TJ Stockwell » About Me

About Me

 I received my BA in Middle Level Education from Stephen F. Austin University and am certified in 4-8 and 7-12 Social Studies. This is my second year to teach in my own classroom, but I have been a substitute and a teacher aide in middle schools for 13 years. I married my high school sweetheart exactly one year after high school in 1999 and we had our daughters Rebekah and Lizzie. Rebekah is 21 and is attending Texas State University to be a teacher. She has Cerebral Palsy which makes it difficult to walk and keep her balance but she doesn't let that stop her.  After working extremely hard to receive a full ride national Navy ROTC Scholarship to Texas A&M, Lizzie, just finished her 1st year. She is in the Corps of Cadets; she hopes to be a Navy pilot. After graduating she will commission as an officer into the US Navy! I love History & am excited to teach your children & model how hard work pays off.
 I am very excited for our year together! In class we will focus on people, places, and societies of the contemporary world. Societies for study are from the following regions: Europe, Russian and the Eurasian republics, North America, Central America and the Caribbean, South America, Southwest Asia-North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, East Asia, Australia, and the Pacific realm. We will utilize maps, writing assignments, projects, timelines, and many other exciting tools. This class will be reading and writing intensive as well as creating many different maps. I will require that my students do their homework just like I am required to do mine. It is hard to have discussions when half the class has not done their part. If that simple requirement is completed, coupled with good note taking, good study habits and a genuine effort, success will come naturally.

The rules in my class can be summed up in three words: Respect, Perseverance and Responsibility.
1. Respect each other, your environment, and your teacher.
2. Come to class on time and mentally prepared to learn with necessary materials and assignments to be a productive member of our class.
3. Beginning of class, students will turn in any work that is due, get out materials and journals and begin the daily warm-up.
4. Stay seated unless you have permission to get up.
5. Do not talk during teacher instruction unless your hand has been raised and you have been called on. Do not pack up until you are instructed to by the teacher. Before leaving, help clean up the classroom.
6. If a student is absent, all missing work can be found on the counter in the black file holder. I will provide the power points or other resources used in class. Please get in contact with me if you will be out for an extended period of time or know of an absence in advance.
1. Place your cell phone in the numbered pocket corresponding to your name on the back wall daily when you walk in the room. NO CELL PHONES ARE TO BE OUT OR USED UNLESS I HAVE ALREADY GIVEN YOU PERMISSION!!!!!  ABSOLUTELY NO SOCIAL MEDIA OF ANY KIND!!
2. We have a class set of Chromebooks which students will have one assigned to them for use during class. We will not be using them every day so please do not get it out in class unless instructed to do so. As always, students must follow all campus/district computer policies and use technology responsibly. If a student fails to follow campus/district computer policy, there will be disciplinary measures per student handbook.    
I expect high quality work from every student, every time. Students will have paper assignments, reading assignments, long term writing assignments, online assignments and projects. Any work that is turned in incomplete or low quality, may be returned with a requirement to redo it. I am ALWAYS willing to work with your student so they can be as successful as possible, but the key word there is WORK...they must do their part to the best of their ability!

Grading:
40% -Tests, Projects        50%- Quizzes, Classwork, etc.    10% Homework, Participation
 
Re-Testing:
Students will be permitted to retake/redo any test that he or she has failed in all classes. To qualify for retesting the student must: 1) attend at least one (1) tutorial session for the class in which he or she failed the test, and 2) request a time and date for the retest to occur. The two grades (original and new) will be averaged and a maximum grade of 70 will be recorded in the grade book. 
 
Contact:
My email is [email protected]
My Conference period is daily during 1st period from 7:54-8:39. Please email me with any questions or concerns you have and I will get back to you within 24 hours per district policy. 

Tutoring:
Tutorials are every morning (except Friday)from 7:30-7:50. I am also available after school. All students who receive a failing grade or progress report will be required to attend tutorials. For help during Advisory (7th period) students must ask for a pass in advance; students will only be released if they have procured a pass.
 
Consequences of Misbehavior:
1st minor incident - Verbal warning/one-on-one conference with student 
2nd minor incident - Parent contact by teacher. 
3rd minor incident - Lunch detention AND Parent Contact. 
4th minor incidents and major incidents are managed by administration.

Tardiness:
● On the 5th tardy, the student will be assigned 1 day of lunch detention 
● On the 8th tardy 1 day of ASD will be assigned.
● On the 10th tardy, the student will be assigned 1 day of ISS 
● On the 15th tardy, the student will be assigned 3 days of ISS 
*The total tardy count will start over at the beginning of each six weeks.
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