AP Psychology! You are to be commended for taking this opportunity to develop study habits and skills to complete college level studies while in high school. Some of the goals of the AP Program include: learning self-assessment, learning to ask meaningful questions, learning by teaching others, and developing and fostering metacognitive skills. These are all principles we will discuss in the context of the course as well as in regard to your growth and development as an AP student. I understand that this may be your first AP course. Never fear, we will work together to meet not only the course goals, but to meet your own goals and motivate you to learn more.  It is my hope that by the end of this course you will thoroughly comprehend the principles of Psychology, but will also realize you have the necessary skills at hand to enroll and succeed in additional AP courses.  The rationale of the AP Program along with other pertinent information will be offered here to heighten your awareness of what will transpire in this rigorous introduction to Psychology. THE AP PROGRAM From its inception 20 years ago, the AP Program has broadened to include more schools, students, and examinations than ever before. The Psychology exam is one of the newest members of the AP family, with the first exam being offered in 1992. Each May, the AP Examinations are administered at Homewood/Flossmoor Community High School and at other participating schools throughout the world. The fee for each examination is approximately $85. The College Board grants fee reductions to students who demonstrate financial need. The examination will be a maximum of two hours long. The examination is a blend of multiple-choice questions and a free-response essay section specifically designed to measure the full range and depth of the students’ knowledge. It is expected that students taking an Advanced Placement course take the exam.   CLASSROOM EXPECTATIONS You are expected to be polite, courteous, and respectful to all people in the classroom and to treat the room itself with care; therefore, NO FOOD OR DRINKS ARE ALLOWED IN CLASS!!! No bathroom passes will be given either, so please use your time wisely between classes! You should bring all supplies and materials with you to class EVERY DAY. Please raise your hand when wanting to speak, and respectfully be quiet when others are speaking. ATTENDANCE/TARDY POLICY Missing class or arriving late will only serve to hinder your progress. Good attendance will help you succeed in this class, therefore the school policy regarding attendance and tardiness will be closely followed in this course. You are expected to be in your seat and prepared to start class when the bell rings. The following rules apply for excused absences only:         On the day you return, turn in any assignments that were due the day you missed. Obtain missed handouts from your teacher.  Talk to your teacher BEFORE or AFTER class to arrange any make-up tests or quizzes and obtain a copy of the notes from another classmate. IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO FIND OUT WHAT YOU MISSED!! You are given 48 hours per each day missed to make-up any work. Tests or quizzes MUST BE MADE UP NO LATER THAN 2 WEEKS AFTER RETURNING BACK TO CLASS. CLASSROOM PARTICIPATION It is my expectation that all students will participate in all class activities and discussions. As motivated students, I expect you to formulate and ask questions on a regular basis. Homework Policy/Philosophy: All homework must be turned in promptly at the beginning of the period on the day that it is due. Being timely ensures full credit! I do NOT accept late work. Technological difficulties are NOT an excuse for late work.  If a project or paper is due, I expect it to be completed and turned in on the due date.  I will not accept disks or alternative forms of an assignment.  Give yourself enough time so that you can overcome any technological mishaps and still turn your work in on time. Criteria and Scale: Since the objective is to prepare you for the national AP Exam you will take in May, your grade for each grading period will consist of college-level multiple-choice exams, free-response exams, and other daily grades. Your grade will be weighted as follows: 1st Quarter: 37.5%     3rd Quarter: 37.5% 2nd Quarter: 37.5%     4th Quarter: 37.5% Final Exam: 25%     Final Exam: 25% The grades will be based on the following scale: 89.5 - 100% = A 89.4 - 79.5% = B             79.5 – 69.5% = C       69.4 - 60% = D      Less than 60%= F Any homework, test, or quiz given on the day of an unexcused absence cannot be made up and will be scored as a zero. Cheating will result in a zero for that test/assignment with no make-up privileges. No warning has to be given. To avoid any questions of cheating, there will be no talking, whispering, looking around the room, or other questionable behavior during exams and certain class assignments. Extra Credit: Various extra credit opportunities are available.  They will be discussed in-class.   For every chapter we read in the text, the students may earn 2 pts extra credit by earning a 70% or higher on the corresponding on-line chapter quiz.  See the class materials link on my webpage for access to the extra credit on-line quizzes via the text website. TIPS FOR STUDENTS: 1. READ, READ, READ, READ your textbook and use your reading guides!  2.  Ask questions!  I can’t help you if I don’t know you need help.   3.  Take complete class notes and date them. Put them in your own words. Don’t write down something you don’t understand without asking about it. Leave some blank space on each page to make additions and clarifications. It is very important to review your class notes each day while they are still fresh in your mind. Expand them, clarify them, and add examples so that they will make sense when you go back to study from them later. 4. Learn to read more effectively. **You can read more effectively by doing the following:         - Read actively; don’t just look at the words. If you spend a half-hour “reading,” but are unable to recall anything when you are done, you have wasted your time.          - Do not ignore pictures, diagrams, tables, and sidebars in your textbook. These features serve to make the text more interesting and may include important information.         - Take notes as you read. If you can condense a 30-page chapter to a few pages of good notes, it’s going to be much easier to review. Perhaps most important: keep a list of questions about the reading. 5. More than half the battle is vocabulary. I suggest you make your vocabulary flash cards for the terms at the end of each chapter early in your reading. As you make the cards, you will begin to learn the vocabulary. The flashcards provide an excellent means of review.