This is the first lesson in my math class. It's also a poster in my room. I feel it's VERY important in a math classroom to talk to students about how they ALL can succeed. I put up this transparency, and we talk about it for an entire hour...

Mrs. Rust's 12 Step Program to a Sure "A"

You don't have to study harder--just smarter.

1. ask yourself plenty of questions.
2. take notes--allows you to have a reference to refer back to when confused during homework
• acknowledge your dominant modality, work to develop other modalities.
• exposure to multiple modalities increases ability to retain information.
• Taking notes incorporates 3 modalities--listening, seeing and writing.
3. ask questions during lecture--as you're writing, listening, seeing AND thinking, don't hold back questions that occur.
4. use your Time Tracker that the school provides to keep track of all homework, long-range assignments, appointments, etc...use this to load your backpack after school. Don't ever rely on memory to remember. As thoughts occur, write them down in your Time Tracker.
5. do all homework--homework is given so you can practice a newly acquired skill. (It's not given for MY health :-)
• decide on a time to do homework
• find a quiet place to study, free from tempting distractions
• take breaks during long study sessions
6. work on homework during allotted class time--I'm right there to help you if you're confused. If you wait until you get home, you no longer have such a convenient resource.
7. talk to peers/teacher--only source that can keep going until you "get it." Can help you analyze WHERE you're getting stuck in the process.
8. read related material--if you're not "getting it," read material. Work through examples provided. 95% of homework has a direct example in the related reading material
9. do extra problems--if you're not a EXPERT by the time you're done with the homework assigned, take it upon yourself to do more.
10. keep an organized notebook--allows you to see how things tie in together. You can compare & contrast different sections of chapter, see how they work together and/or differently. Only a real MASTER of the material can take disorganized info from a chapter & organize it. You have to have an intricate understanding of the material to be able to do this.
11. keep track of grades--allows you to catch yourself if you're slipping. "If I have A's in all the sections of this chapter except for section 5, in which I got a D, I'd better study section 5 the hardest."
12. take personal responsibility for what is happening to your grade--if you blame me, you can do nothing to improve the situation