"The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically.
Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education."
- M.L.K.
Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education."
- M.L.K.
Pacific Trails Middle School
5975 Village Center Loop Road,
San Diego, CA,
92024
2021/22
Dear Parents and Guardians,
I am looking forward to getting to know you over the course of this school year. As we prepare for the year, I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself and talk a bit about my teaching philosophy and classroom expectations. It's my highest priority that my students feel they are a part of a community in my class, and that I am doing everything I can to help them succeed.
IMPORTANT! I'd like to also introduce you to Mr. Allen. He is joining us as a co-teacher for the first semester. Mr. Allen is working on completing his teaching credential and will be slowly taking over more and more of the teaching throughout the first half of the school year. I will continue to oversee grading and other important elements of the class. If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know.
I have set several goals for our class this year. First, it's my hope that I can help foster an excitement for learning about the history of the United States. I love stories and do my best to help my students immerse themselves in the story of history. Additionally, my goal is to help each student make the absolute most of their time in my class, to develop academic skills in historical research, analysis and writing. We'll spend time this year learning to use credible archives for research, gather and organize evidence, form an idea through analysis, and write a clear thesis.
In terms of general academic skills, we'll be working on preparation, organization, time management, focus, teamwork, and a host of other things. More specifically related to the study of history, we'll be working on understanding and applying cause and effect, comparison, contextualization, and continuity and change.
As a teacher, I strive to foster a classroom environment that feels safe and welcoming to all my students. One way we'll work to accomplish this by practicing the Characteristics of Kindness.
Quick tips to help your student(s) succeed...
IMPORTANT! Please take a moment to fill out the Parent Contact Form. This will help improve our communication throughout the semester. To access the virtual classroom, visit edmotivate.com/us-history.
Sincerely,
Mr. Gillette
brian.gillette@sduhsd.net
5975 Village Center Loop Road,
San Diego, CA,
92024
2021/22
Dear Parents and Guardians,
I am looking forward to getting to know you over the course of this school year. As we prepare for the year, I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself and talk a bit about my teaching philosophy and classroom expectations. It's my highest priority that my students feel they are a part of a community in my class, and that I am doing everything I can to help them succeed.
IMPORTANT! I'd like to also introduce you to Mr. Allen. He is joining us as a co-teacher for the first semester. Mr. Allen is working on completing his teaching credential and will be slowly taking over more and more of the teaching throughout the first half of the school year. I will continue to oversee grading and other important elements of the class. If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know.
I have set several goals for our class this year. First, it's my hope that I can help foster an excitement for learning about the history of the United States. I love stories and do my best to help my students immerse themselves in the story of history. Additionally, my goal is to help each student make the absolute most of their time in my class, to develop academic skills in historical research, analysis and writing. We'll spend time this year learning to use credible archives for research, gather and organize evidence, form an idea through analysis, and write a clear thesis.
In terms of general academic skills, we'll be working on preparation, organization, time management, focus, teamwork, and a host of other things. More specifically related to the study of history, we'll be working on understanding and applying cause and effect, comparison, contextualization, and continuity and change.
As a teacher, I strive to foster a classroom environment that feels safe and welcoming to all my students. One way we'll work to accomplish this by practicing the Characteristics of Kindness.
- Consider others first
- Listen intently to their ideas
- Value the efforts of others
- Respond with patience and respect
- Do not act in anger
- Be willing to admit fault
- Be ready to make amends
Quick tips to help your student(s) succeed...
- Allow students to take the lead - While I always welcome parent communication, students should be encouraged to take the lead on ongoing communication regarding things like assignment questions, confusion about things that we're learning, etc. Allowing students to be the primary contact will help them develop valuable skills in self advocacy.
- Allow students to learn from failure - Failure is a critical component of future success. A low test score, or a low score on an assignment or project, are opportunities for students to reflect honestly and seriously about how they prepared, how they managed their time, how they followed instructions, etc. Allowing them to work through the pain of failure will help them build healthy habits for future success.
- Check Aeries regularly - I'll do my best to update the grade book frequently. This is a valuable tool that you can use in order to track your students' progress in the class. To access Aeries, go to Aeries Parent Portal
- Check Google Classroom - As parents, we have to decide what level of autonomy is best for our kids. That being said, I want to make sure you know where you can look to stay informed about what your student is working on in history. If you would like to receive notifications of your students progress on assignments, please let me know and I will add you.
- Respect due dates - Barring an excused absence or a specific accommodation detailed in an IEP or 504 Plan, late work will be penalized up to 50%. A detailed explanation of the late work policy can be found in the syllabus. It's imperative that students practice organization and time management skills that will help prevent them from missing due dates.
IMPORTANT! Please take a moment to fill out the Parent Contact Form. This will help improve our communication throughout the semester. To access the virtual classroom, visit edmotivate.com/us-history.
Sincerely,
Mr. Gillette
brian.gillette@sduhsd.net
