Get to Know Me: Mrs. Lisa Thompson

I would like to share with my parents and students a little bit about myself.  I have been teaching for 28 years. The last 19 have been at Morton.  Each and every year of teaching I have learned something about life. There are pros and cons, but the pros out weigh the cons so much that I couldn’t even tell you what they are.  Every year is an opportunity for me to be involved in the development of a young person’s mind. What an awesome responsibility! Thank you for letting me be a part of that process. I promise to do the best that I can. I am excited to share the decision making process with your children.
My formal education consists of a degree in psychology, a degree in education and a Master’s degree in technology in education. With all this education do I feel qualified to teach? I do! But I am constantly learning how to be a better teacher.
On a personal note, I have three young children of my own; a 17 year old son in 12th grade, and 14 year old twins (boy/girl) in ninth grade. Having children has given me a better understanding of the workings of young minds. I also feel like I have joined a secret club called “the parents”.
I hope that I will be able to help mold your child into the person you hope for them to become. If you have anything you would like to share with me, please send me an email.

 

AVID 8th Grade

·         AVID is a national program designed to support and assist selected students with a college preparatory curriculum that emphasizes analytical writing, note taking, organization and research.

 

·         Class Requirements

o   Maintain an organized binder.

o   Take Cornell Notes in core classes.

o   Maintain a minimum2.5  GPA

o   Take the ACT Explore exam

o   Check grades every two weeks on Infinite Campus

o   Participate in class activities

 

·         Course Content

o   2 days a week are AVID curriculum days

o   2 days a week are AVID tutorials

o   Fridays are motivational days (guest speakers, team building activities, service learning)

 

Rubrics

Rubric
This is the general rubric I use to evaluate student work. It was created by the district and sent out to parents via mail.

Life Skills Rubric

Paragraph Writing Rubric


 

Management

Classroom Management Procedures:
A student is expected to be respectful, responsible and safe in my classroom. Students will get one verbal warning. On the second offense, the student will be asked to go to the safe seat. They will complete a behavior reflection sheet. On the next offense they will be asked to go to another teacher's classroom to fill out page 2 of the behavior reflection form. On the fourth offense, the student will be sent to the office with a referral.

The safe seat is set up for the student to cool down and think about what happened. It is not meant as a punishment, but as an opportunity to get it together to avoid the office and suffering consequences. Please discuss this with your child. 
Thanks!