Mr. Lucot’s Keys to Success in Room 208

  1. Buy a stapler, learn to use it and use it well…..and often.
  2. Do not begin a paragraph with “Back in the day….”
  3. The phrase “On time” means to be in your seat and prepared for class prior to the bell actually ringing.
  4. Hats are for baseball and they should not be turned backwards unless your name is Johnny Bench or Francisco Cervelli.
  5. “Extra Credit” means study more.
  6. Pencils are for arithmetic, ink is for academics.
  7. Blue/black ink is professional; glitter magenta is for sixth grade love notes.
  8. Although Starbuck’s may be an intellectual experience for you, and your vocabulary may include the words “venti” or “grande” they mean nothing here. Keep the coffee out, it’s not college yet.
  9. If you need a pass make sure that you bring one with you.
  10. Repeat after me, “Times New Roman, 12 font only”.
  11. Participation is not a grade but it is essential for success.
  12. Leave the headphones at the door.
  13. Heading on all submissions, double spaced, sourced….always source and cite. Say that out loud and then say it again.
  14. Heading Example: Name Course Mr. Lucot Period Date Assignment
  15. PLAGIARISM……Google it.
  16. YOUR opinions are extremely welcome here.
  17. Avoid slang, humor is respected but do not use personal experiences or relatives to support your arguments on written submissions. Unless your uncle is John Dean or Henry Kissinger of course.
  18. There is not a letter “Z” in Eisenhower and General MacArthur’s first name was not “Mack”.
  1. Don’t assume the rich are greedy, the poor are virtuous, the oppressed are activists, or the powerful are heartless. There are few purely good or bad actors in history. See what the documents and your research say and draw your conclusions from them.
  2. Include only one major idea per paragraph.
  3. “Obviously”, “And….” or “Needless to say” are notoptimal openingstatements.
  4. Use asterisks if quoting anything off color. Enough said.
  5. Clicking “Spell check” is NOT proof reading.
  6. Five consecutive seconds with your eyes closed equates sleeping in class that or your head hitting the desk. Neither is tolerated here.
  7. Avoid generalizations, “The people thought…” What people?
  8. Your opinion requires the word “I” other than that use the third person.
  9. Expect to revise, read your paper out loud to yourself before you turn it in.
  10. Be responsible and accountable for your own actions and work.
  11. Don’t smoke.
  12. When you are speaking here no one else will be…..including me.
  13. Many times in life you only get out what you put into it. Nothing could be more accurate here.
  14. If your pulse rate fluctuates with the political issue being discussed your problem is in the mirror. Be respectful of all views.
  15. There actually are two political parties in America….look it up.
  16. I love instant iPhone fact checking!
  17. Communicate; there is never enough of that. See Mrs. Schuster.
  18. Wikipedia is NOT an academic source. Ever.
  19. Any answer is better than no answer. Don’t leave anything blank.
  20. Knock, always knock.
  21. The term “re-do” may be applicable in kickball and “mulligan” in golf; however, they do not exist here.
  22. The response “I have no idea” is totally unacceptable.
  23. Have a code to live by. I suggest the following, “I would rather be a lion for a day than a sheep for a thousand years”. Be the lion.
  24. TRUST is a very, very fragile thing. I trust every student until they give me a reason not to.