John Witherspoon Middle School
Back to School Night
Course:
Teacher:
E-Mail:
Academic Support Class
Robin Muhlstein
Robin_Muhlstein@monet.prs.k12.nj.us
Room: E 201
8th Grade Resource Class
Main Office 806-4270
Teacher Background:
Certification in Special Education K-12, Elementary K-8, Social Studies K-12
Pursuing Masters in Special Education at Rider University, Lawrenceville, NJ
B.A. in History and Education from Washington University, St. Louis, MO
Special Education Teacher at John Witherspoon Middle School
History Teacher at Princeton High School
Instructional Aide with Princeton Regional Schools
Course Description:
Goal: The student will improve study and organizational skills related to the Princeton
Regional Study Skills Curriculum and the student’s Individual Education Plan.
Objectives: The student will…
1. Accurately write daily and long-term assignments in an assignment notebook to
be checked by the teacher and parent in order to complete all work on time.
2. Utilize appropriate learning strategies to improve study and organizational skills.
3. Develop, through instruction, study methods appropriate to personal learning style
when given a study assignment.
4. Bring all necessary materials to support class, text, notebook, folders, pencils etc.
5. Prioritize assignments by level of difficulty and choose the most difficult work to
tackle during Support Class so help can be given if necessary.
6. Work quietly in small groups or individually in order to complete assignments
and clearly understand each assignment.
7. Seek assistance by quietly raising hand to start or complete assignments and/or
when studying for tests/quizzes.
8. Follow a time schedule to complete long range projects in an organized fashion.
9. Improve note taking and outlining techniques and use advance organizers.
10. Complete or retake tests or quizzes during Support Class if deemed necessary for
success.
Activities:
1. Follow a time plan and schedule to set work priorities.
2. Break large projects into manageable chunks for timely completion of work.
3. Utilize study guides, instructions, reference sheets and checklists for success in
inclusion and resource classes.
4. Organize notebooks and folders.
Grading Criteria:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Improved quality in daily work
Preparation for classes
Time management
Work habits
Cooperation
Textbook and Materials:
Teacher selected materials
High-interest materials
Manipulatives
Computers and Alpha Smarts
Study Guides, Checklists
Reference Materials
Assignment Books
District Textbooks
John Witherspoon Middle School
Back to School Night
Course:
Teacher:
E-Mail:
Small Group English
Room: E 201
Robin Muhlstein
8th Grade Language Arts
Robin_Muhlstein@monet.prs.k12.nj.us
Main Office 806-4270
Teacher Background:
Certification in Special Education K-12, Elementary K-8, Social Studies K-12
Pursuing Masters in Special Education at Rider University, Lawrenceville, NJ
B.A. in History and Education from Washington University, St. Louis, MO
Special Education Teacher at John Witherspoon Middle School
History Teacher at Princeton High School
Instructional Aide with Princeton Regional Schools
Course Description:
Goal: The student will demonstrate an understanding of the concepts and skills related to
the eighth grade Princeton Regional School English Curriculum and the student’s
Individual Education Plan.
Major Learning Emphasis:
1. Reading comprehension, fluency, decoding
2. Grammar (subject verb agreement, parts of speech etc.)
3. Writing
a. Sentence, paragraph, essay development
b. Writing mechanics (punctuation, capitalization, word choice)
c. Writing as a process (pre-writing, drafting, editing, publishing, presenting)
d. Persuasive, expository, creative, poetry
4. Literature:
a. Story Elements
b. Literary Techniques
c. House on Mango Street,
d. A Separate Peace
e. Girl with a Pearl Earring
f. Of Beetles & Angels
g. Romeo & Juliet
h. Selected Short Stories
5. Vocabulary Development
6. Listening/Speaking
Grading Criteria:
Class work, homework, quizzes, writing, Do Now Book, effort, projects, preparation for
class, class participation, individual and group work.
Materials:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
McDougal Little English (8th grade grammar text)
Adapted Classics (Globe Book Company)
Prentice Hall Literature
Ladder For Success
Novels and reading guides