Instructor: Austin Malcolm

Email: atmalcolm@puhsd.edu

Classroom/Phone Number: Room 910/602-111-1112

About the Instructor: As a graduate of Central High School, I am pleased to

return as a teacher and help students learn the keys to success that I was taught
during my time here as a student. Soon after graduating in 2009, I enlisted in the
U.S. Army where I served for nearly five years before separating as a Sergeant and
returning home to continue my education. After only three years, I am now a recent
graduate of Arizona State Universitys Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College program
and currently enrolled as a part-time graduate student.

Contact: For questions or concerns, parents and students may email me at

atmalcolm@puhsd.edu. Please allow up to 48 hours for a response, which I will only
be sending during regular school hours. For urgent matters during school hours,
please call my classroom phone at 602-111-1112, or the schools front desk at 602-
111-0092. If students require extra assistance, they may come see me before or
after class, or during lunch if they have made an appointment beforehand by email
or in-person.

Class Website: At my website, MrMalcolm.edu, students and parents can have

access to vital class resources anytime from their phone or computer. The class
website is regularly updated with a course schedule, links to online assignments and
resources, major assignments with rubrics, class presentations/lecture slides,
contact information and more.

Expectations: It is my personal philosophy that as a teacher, I am responsible for

teaching future adults how to be successful. Because of this, I hold my students to
high personal and academic expectations.

Participation: Students are expected to participate in classroom activities

such as group and whole-class discussions, writing responses, and in-class reading
assignments. For further details on how participation is graded, please refer to my
grading rubrics on MrMalcolm.edu.

Late Work/Make-up Work: Students should strive to meet due dates just
like professional deadlines or personal bills. Late work will be penalized by a 10%
grade reduction on the assignment for each day it is not turned in. If students have
an excused absence or wish to receive participation points for the days of class they
were not present for, they may find options for make-up work on MrMalcolm.edu.
While I prefer students to be present and participate in class activities for the full
intended effect of the lesson, the online versions of my lessons accompanied with
written assignments will also help ensure that every student have a chance to keep
up with curriculum.
 Technology Use: Students will be expected to follow the school districts
technology policy, located on the schools website, PUHSD.edu, as well as
MrMalcolm.edu. I am a strong believer in incorporating technology in classroom
lessons and activities as a way to enhance the content and relevancy for students.
As such, there will be times when students will be invited and encouraged to use
their personal devices in-class for specific classroom activities like whole-class
quizzes and research. Students will be explicitly told when it is appropriate to use
their devices and what they will be using them for.

Course Description: Students can expect reading, writing and discussion to be

frequent in our classroom. Students will be required to read a minimum of two
assigned novels and various smaller text each quarter. The focus will be on
American literature such as Jane Austen, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Tim OBrien. Writing
assignments will be often and come in the form of informal quick-writes, personal
reflections, peer revisions and various types of essays. Discussions in pairs, as small
groups or a whole-class is an important element to gaining a deeper understanding
of the lessons and texts, making participation a crucial component. For the most
current and up-to-date list of this years major assignments, instructions for
homework or smaller assignments, or any due dates, please visit MrMalcolm.edu.