Frequently Asked Questions
Notebook grades count for 20% of the total grade (district policy). This should be a 1 inch, 3-ring binder or a paper binder with brads. You will need notebook paper (NOT college ruled), pencils and erasers. Neatness is very important in math, both for your sake (you can read your work for review purposes) and for mine. I do not assume your answer is correct when I cannot read it. All your work should be kept organized by day. For example, Monday's work (quiz, class work and homework) will be first in your notebook for that week, followed by Tuesday's, then Wednesday's, etc. Work that you turn in should be inserted in the proper place as soon as it is returned. Make sure you show ALL work on your problems. This is the only way I can diagnose mistakes and help you so you will not continue to make the same errors.
Please also remember, you will have homework every night Monday through Friday. The assignments are posted ahead so you may work ahead if needed (and if you understand!).
Supplies: 1-inch, 3-ring binder; paper; pencils (mechanical are nice, but not required); calculators are allowed (see note below); ruler and colored pencils are often used in class;
Where can I find my current grade ?
Grades are important to most students. It is far easier to bring up your grade if you know immediately it has fallen rather than waiting till a few days before 9-week grades are posted. Therefore, make sure you keep track. Grades are written in your agenda each Monday. Or, since I calculate grades each weekend, you may email me on the weekend and I can send you your updated grade. Make sure you give me enough information in your note so I know who you are (I often have several Jennifer's or Jonathan's or... you get the idea!)
You may email me at any time at home or at school and I will respond as soon as possible. Though emergencies do arise and I do have a life outside of school :) , I usually respond as soon as I read the message. Make sure you give me enough information in your note so I know who you are (I often have several Jennifer's or Jonathan's or... you get the idea!)
Daily quizzes should be expected. These are usually 5 - 10 questions based on basic skills or what we have been studying that week. Tests come at the middle and the end of each chapter at approximately one or two week intervals, depending on the length of the chapter. Tests count for 80% of the total grade (district policy) and come in two parts. There will be a multiple-choice computer test, and a written, open-ended question test for each chapter.
By this time, most students in CLIMB math have demonstrated their ability to perform basic skills. I will be testing that at the beginning of the year. Students who show proficiency in multiplication, division, addition and subtraction will be allowed, even encouraged, to use calculators to work on advanced calculations. Often when working on complicated equations, we are not testing a basic skill but the ability to work through that equation in the correct format. Students must still show ALL work on their paper, otherwise I am unable to find where a mistake might have been made, but the calculator is a quick check for them to see if they are making simple mistakes.
Dear Teacher,
Question: I worry about my son who just completed seventh grade, because every time I saw him doing math work this past year, he was always using a calculator instead of paper and pencil. This was fine with his teachers. I am worried -- what do you think? -- Concerned
Answer: By seventh grade, children should have solid computation skills. Our only concern is that your son might not have mastered the basic facts and is using the calculator to handle them. If this is what is happening, he might find that his ability to solve simple problems and handle everyday math is compromised. Neither seventh-graders nor adults should need to use a calculator for problems such as 6+9 or 3x7.
The use of the calculator is usually supported by the teachers of middle-school students. In fact, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics recommends the integration of the calculator into the school mathematics program at all grade levels for use in completing classwork or homework. The council also states that children should be taught how and when to use the calculator at each grade level.
Why don't you simply look at how your son is using the calculator to see if he seems to be using it appropriately?
Calculators have definitely freed children from computation drudgery. No longer are children adding or multiplying three- and four-digit numbers or toiling with pencil and paper to do long division. They have also given children the opportunity to handle larger numbers and investigate more difficult concepts.
Errors, of course, can still be made using a calculator, but students quickly learn that they must rely on their ability to make estimations to make sure that their answers are reasonable.
PACT testing this year will be the first of May, . Testing is done in the student's homeroom and takes most of the morning schedule. Teachers traditionally try to make the remaining classes of the day low-stress with few homework assignments. Do your best to get a good night's sleep, a well-balanced breakfast, and a stress-free morning. These suggestions will all improve your test scores.