Frequently Asked Questions: This page contains answers to common questions of students and parents.
- Do the students get their grades before the parents do?
- Can a student stay after school or come in early for help?
- Can students use tape recorders in your classes?
- What advance notice is given on tests?
- Can special arrangements be made to take tests orally?
- Are you a hard grader?
- What should a student do with the test terms and essay questions they receive?
- What is the best way to study for the test?
- What about cell phones?
Do the students get their grades before the parents do?
I give my students their grades before the parents receive the grades(except
at the end of the year). We review how their grades are computed and what
the grades mean. We talk about what they can do if they feel their grade is
in error or if they feel they need help in a particular area. We also talk
about what they should do if the grade (either midterm or end of quarter) is
too low to be acceptable to their family.
Can a student stay after school or come in early for help?
I am available in the morning and from 3:15 - 4:00 in the
afternoon pretty much any day of the week. Occasionally there are meetings
that will change this but a student can always make an appointment.
Can students use tape recorders in your classes?
Students may tape any of my classes provided that the tape recording is not
disruptive. However,taping is not magic - the student must still listen to
the tape and figure out how to retain the information on it. Students tend
to believe that taping is less work - it is, in reality, more work for the
student. The tape may not be played back during quizzes.
What advance notice is given on tests?
In 6th grade Social Studies the students receive the test terms and essay
questions at least one week in advance of the test. In the 7th grade, they
know about tests a week in advance but they do not receive test terms. In
8th grade they know the test date at the beginning of the unit in American
History. In Math a week's warning is usually given. Quizzes by their very
nature are surprises - that's the bad news. The good news is that notes are
allowed during quizzes. Notes are not xeroxed and highlighted text pages -
notes are not previously completed homework assignments - notes are student
written.
Can special arrangements be made to take tests orally?
In Social Studies any test may be taken orally but the student must make the
arrangements. They may take the test the day before (after school), the day
of the test (after school) or the day after (after school). When the
student takes the test is determined both by my after school schedule and
the student's. Occasionally a student will have to take the test in parts,
ie; the student will have to come after school more than one day. A student
that takes the test orally is given exactly the same amount of time as a
student who takes it during class. Some students become so nervous taking
the test with the rest of their classmates that they come after school to
take the test even though they take the written version.
Are you a hard grader?
Yes. It is not uncommon for students to have a difficult time when they
move from elementary to middle school. So much more is dependent on the
student's ability to make academic decisions - when to study, what to study,
what system works best. I require a lot of work. I require students to
communicate what they know. Middle school is hard work - students must be
serious about their performance to do well. The good news is that it is
easier to make this kind of adjustment in Middle School than in High School.
What should a student do with the test terms and essay questions they receive?
Some students think that the terms must be defined as a homework assignment
or that the essays must be handed in before the test. Some students think
that just knowing the questions means that they will do better on the test.
Some students think it's magic - sleep with the questions under your pillow
and no matter what you will pass the test. Actually, I give these items to
the students to help them make decisions about what they need to study. The
terms are those terms they will need to know in order to do well on the
test.
If they find a term that they know nothing about they should probably look
it up and make sure they know what it means. The essay questions are a bit
more problematic. They may not write out an answer and bring it with them
to the test. They can tell from the questions whether they know enough to
answer the question in some detail.
What is the best way to study for the test?
In Social Studies I think the best way to study for the test is to review
your notes, homework and review packets. This means that the student must
take the time to recorrect questions that were wrong on homework and in
review packets. Notes should be reviewed regularly not just the night
before the test.
In math, I think the best way to study is to do the Progress SelfTest,
correct it and then do more problems in the areas that presented difficulty.
How the student studies is less important than the study itself. There will
be some students who do not do their best following the above plan. They
will need to experiment to see what works best for them. Some students will
do better if they study alone, some like their parents to quiz them, some
prefer to work in study groups. Middle School is the time to find out what
works.
What about cell phones?
What about cell phones? Students should not have cell phones during school.
Students who need to use the phone during school simply need to report to the
office and use the phone there. If it's a question of after school practice,
the office phone is available at that time too. If you bring a cell phone to
school, it should be turned in to the office each morning and picked up each
afternoon before you go home. You are not permitted to use your cell phone
while at school. If you choose to use your phone while at school, you face
the possibility that your phone will be confiscated.
