Frequently Asked Questions: This page contains answers to common questions of students and parents.

1. Will tests and quizzes be 'open book, open notes'?
2. Will we have projects to do outside of class?
3. Will you have extra help sessions?
4. Does Friedman have a math team? How can I join?
5. What can I do to strengthen my math skills?
6. Do I really have to save all my homework assignments?
7. When should I take notes during class?
8. Does Homework count toward my math grade?
9. How should I organize my Math work?
10. What can parents/guardians do to help with my Math work?

Will tests and quizzes be 'open book, open notes'?

I will make this clear prior to each quiz or test.

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Will we have projects to do outside of class?

Yes.  Although there will not be an official Big 6 project for Math, we will
have small projects from time to time during the school year.  Detailed 
specifications will be provided to outline project requirements, assessment 
rubric, due dates, etc.

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Will you have extra help sessions?

Yes.  I will try to have at least two after school sessions each week.  My
typical schedule will reserve Tuesdays for Algebra students and Monday and/or
Wednesday for Academic students.  Check the Extra Help poster next to the
Homework Central wall each week in case there is a change due to a personal
conflict.

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Does Friedman have a math team? How can I join?

Friedman has had a math team in past years, however, I am not certain of the
status of the team for this school year. If a team is organized I will provide
information to interested students as soon as possible.

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What can I do to strengthen my math skills?

Practice, practice, practice!  Come for extra help (times will be posted in
the classroom) and work on practice problems on your own.  See the 'Links'
page of this website for suggested sites to visit to help you strengthen your
basic math skills. I will also do math skill building during supplementary period.

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Do I really have to save all my homework assignments?

YES!  You will need them to review for quizzes and tests.  Math is a series of
building blocks - each concept we learn will be necessary for subsequent
concepts.  By keeping corrected homework assignments, you will have the
strategies to help you understand how to apply old concepts to new ones. 
Also, since homework is a section of your math binder, you will need to have
homework pages in the binder when I collect your math binder for review.

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When should I take notes during class?

You should take notes EVER DAY.  There are three different parts of the agenda
each day that you should take detailed notes.  They are: 
1)DAILY MCAS PROBLEM REVIEW - write strategies and steps needed to solve each
problem, as well as the correct answer.  Keep these pages in your Math binder;
2)DAILY HOMEWORK REVIEW - write steps to solving each problem reviewed in
class.  Always show all work as well as the correct answer.  Keep this detail
in your notebook; 3) DAILY CLASS NOTES - as new lessons are introduced, follow
the discussion by writing notes written on the board, or from your text book
as directed. Keep all notes in your binder.  You will need them to study for
tests and quizzes.  

Also, I will expect to see your notes in your binder as this will be part of
your Math binder grade.

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Does Homework count toward my math grade?

YES! Every day, homework will be checked off to develop a homework
completion percent for each student. If you do your homework assignments ON
TIME, you will receive 100% as the homework completion percent. Also, from
time to time, I will collect an assignment after our class review and will
grade it as a quiz.  The homework completion percent and the 'quiz' grades for
these collected assignments will be averaged together as the homework grade
component of your math grade each term. 
  
Keep all completed/corrected homework in your math binder - you will 
need your papers to review for tests and quizzes throughout the year!

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How should I organize my Math work?

Keep all math work in your 3-ring binder.  You should have a single subject
notebook for class notes & homework, a pocket folder to keep returned
tests/quizzes and hand-outs, and a blue book (I will provide) for vocabulary.
 I will collect and grade your binders once each term - this will count for
approximately 5% of your math grade each term.  See the Important Notices (and
the hand-out I give you in class) for more details on your Math binder.

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What can parents/guardians do to help with my Math work?

I have reference guides in class that students can check out and take home as
a back-up source for Math concepts discussed in class.  In addition, I can
recommend reference material that can be purchased that will help explain
concepts that need clarification.  Please call me and we can discuss these
options in more detail.

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