NOTEBOOK
I require that students maintain an organized notebook for math. It may be a section in a looseleaf binder, a composition notebook or a spiral notebook. The notebook should be kept clean and orderly. Each entry should be dated and no other subject's work should be in it. For example, don't take notes for a science assignment in the math section. A separate section in a looseleaf binder will be used for homework by everyone. Keep lots of paper there for homework assignments. Make your notebook a non-scribble zone - no drawings, marks or notes that don't belong.
This notebook serves a very important purpose - to help you keep track of the material from each day's lesson and to organize all your work to later prepare for tests and quizzes.
STUDY AREA
You should designate an area in your house where you will be able to do your homework with the least amount of interruption. It should be somewhere quiet and well-lit, preferably close to your computer. Keep all the supplies that you might need there, to cut down on trips away which may lead to distractions. Make sure you have pens, sharpened pencils, your notebook, assignment book, a ruler, a calculator, an eraser and maybe a stapler, paper clips and colored pencils.
ASSIGNMENT BOOK
You should write your math homework, and all homework assignments, in the planner given out by the school. Life is much less complicated if you only have to look in one place for your work. This also makes it easier to be sure you are prepared for the next day. Include notations of tests that are to be signed by your parents.
EFFORT
Students in middle school should expect to work hard - some harder than others. Algebra is not easy. Homework must be done the night it is assigned to keep up with the work. When projects are assigned, work should be done a little each night, rather than waiting until the last night and handing in just a half-hearted attempt. During 'homework time' there should be no TV, no phone calls, no music. When you learn new formulas or definitions, write them on an index card so that you can memorize them and have them handy for test prep.
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