Welcome to Githens Middle School! My name is A. J. Johnson and I am the Stingray math teacher and team leader. I am very excited to begin my 17th year of teaching. During my 17 year tenure I am proud to say I have been Teacher of the Year twice at two different schools. I have also had the pleasure of teaching third and fifth grades but 6th grade math is definitely my favorite. I love seeing students blossom socially and academically at this age. I enjoy teaching thinking skills and helping your students develop their creative mathematical abilities through real world connections. I look forward to making this an AWESOME year!
PRIDE Expectations:
Here at GMS, we expect the best from our students behaviorally and academically. This year, we will be using a school-wide behavior incentive system called PRIDE in order to reinforce and reward positive behavior. Our PRIDE expectations are as follows:
Punctual (Right place – right time)
Respect (Treat others as you want to be treated)
Integrity (Do what is right)
Dedication (No less than best effort)
Excellence (Strive for greatness)
I look forward to seeing all of my students have PRIDE in themselves and in Githens!
Procedures Students write assignments in their agenda everyday.
We normally spend a few minutes’ checking/reviewing assignments from the previous day.
After “launching” new problems students work individually or in pairs.
Work not finished in class is expected to be completed at home.
Assessment of Student Progress · Problems and Ace Question - Daily learning activities, which aid understanding of important concepts.
Reflections - Writing prompts which check current understanding
Check-Ups - Individual quizzes
Partner Quizzes - Partner quizzes which can be resubmitted for full credit.
Unit Tests - Individual tests at the end of units.
Portfolio Entries - Completed at end of unit to summarize/share math learned.
Grade Check Sheet - Form student keeps up to date documenting current average.
Grading Percentages Listed below are the categories and percentages assigned to each comprising the grade for the progress reports and nine weeks averages.
· Math Notebook and Reflections 25%
· Quizzes 25%
· Test 25%
Parent Conference Procedure: Please contact your child's homeroom teacher via email or phone and he or she will set up a meeting with the team.
I am very excited about the opportunity to work with you during the 2017-2018 school year. Many challenges await us but as a part of your team, I look forward to a year filled with academics, inspiration, hard work, encouragement, dedication, growth, friendship, and yes, lots of mathematics. If you need to reach me at any time please give me a call at (919) 560-3966 or send an email to [email protected].