Required Elements for Seminar Teachers
All required elements			This is a collection of all of the required elements in the seminar notebook. To get to a specific document from that packet, click on it in the list below.
Seminar Grade Rationale	.doc	.pdf	This grade rationale serves to answer the question "What is Seminar?" and to make policies clear to both parents and students. You can make your personal contributions or deletions to help shape your class to best fit your style. The Grading section needs to be maintained to ensure consistency throughout all seminar classes.
Seminar Contract and Contact Information	.doc	.pdf	This serves as the Grade Rationale Contract, in addition to a contact record sheet.  Even though most of this information is available via Zangle, it has been useful to have a hard copy of each student’s information.  In addition, the parents can provide cell numbers and email addresses to make contacting home easier. The back serves log to record communication with parents.
Grade Check Log	.doc	.pdf	It is a requirement of Seminar that teachers check and record students’ grades at least once a week.  By having students fill this form out during the first week of Seminar, making copies, and keeping them in the Seminar Binder, this form provides an efficient way to keep track.
Academic Distress Signal	.doc	.pdf	If a student is failing a class at the end of a given three week interval, an Academic Distress Signal (ADS) must be sent to the teacher of the class the student is failing.  Academic Distress Signals are to be sent out at the end of weeks 3, 6, 12, and 15 of each semester.  The classroom teacher needs to complete the ADS and return it to the Seminar teacher within a week.  The Seminar teacher needs to make a copy of the ADS and give one copy with any attached handouts to the student and mail one copy of the ADS home to parents.  It is best to send all Academic Distress Signals for one student in one envelope.
ADS Checklist	.doc	.pdf	Seminar teachers have to deal with a complicated paper load, so to keep track of when each ADS is sent, returned, copied, given to student, and mailed to parents this checklist can be very useful.  Jotting down the dates when each event occurred helps to simplify the system and provide for follow up if necessary.  After recording the date the Academic Distress Signals are sent out, a copy of the ADS Checklist should be submitted to Mrs. Buhro, after each three week interval.  It is advised to save the completed checklists for the entire semester.
Daily Sheets	.doc	.pdf	To generate a grade for the class and hold students accountable for their behavior, the Daily Sheets are a simple way to keep track of a student’s performance and attitude in the class.  They also provide a record if a student earns a U in Seminar.  Students keep these in their student folders.

 

Additional Tools for Seminar Teachers
Seminar Routine	.doc	.pdf	Because Seminar is a collaborative effort between two teachers that aren’t allotted much time for face to face communication, it could be helpful to establish an agreed upon routine that will help maintain consistency in the class.  It has also served as a really useful tool to let a substitute teacher know how to run a seminar class.  This is only a sample of what you and your partner could work out, verbally or on paper.
Parent Notification	.doc	.pdf	To explain to parents how to make the best use of the student’s Academic Distress Signals, including a letter when mailing them home seems useful.  There are two options included, and both versions are available online.
Parent Notification, version 2	.doc	.pdf
Seminar Schedule	.doc	.pdf	Since it is difficult to keep track of each student’s classes and teachers, having this form in the front pocket of his or her folder makes it easier when checking their planner or helping them to identify the work that needs to be done.  Also, to keep track of each teacher’s policies, it is helpful to have a copy of each teacher’s grade rationale in the folder.  This sheet provides a checklist to keep track of the collection of those.  Extra credit could be offered to motivate students to bring in the grade rationales.
Student Behavior Log	.doc	.pdf	Since the two seminar teachers need to communicate about specific student behavior and we need to provide record in case the need for a referral arises, having a sheet for each student in a section of the teacher binder is a convenient.
Seminar Weekly Schedule	.doc	.pdf	If you choose to use the four steps outlined in the sample Grade Rationale for students not bringing work, the No Work Record can be helpful to document actions taken when students don’t bring work to class.
Daily Travel Card	.doc	.pdf	If students continually claim that they don't' have work or you would life to have more contact with their teachers, requiring them to carry a travel card has been effective.