In the Classroom:
    • Arrive on time and prepared – bring  your notebook, text, calculator, ruler, and pencil to every class
    • Engage in the lesson.  Participate and follow along… use your calculator, take good notes and ask questions
    • When the lesson is finished:
      • Get a head start on homework
      • Reread the lesson…use colour to emphasize important points in your notes
      • Redo some examples from the lesson (and ask for help if you need it)
      • Review yesterday’s lesson
      • Teach the previous lesson to someone who was absent
      • Correct your tests or quizzes
      • Add important material to a unit ‘study sheet’


  • Catch yourself up on any material missed if you were away.  It is your responsibility to ensure that you have all the notes and assigned homework.


  • At the end of class, wait for the teacher to tell you when you can pack up/leave your seats.


Asking Questions in Class:
    • Throughout each lesson, I will take the time to pause and ask if there are any questions. I want and expect you to ask questions.   This helps me to gauge your understanding, and the pace of the lesson.


  • Listen to other students’ questions.  It will help you learn as well.


    • Asking good questions is an art. Here are some types of questions you may want to think about using:


  • Asking for clarification: e.g. “I understand the first two steps, but am unsure of how we got to the 3rd step…”
  • Asking “What if…?”: e.g. “What if that number were negative?”
  • Asking about alternate methods: e.g. “I got the same answer a different way…. is that a valid method?”
  • Making connections:  e.g. “Is this similar to…?”




Homework:
  • Write the lesson title, assigned questions, and name at the top of each page.
  • Check your answers with those in the back of the text.
    • Put a star next to the questions you have problems with… address these questions right away.
  • If you are stuck on a homework question:
    • Review your notes and look for a similar example
    • Check the text pages for alternative explanations (or similar problems)
    • Ask a classmate for help
    • Come see me


Preparing for a Test:


  • Review your notes. Refresh yourself on terminology and make note of any questions you had.
  • Create a ‘toolkit’, or ‘study sheet’.  Make a mind map of the unit to understand how information is connected.  Try to summarize your notes for the unit on a single page.
  • Do the assigned review questions.  … practice, practice, practice!
  • Correct any quizzes and assignments you had.  Fixing your mistakes will lessen the chances of you making the same mistakes again.
  • Study with a friend – explain the material to each other.  This is a good way to determine if you really understand the concepts.  
  • Test yourself on the material.  Ask yourself how you might solve a given problem, and then check to see if you did it correctly.  Go through examples and cover up the solutions…then go step-by-step through the problem to see if you could do it again.