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· Students are always welcome to re-do work or re-take tests to improve their grade. They are encouraged to be autonomous and to think about how they understand/learn. If they need more time to learn, that is okay! We all learn differently.
· I don’t give lots of homework, but what I do give is important! Spelling/vocabulary is not something we practice at school, so studying at home is integral. Having additional time to learn math skills at home is a tremendous benefit to your child’s comprehension.
· I stress to students that school and assessments are NOT about grades! They show what you know and what you don’t know; what you understand, and what you don’t; your effort or lack thereof. I want students to put meaning behind their grades –as a reflection of understanding and effort. The definition of assessment is a measure of understanding – so I use assessments reflectively, too for groups, intervention and a measure of what was learned. Pre-tests help students show what they once knew compared to the post-test. It helps them see how much they’ve improved.
· We go OVER most everything. Work is usually never handed back without a conversation; self-assessment/correction or going over what was missed. WE learn from our mistakes so that grades aren’t meaningless and understanding is the focus of assessment.
· Students often/daily self-correct. This helps students review what was missed immediately so they can ask questions to better understanding or to see and correct their own mistakes. This takes integrity, and it takes practice! Every day, students correct their math and are responsible to ask for help or to try and figure out mistakes on their own. It makes their learning more meaningful when they are autonomous (think for themselves) and use meta-cognition (thinking about thinking).
· If students earn a 70% or lower on an assignment, in order to improve upon this grade and spend additional practice with this content, they will be required to re-do practice work (and test). All work lower than a 70% must be signed and returned with the additional practice.
It’s important to spend time practicing and studying, and when I see difficulty, I will continue to practice until your child demonstrates comprehension and understanding (not to just better the low grade). Please take time to practice the content with your child. Your support is powerful and effective! Please encourage your child to have strong work ethic; it will take them far in life! Thank you for your support helping your child find success.
