Frequently Asked Questions
- How can I monitor my student's progress?
- When my child is absent, how can one get the homework?
- Does my child have math homework every night?
- What can I do to help and support my child?
- Can my child use a calculator to do homework?
- How do you determine placement in high school for GeometryGT students?
- How can I help my child prepare for quizzes?
How can I monitor my student's progress?
Your son or daughter will bring home a grade sheet from math class
half way through the quarter. Your son or daughter will also be given a ID
and PW to login to see their grade sheet at any time throughout the year.
Each grade sheet is clearly broken down into the categories being assessed so
that you can get a complete "snapshot in time."
Sign all grade sheets as your child shares them with you, and discuss your
child's progress with him/her. If (s)he is not doing as well as you both
would like, ask your child what (s)he thinks (s)he can do to get on the right
track. If you would like updates at other times, feel free to e-mail me,
using this site.
When my child is absent, how can one get the homework?
At the end of each day, I update my website with your child's latest
assignment. Of course, if your internet is "down," have your child
"phone a
friend" in the class.
Does my child have math homework every night?
On the day your child has math class (unless it is everyday), he/she WILL HAVE
a homework assignment. It is due in class the next day the child has math.
(S)he should make a genuine attempt to try each exercise assigned, and be
ready to ask questions about areas (s)he initially did not fully grasp as
(s)he corrects work in class. Each homework assignment should take
approximately 30 minutes.
What can I do to help and support my child?
1. Talk about how important and useful math is both now and for your child's
future.
2. Ask your child to show you his/her notebook and to explain something (s)he
learned. Reviewing class materials such as handouts, labs,
assessments, and class notes will help your child communicate to you what
(s)he is internalizing from class.
3. Check my website on a regular basis. I often add ideas for helping your
child as they are appropriate to the situation at hand.
Can my child use a calculator to do homework?
Calculators are essential tools in the 21st century for allowing students
access to real-world mathematical situations. In the middle grades, however,
students are also becoming fluent in computational skills involving operations
with whole numbers, decimals, fractions, integers, and percents. When the
goal of the homework assignment is to develop these computational fluency
skills, calculator use will not be allowed. However, when the objective is to
tackle a real world problem, to make and test conjectures, to verify or
justify conclusions, and other higher level skills, intelligent use of a
calculator is effective, and will be encouraged.
How do you determine placement in high school for GeometryGT students?
We look at how the student is doing in Geometry GT as well as how the student
previously did in Algebra. A strong work habit, high test scores and grades,
and self-motivation are all essential to being placed into Algebra II GT in
high school.
How can I help my child prepare for quizzes?
There are several strategies to help students prepare for quizzes, below are
the ones I find most helpful:
1.Rework any problems that was incorrect or gave difficulty on homework.2
2.Find other problems on the same material in the textbok.
Try the "Extra Practice" problems in the back of the book, if odd problems
were assigned try the evens, or find review problems at the end of the chapter.
3.Try the self-check quizzes online (use the chapter and section from the
textbook).
4.Rework any problems from quizzes or exit tickets, especially the problems
which gave difficulty.