April 24 - Surgery is DONE! The doctor is not releasing me to return to work until Jan. 2020. So your current Science teacher will remain through the end of this semester. She isn't just a sub, but is a certified and experienced Science Teacher - so the students are in very capable hands.
March 4 - A serious back injury will have me out of the classroom for some time. I am hoping to return before finals but that will depend on the success of the surgery. We have a great sub lined up. Check the website to see what will be going on in class.
The Basics on High School grades… How to help your student succeed in school
Every family has its own idea of what good grades are. Some families require a C, some insist on an A, some are only unhappy with an F, and sometimes it depends on the subject matter. A teacher’s job is to present material, maintain a standard of achievement, and to record your child’s progress on measuring up to each standard. This is done through grades. Teacher’s don’t “GIVE” grades, they record student progress.
If your child is not getting the grade you hope for, he/she can improve their grade by practicing better study skills. This is the fastest and only way to solve the problem. Insisting that a student improves their study skills is the parent’s responsibility.
Here are some ways for a student to improve their grade. If you are unhappy with your child’s grade, they are most likely not doing ALL of the things listed below.
1. Put in more study time at home.
2. Study correctly at home. For example:
Concentrate.
Parent has cell phone custody during study time
Make and use flashcards (correctly)
No music or TV
No multi-tasking
Learn it; don’t just put in the time
Set a reasonable, attainable goal (finish all reading & paper assignments for just one
class at a time) and reach it before finishing.
Study every school night
Schedule 4 hours of study time during the week-end
Parent should look over completed assignments and ask quiz questions from work
3. Come to class as early as possible every day.
4. Be ready to start work before the bell rings.
5. Write down what is said in class – listening is not always enough.
6. Discuss and practice the material with your study partner as much as possible.
7. Avoid all socializing in class, i.e., don’t talk or respond to others unless it is class
work.
8. Concentrate on everything the teacher presents in class.
9. If something is not clear, ask the teacher, not another student.
10. Try to come up with examples to answer the day’s learning objectives.
11. Study flash cards (or Quizlet) 2 to 3 times a day.
12. Don’t rush the class to be over, use every minute of class on that subject.
13. After class, clear up any questions with the teacher you didn’t ask during class.
14. Practice quality, neat work on all assignments. Always do a little more than
the minimum amount to get by.
15. Think about the material outside of class – apply the information to the real world.
16. Use the Teacher’s website online resources (the library has many resources that are
subscription only and available to our students) There are great teaching You Tubes.
17. Decide to enjoy the subject. Negative thinking generates negative results.
18. Have homework schedule posted at home (where parents can see it) and in your
binder, maybe in your book also. The homework schedule for class is quite often
posted on the Teacher’s website so that extra copies can be run off as needed.
You do not need to ask the teacher which one of these your child should do; insist on all of them.
Any student who does the above will improve his/her learning and, if not just done at the last minute, will bring up his/her grade. Please allow at least a month of following all of these suggestions to see a change. If there is no change in grades, it means your child is not applying these methods successfully. Remember, a month of becoming a hardworking student at the end of a semester or year will not be as productive as becoming a hardworking student at the beginning.
PARENT CONFERENCES
The topic of most conversations with a teacher is poor grades. Before requesting a teacher conference, please ask yourself
“If my child were getting an A, would I still need a conference?”
Have I posted the homework schedule on the refrigerator and checked to see if homework is finished the night before class?
Have I quizzed my child using what’s on the workbook page and vocabulary to help them prepare for quizzes and tests?
If the answer is “No,” please read and implement the study techniques listed above. If the answer is “Yes,” you may want to arrange an SST with your student’s counselor.
Every year many teachers have the following situation arise with a student asking "What can I do to raise my grade?" at the last minute and someone created a YouTube video to help kids maybe catch themselves before it's too late. It’s linked on the homepage of my website.
Every family has its own idea of what good grades are. Some families require a C, some insist on an A, some are only unhappy with an F, and sometimes it depends on the subject matter. A teacher’s job is to present material, maintain a standard of achievement, and to record your child’s progress on measuring up to each standard. This is done through grades. Teacher’s don’t “GIVE” grades, they record student progress.
If your child is not getting the grade you hope for, he/she can improve their grade by practicing better study skills. This is the fastest and only way to solve the problem. Insisting that a student improves their study skills is the parent’s responsibility.
Here are some ways for a student to improve their grade. If you are unhappy with your child’s grade, they are most likely not doing ALL of the things listed below.
1. Put in more study time at home.
2. Study correctly at home. For example:
Concentrate.
Parent has cell phone custody during study time
Make and use flashcards (correctly)
No music or TV
No multi-tasking
Learn it; don’t just put in the time
Set a reasonable, attainable goal (finish all reading & paper assignments for just one
class at a time) and reach it before finishing.
Study every school night
Schedule 4 hours of study time during the week-end
Parent should look over completed assignments and ask quiz questions from work
3. Come to class as early as possible every day.
4. Be ready to start work before the bell rings.
5. Write down what is said in class – listening is not always enough.
6. Discuss and practice the material with your study partner as much as possible.
7. Avoid all socializing in class, i.e., don’t talk or respond to others unless it is class
work.
8. Concentrate on everything the teacher presents in class.
9. If something is not clear, ask the teacher, not another student.
10. Try to come up with examples to answer the day’s learning objectives.
11. Study flash cards (or Quizlet) 2 to 3 times a day.
12. Don’t rush the class to be over, use every minute of class on that subject.
13. After class, clear up any questions with the teacher you didn’t ask during class.
14. Practice quality, neat work on all assignments. Always do a little more than
the minimum amount to get by.
15. Think about the material outside of class – apply the information to the real world.
16. Use the Teacher’s website online resources (the library has many resources that are
subscription only and available to our students) There are great teaching You Tubes.
17. Decide to enjoy the subject. Negative thinking generates negative results.
18. Have homework schedule posted at home (where parents can see it) and in your
binder, maybe in your book also. The homework schedule for class is quite often
posted on the Teacher’s website so that extra copies can be run off as needed.
You do not need to ask the teacher which one of these your child should do; insist on all of them.
Any student who does the above will improve his/her learning and, if not just done at the last minute, will bring up his/her grade. Please allow at least a month of following all of these suggestions to see a change. If there is no change in grades, it means your child is not applying these methods successfully. Remember, a month of becoming a hardworking student at the end of a semester or year will not be as productive as becoming a hardworking student at the beginning.
PARENT CONFERENCES
The topic of most conversations with a teacher is poor grades. Before requesting a teacher conference, please ask yourself
“If my child were getting an A, would I still need a conference?”
Have I posted the homework schedule on the refrigerator and checked to see if homework is finished the night before class?
Have I quizzed my child using what’s on the workbook page and vocabulary to help them prepare for quizzes and tests?
If the answer is “No,” please read and implement the study techniques listed above. If the answer is “Yes,” you may want to arrange an SST with your student’s counselor.
Every year many teachers have the following situation arise with a student asking "What can I do to raise my grade?" at the last minute and someone created a YouTube video to help kids maybe catch themselves before it's too late. It’s linked on the homepage of my website.