I strongly believe in Mastery Learning, which is how we effectively learn anything challenging in life. Mastery Learning means practicing a skill repeatedly until you fully understand it. To support this approach, in addition to district resources like Savvas or IXL which will be utilized in class, I expect students to complete homework utilizing Khan Academy. 

The homework will reinforce the skills needed for success in 5th grade by starting with below-grade level practice to build a strong foundation and address any gaps in understanding. 

Students are expected to practice for at least 15–20 minutes every day after school. 

Details about how homework will be graded, along with a homework grade calculator, can be found here. 

Additionally, it’s important for me to help students understand that while math can sometimes be frustrating, I encourage them to push through that frustration because it leads to learning. This process is called productive struggle. Just like when learning to ride a bike or play an instrument, making mistakes is a natural and important part of learning. Math is no different. With hard work and dedication, students can learn anything. (Short video:)

When students understand that mistakes and frustration are natural parts of learning, they can accomplish great things. One of my goals is to help students develop grit. Here is some information on grit: