Mr. Adam Bachmeyer's Classroom Procedures & Policies
Email: steven.bachmeyer@bcsemail.org
Phone: 828.271.4521
Licensed Career & Technology Teacher. Certified Project Lead the Way Engineering Instructor
The Engineering & Design Classroom Environment
An engaging, challenging, rewarding and safe classroom is a functional, productive, and happy classroom!
The Engineering courses that students will engage in all 4 years here at MLNDA can be very demanding and stressful. However, I go to great lengths to create a classroom environment that is structured to make the intense learning enjoyable, exciting, and easier than first expected.
Want to know how to best succeed in the PLTW Classroom? Then pay attention here carefully and apply the following 7 Steps!
1. Familiarize yourself with the course, by looking at all the pages on this site carefully.
2. Show up to class, on-time, prepared with engineer's notebook, flash drive, and login credentials everyday. (see syllabus for materials)
3. Get fired up and excited! Bring a positive, can-do attitude with you.
4. Learn how to use the Canvas course site religiously to access lesson material and submit assignments. DO NOT let yourself get behind on assignment submissions! Use the course calendar EVERYDAY to keep on track.
5. Put forth genuine effort with care! I can tell when you are doing your best.
6. Use the Canvas messenger to ask your instructor questions or clarifications should they arise... especially in case of an absence.
7. Uphold the following standards:
BE RESPECTFUL: arrive on time; exhibit polite, kind, and professional conduct with instructor and peers; respect others’ ideas; listen quietly and intently to instructions.
BE RESPONSIBLE: work safely; keep Engineer's Notebook and work areas organized; know when things are due and submit assignments and projects on time; contribute to your team equally and enthusiastically.
BE READY: know the course agenda; arrive prepared to work; cells on silent and away; focus on the task at hand.
The PLTW Online Learning Management System
Most informational texts and resources will be provided
electronically on the Online PLTW Learning Management System.The LMS
contains most every resource for assignments students will need, a
platform for announcements, a place for students to email me and ask
questions, submit assignments electronically, and take tests and
quizzes. Students will be given their username and password in class.
ALL materials and software for the course are supplied, except an
Engineer’s Notebook. See course syllabus
for details. Students need to have their Engineer's Notebooks with them
in class everyday, as I may be apt to conduct a notebook check at any
time.
Safety
All students and parents must sign and return a Buncombe
County Safety Waiver to have on file to participate in the course. Furthermore, all students will be required to participate in a Safety Training Module, and
score a 100% on a Safety Test.
Grading Policy
Grading will take place in the PLTW online Learning Management
System and imported into Powerschool’s Gradebook. It is district policy
that courses include a Final Exam that will count towards 25% of the
grade. This will be a comprehensive survey of the entire course
material. In addition, they will participate in a PLTW End Of Course
exam, that will supply them with a national stanine score ranking.
Formative and summative assessments are a part of every class at
Nesbitt Discovery Academy; final grades are based on a seven point
system as follows:
Grading Scale:
90 – 100: A
80 – 89: B
70 – 79: C
60 – 69: D
0 – 59: F
I use the following 4 graded categories for each 9 weeks:
Engineer's Notebook Documentation 30%
Projects and Activities 30%
Tests: 30%
Performance: 10%
Attendance Policy
Students are only allowed five (5) absences per each semester. To
be counted present in a class, the student must be in class for 2/3 of
the class period. Students are responsible for making up any days past
the allotted 5 absences per semester. For information about excused and
unexcused absences, please refer to the student handbook.
Make-up Policy
The following procedure will apply to all courses:
After any absence, it will be the student’s responsibility to
check with his/her teacher outside of class time for work missed and to
schedule a time to make up all work including tests.
However, it is highly recommended that students check the LMS while they are absent and keep up with assignments this way.
Projects and work assigned before absences should be turned in as soon as student returns to school, or via the LMS with a note about the absence.
If a student is absent for one (1) day, he/she will have two (2)
days to make up homework, missed assignments and tests assigned during
his/her absence.
If a student is absent two (2) or three (3) days, he/she will
have four (4) days to make up homework, missed assignments and tests
during his/her absence.
If a student is absent four (4) or more days, he/she will meet
with each teacher for an individual arrangement for all make-up work.
For more information on attendance make-up if absent for more than six (6) days, please refer to the student handbook.
Late Work and "Home work"
It is typical that an assignment is due 3 days after it is
introduced. Almost all assignments are started in-class, and is typical
that they be finished up outside of class. The details for the
assignment, and due date, as well as format for upload are all given on
the assignment page in the LMS. If a student has uploaded an assignment
below par I typically provide a comment on the assignment page (where
they upload the assignment) about why and how to improve it for
resubmission (provided it wasn't turned in late). My policy for
non-excused absence late work is as follows: unless I have really good
reason (such as working with a student with IEP or 504), Assignments are
due by 10pm on the due date. For every day the assignment is late a
point will be reduced from the max score. This should serve as a
motivator for students to submit work in a timely manner. Students
should be keeping an eye on the Calendar in the LMS.
Behavior Plan
Students are trained as to classroom expectations and procedures
during the first few days of class. They are expected to learn my
Classroom Performance Expectations and and abide by them throughout the
course. They will conduct self evaluations for a portion of their
Performance grade using those expectations on a rubric. If they score
low on this rubric I will need to schedule a meeting with their parents
to come up with solutions to raise that score.
Safety Rules Must Be Followed at all times! Breaking
safety rules may require: immediate referal, loss of lab privileges,
removal from course.
Cell Phones are not for use during classroom instruction unless students
are given permission to use them for a class-related task, or if they
have been given permission to contact their parents or guardians from
their instructor. Consequences for breaking this rule could include
confiscation of cell phone and administrator referral.
Basic Procedures For Solving Behavior Issues
Step 1: Soft Reminder of the Classroom Performance
Expectations, and ask them if they realize they are breaking any. Help
student realize how to solve any issues.
Step 2: A quick student-teacher conference in order to clarify any misunderstandings. Brainstorm for ways to solve the problem.
STEP 3: Working Lunch Detention. Depending on the
nature of the infraction, this step could be skipped. This could be a
possible consequence for minor infractions that wouldn't require
immediate parent contact. Detention will be held in a separate, quiet
setting and they will work on homework they might have.
STEP 4: Parent contact (email, phone call). This
will be in order to inform parents about concerning behavior, discuss
possible consequences and solutions.
STEP 5: Referal to administrator. Possible parent conference.
STEP 6: Parent Conference. Possible Action Plan. Referal To Administrator.