Learners will complete the first half of Saxon Math Algebra 1 in this 16-week long semester course. 

*Learners must have the required books to take this course. The materials are listed in the "Supply List" section. 
*The Test Book is required to receive a grade. 

Before class:
Learners are expected to watch teaching videos that I have created of the "New Concepts" and examples. This will not be covered in class.

Class time:
We will complete the "Practice" during class each week. Learners should come to class prepared with their textbook and pencil. They should have paper if needed. At times, the class can be quite fast-paced. There is a lot of material to cover. Learners should contact me if they have any questions about the material. 
Saxon does not want learners to use calculators for this book (with the exception of a few lessons where there is a calculator symbol). I expect that learners will not be using calculators except for those few times.

After Class and Homework:
After each class, I will post a summary of what we did in class and the assigned homework. 
It is expected that learners will complete the entirety of each lesson (any unfinished problems from class) from the student book for homework.
A subscription to the math portion of ixl.com is included in this course.
Optional homework will be listed in each homework post. Please check the materials section for a list of required and optional books.
Learners should contact me through the learner/teacher message tab after class if they have any follow-up questions about the material. 
Optional homework drop-in class as needed available: https://outschool.com/classes/math-homework-drop-in-Q2uTCAma#ushxZxpxFU

Adult Helper Role:
**Adult helpers should check to ensure learners complete their homework to the adult helper's expectations. Adult helpers should check answers with the teacher's guide. If learners are unsure of an answer, adult helpers can help the learner to contact me. 
**Adult helpers should let me know if they would like to be aware of participation (or lack of participation), video on/off, etc, in class. 

Class topics can be found in the table of contents found here: https://www.christianbook.com/saxon-algebra-home-study-third-edition/9781565771345/pd/791230 - I am not affiliated with this website nor am I suggesting it, I am only showing the table of contents.  

Class and Learner Guidelines:
~Learners bring the student book to each class but do not need to bring the test book or solution manual. Please let your learner know before class begins if they are allowed to write directly in the textbook or not. Some people prefer to reuse the textbook. If learners will not be writing in the textbook, please ensure they are prepared with paper for class.  
~Class Participation: I keep the class sizes small to allow for class participation, therefore, all learners are expected to participate. Learners may submit answers (through the chatbox, the whiteboard, verbally), participate in the discussion, relate the problems to real-life situations, explain how to solve problems, etc. Learners may also comment on the posts for real-life questions, online activities, videos, etc. This is not a lecture class - all learners must participate. It is okay if learners do not know the answers, but they should be asking questions or attempting to solve the problems to the best of their ability. If a learner does not know the answer or gets an answer incorrect, they should copy my work so they understand the step-by-step of how to solve the problem. I offer flex classes for those who do not wish to participate. 
~We will use this whiteboard in class the majority of the time: https://whiteboard.fi/TeacherKate - you can access this any time to get yourself familiar with this feature. You can use this website to do your homework as needed as well. This website allows me to see all the learners' work. Please ensure your learner understands that the expectation of this course is that they will attempt each problem to the best of their ability. When not using whiteboard.fi, we will use the Zoom whiteboard as needed, so please help your learner understand where the annotate feature can be found. I encourage my learners to answer questions on the screen using the annotate feature and work together in class. I may also at times use my document camera. Learners may be requested to use the annotate feature at this time as well.
~Mute function - Please help your learner understand how to use the mute button. I encourage my learners to control their own mute button. They should stay on mute and unmute themselves when they would like to talk. I have never used the forced group mute button. I have found that my learners do very well being responsible for their own mute button. 
~Chatbox - Learners will also be encouraged to answer questions using the chatbox. Learners can type the answers into the chatbox if we are giving other learners time to think about the problems. If learners are able to spell (I do not care about spelling errors), they may also then privately message me to let me know they are unsure of the topic. If there is a lot of background noise at the learner's location, the chatbox is a great tool. 
~Camera/Video - I do not require the camera to be on the entire class time, however, I do need to see the learner at the start of each class per Outschool rules. However, with video off, if the learner is not replying, I do not know if they are confused or distracted. I prefer video on with all of my math courses. Adult helpers should let me know if a learner is expected to keep their camera on.
~Recordings - Outschool automatically records all classes. The learner may request a recording to be shared for any class. I cannot publish recordings that have the book shown in the camera (per Singapore Math). 
~Environment - Class time is relatively relaxed. I try to keep the tone of the class light and fun. I use real-world examples, such as food and animals. Math is fun and can be funny, and I like my classes lively and interesting. I want my learners to feel comfortable asking me questions about the topic to ensure they do grasp the concepts.  I do request learners to raise their hand to provide an answer to problems and questions.
~Teaching method/materials - I use manipulatives and physical objects whenever possible. I prefer to use a lot of colors to help with explanations. The majority of the class will be used with a whiteboard or with my document camera. I may also screen share websites at times.