Welcome to Room 101, Ms. Coomes “A Message from Ancient Days”

• My Educational Background
• The Year at a Glance
• State Standards
• Grading Procedures
• Parent Involvement
• Online Grades
• Online Resources

My Educational Background
I graduated from a small high school in northwest Illinois.  As a young adult, I was the primary family wage earner while my husband attended college.  When my children, Anthony and Andrea, were young, I intermittently took college classes.  I eventually earned my Associates Degree from Wabash Valley Community College in Mt. Carmel, Illinois in 1985.  I later enrolled full time at the University of Illinois and received my bachelor’s Degree in Education in 1992.  After a year of substitute teaching in Champaign and Urbana, I was hired as a teacher at Franklin Middle School.  This is my fourteenth year at Franklin.  During my tenure at Franklin, I completed a Master’s Degree in Education from Eastern Illinois University in 1997.  I have also participated in numerous staff development programs to enhance my repertoire of teaching strategies and to advance my knowledge in my subject matter areas.

Some of My Favorite Quotes

“We adopt the means of nonviolence because our end is a community at peace with itself.” 
~ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Each of us must be the change we want to see in the world.”
~ Gandhi

“ Children are our vehicles for survival--for in them there is hope, and through them what has been, and what will be will not only be perpetrated, but also united.”

~ Margaret Mead

“The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.” 

~ Albert Einstein

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world.  Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” 

~ Margaret Mead

“Nobody can go back and start again; anybody can start now and create a brand new ending.”

~ Richard Bodine

How I Conduct My Classroom
I love an interactive classroom characterized by a high level of active student involvement in creative and critical thinking. I like to raise questions that stimulate the exchange of ideas. Quality of ideas is very important to me. I am interested in "What if..." scenarios, and I want my students to think about what they are learning, not just as ancient history, but how these events impacted the history of the world and especially how life today may reflect the ancient past.

The Year at a Glance
 

The following is a listing of the major topics and units of study for 6^th grade social studies:

6th Grade The Ancient World Intro to Social Studies, Part I Mapping the World Studying the Past:  History and Archaeology Earliest Humans and Civilizations Mesopotamia Ancient Egypt China India Ancient Greece Rome Middle Ages (Europe ,Japan) Monotheistic Religions and The Crusades Aztec/Inca/Maya

State Standards
 

Grading Procedures
 

For most of the projects that students work on there will be a rubric that clearly describes what I am looking for in the project.  Otherwise, the district policy is very specific with the grading policy.  This policy states that grades will be weighted and placed into one of three categories.  The categories and weights are as follows:

Class Work (50%)           Major Grades  (50%)

Grades will be posted on the web on a regular basis.  Each student will be assigned a password to access their grades. 

Parent Involvement

Parental/Guardian involvement is extremely important for the success of the student in social science class.  It is important that both the teacher and the parent/guardian communicate effectively with each other in order to ensure consistency.  I strongly encourage parent/guardian participation in social science so that their child can have the best chance for a successful year.   I hope to consistently communicate with you about both the positives and the concerns regarding your child.  Please feel free to contact me whenever you have questions or concerns.