German is a "performance" class, just like art or
P.E. or keyboarding - your grade depends on what you can actually DO
with the language! Successful German students practice and
participate in class every day. Read through the list of
participation ideas below or take a
SELF-TEST to find out if you are a "Star
Participator!"
Volunteer answers to questions
in class
Speak to Frau Penner in German whenever you can, not
just if she calls on you for an answer
When you are working with a partner or in a small
group, really focus on what you are supposed to be doing and use it
as time to practice your German.
When you speak German, try to use things we learned
in previous chapters along with what we're practicing and learning in
the current chapter.
Remember to ask questions when you don't understand
something!
Take good notes!
Take advantage of all the German "stuff " in the
classroom! Explore German websites, browse through through German
books and magazines, play a German game IN German, etc.
BE PREPARED FOR CLASS! There are all sorts of
different things that are involved in being prepared for class. Read
through the following list for hints on how to be organized for class
and prepared to learn German!
Take your
German book home (or to study hall) regularly to study and review
what we've been doing in class. It is important to remember that
simply doing homework assignments is not the
same as "studying" for German.
Do you homework assignments on
time! If you have trouble with an assignment, stop by at the
beginning of the school day to let Frau Penner know - don't wait
until it's time to turn in the assignment to say "But I didn't
understand this...." Late homework will not be accepted.
Come to class mentally prepared to
speak & practice German.
You will need your notebook every
day. ( Click here for Notebook
Guidelines) Remember: any day is a good day for a notebook quiz!
And if your notebook is organized, you can count on getting a 100%!
Be on time and bring all your
"stuff" every day. Being prepared for
class - every day - with all the necessary materials is your
responsibility. Most students do a great job at this, and their
"responsibility
points" will earn them a good grade at the end of each quarter.
If you miss a class, call a
classmate to get the assignment . Or check
Aufgaben page on this web site for the
day's homework. Be sure make-up work gets
turned in on time!
Get in the habit of asking for and
offering help.
KEEP ON TRYING! Learning a foreign language is like
learning any other performance skill: it takes time and patience and
practice. You make progress all the time, and a positive attitude
helps a lot!
Be positive
about your ability to learn! Don't get discouraged if you get "stuck"
- if you keep on trying, it will "click."
Be positive
and polite about your classmates' ability to learn!
Correct yourself when you've
mispronounced a word or given a wrong answer. It shows me that you
are learning and trying!
Speak clearly and loudly so that
everyone can hear you.
Ask for help when you don't
understand something. Sometimes it takes several explanations before
something sinks in. That happens to ALL students learning a second
language! Don't wait until 5 minutes before a test or quiz to say
"But I didn't understand this!" You can come in for help before or
after school, you can e-mail me or call me on the phone with
questions!
SHOW ME THAT YOU TAKE THIS CLASS SERIOUSLY AND ARE
WORKING HARD!
Be ready to start class when the bell rings. That
means you should be in your seat with your materials ready. If
you're not in your seat when the bell rings, you are tardy.
Use individual time in class
appropriately. You should work on German in German class! If you
get your assignment done before the bell rings, there are still all
sorts of things you can do! Look through some German magazines or
books in the Sternen-Ecke....Practice vocabulary individually or with
a partner....Check out a German
website.... Advanced students can work on long-term projects.
Don't mess around! It doesn't matter if
you're working alone, with a partner, or in a group. Your job in this
class is to learn and practice German.
Do your own work! Cheating results in a zero
for everyone involved. Some (but not all) examples of cheating:
copying homework OR sharing your homework with
someone who wants to copy it
giving or receiving
test information
looking at someone
else's test
having identical or
nearly identical sentences in compositions
DO YOUR MAKE-UP WORK, QUIZZES & TESTS ON TIME!
If you are sick and have to miss class, be sure to get your
work done and handed in within the time period outlined in the
Student Handbook. If you missed a quiz or a test while you were sick,
it is your responsibility to get it made up within that same time
period. Work not made-up within the allowable limit will receive
zeroes; there are no reminders.
Check the Aufgaben page for current
assignments.
If you must miss class for a reason other than being sick
(i.e. orthodontist, band clinic, track meet, etc.),
you are expected to be prepared for the next
day's class, including any tests or quizzes that are
scheduled for the day you return. Check the
Aufgaben page for current
assignments.
Even though most students don't
believe it, there really ARE valid reasons for assigning homework!
Read on for a list of good reasons:
Homework
helps you learn vocabulary. Did you know that you need to see, use
and understand a new vocabulary word ONE HUNDRED times before it
becomes internalized?!
Homework helps you learn how
the language works. How often have you tried to do something at home
that seemed so simple in class - but you got stuck? Well, at that
point, you know that you either need to study the examples and try
again, or that you need to talk to Frau Penner and get some extra
help. If you'd never tried your homework, you might have assumed that
you "got it" just because it seemed so simple in class. And if you
really DID get it, practicing it will help it become second-nature, a
natural response - which is exactly what we're striving for!
Homework gives you a chance to
use what you've learned in past years/chapters in a new context.
Homework helps make what you
learn "stick" better. You have to remember and be able to use what we
learn in one chapter in order to do well in the next chapter!
Homework
is assigned regularly. Most of the time, you'll have a chance to
at least start on an assignment in class; that way, if you get stuck,
I can help you before you leave class. It's really important to
remember that homework is to be completed before you
come to class the next day. If you have questions or problems with
your assignment, be sure to talk to me first thing in the
morning. Also not a good idea: Rushing into the room and
frantically trying to finish your assignment before the bell rings or
trying to finish your assignment as we correct it in class. Both of
these tactics totally defeat the purpose of homework; you will not
receive credit for work completed in this manner.
Doing assigned homework is a great start, but it's
not enough to actually learn to use a foreign language. If you
really want to be able to speak German, you have to practice,
practice, practice. That means speaking German whenever you can,
studying new vocabulary outside of class, reviewing old vocabulary,
learning from your mistakes and being willing to work to acquire this
new skill.
Vocabulary is to be learned for the long haul.
You need to remember what you have learned from chapter to chapter,
and from year to year. Merely listening in class and then cramming
for scheduled quizzes will not give you the basis you need for
success in this class. You will have to memorize, practice spelling,
and review daily.
Homework is checked frequently and evaluated in a
variety of ways including: spot-checking, random collecting, pop
quizzes, opening activities based on homework, oral responses and
warm-ups. And if you received help from a friend on an assignment -
that's fine, as long as you know you could do it on your own at the
end. If you just copy, but you don't have a clue about what you're
really doing....that's cheating. Come see me for extra help before
you get to that point.
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