Cultivating Learning Over Grades

Let your child know that math isn’t about perfection—it’s about growing stronger through effort and thoughtful struggle. Encourage them with phrases like “You’re not good at this… yet!” and praise the process rather than the outcome. This “growth mindset” approach is backed by research showing that effort-focused praise builds resilience, confidence, and a love for learning.  

Encouraging Perseverance and Embracing Struggle

Math challenges are powerful opportunities for learning. When your child faces a tough problem, support them with questions like:

“What do you notice here?”
“What strategy could you try next?”
“What do you already know that might help?”

These prompts shift the focus from "getting it right" to "thinking it through."

Know What a Thinking Classroom Looks Like

A thinking classroom an environment where struggle is valued, reasoning is shared, and ideas are explored collaboratively.

Problem-Based Learning (PBL) is another research-based approach where students learn by tackling real-world, open-ended problems. It fosters critical thinking, communication, self-directed learning, and perseverance.

We will be using both models this year, which may be a challenge for students (and parents) who were taught with the older model of "I do, we do,  you do". 

Other things to know

1. Have your student log into Canvas to see what resources or assignments I have posted for each day

2. Keep track of your child's progress in Infinite Campus

3. Your child has a workbook which includes a glossary/summary of each lesson - as well as practice problems

4. If your child has < 70 they will be pulled for mandatory flex once a week. This is time built in to the daily schedule for remediation and tutoring. 

5. As much as possible, have your student advocate for themselves with any questions regarding an absence, needing extra help, a missing assignment, or failed assignment.