Welcome to Exploring Career Decisions!

This middle school course provides an orientation to the world of work. Emphasis is placed on self-awareness, understanding the world of work, and the career planning process. Based on the National Career Development Guidelines, skills learned in this
course include, but are not limited to, communication, personal management, and teamwork. English language arts are
reinforced. 

Course Objectives:

Methods of Instruction:

• Bell Ringers -- work on basic math, writing, and reading skills
• Bubble Maps -- reinforce concepts
• Mini Projects -- reinforce concepts
• PowerPoint Presentations -- students will take notes
• T.I.P -- reinforce learning of new vocabulary
• Sentence Starters -- reinforce writing skills and career concepts

Grading

• Assignments   30%
• Bell Ringers     20%
• Tests/Projects  50%

Classroom Rules, Expectations, and Norms

Attendance:     If possible, strive for daily attendance.  However, if you are absent, please follow WCPSS policy.  Bring a note signed by a parent/guardian stating the reason for your absence.  Upon entering the doors first thing in the morning, take the note to the "Attendance Office" for your admit slip to class.  Present this slip to each of your teachers.  Follow the system policy regarding make up days in the student/parent handbook.

Tardy:  Make it to class on time.  Punctuality is an essential work habit.  If you are tardy, please sign the Tardy Log on the table in the front of the classroom.  You do not have to sign the log if you have a written pass or the teacher, administrator, and/or counselor walks with you to class.    1st Tardy:  Verbal Warning         2nd Tardy:  Parent Contact          3rd (+) Tardy:  Admin Referral

Entering Classroom:  Leave book bags, gym bags, and other items on  or under the back table with your electronic devices (cell phones) turned off and stored in your book bag.  Read the instructions posted up front on the board and do accordingly.  Proceed to the front to get your notebook, pick up a copy of any/all handouts on the front table, then seated.  Once seated, remain in your seat until the teacher recognize your raised hand to speak or to move about the room.

Classroom Dismissal:  Teacher will notify students when to start shutting down classroom activities.  Stay on task and productive--assignments are due on the day assigned, unless otherwise stated.  Remain seated until the teacher tells you to log out of the program being used on computer, log off the computer, put notebooks upright on the bookcase, and chairs under the table.  The teacher will dismiss the students at the end of class.  "You are dismissed," will be stated by the teacher.

Restroom Passes:  Students have been given four (4) restroom passes for the quarter.  Once those are used up, the student will not be given permission to leave class before dismissal.  Use the passes in case of emergency need.  Sign out and in on the back table with your first, last name, time out, date, and time in.  Students in my classroom use the restrooms on the 500-hallway only.  If those restrooms are closed for cleaning, then the student MUST return to class to get a blue hall pass from the teacher to go to another restroom.  Failure to do so, will terminate all future restroom privileges.

Safety in the Computer Lab

• Food, candy, gum, and drinks are NOT permitted in the lab (except--bottle water is permitted)
• Horseplay is dangerous at any time but even more so in the lab
• Chairs must remain flat on the floor without rocking back on two legs
• Tampering with a computer is a violation of the WCPSS computer use agreement (do not unplug, tamper with hardware or software)
  • ​Violations will result in removal from computer use (1 day, 3 days, admin referral)
• External storage devices are not permitted due to the possibility of introducing a computer virus in the lab
• Use the proper steps to log out of each website and to log off the computer