Mr. Cecconi's Class
Math
Welcome back to School
Feel free to sign the guest book to help me know who is making use of this site.
Math is a subject that is often feared and that many students stuggle with. Students that approach math with more of an open mind and believe that they can learn will often suprise themselves. Math skills are needed for success in the real world and developing problem solving and logical thinking skills have great benifits.
If you believe you can learn and your willing to do the work it takes, then you will have success.
What is an 8th Grade Math student expected to know?
Nevada Math Standards by Grade Level
Nevada 8th Grade Math Standards
What it takes
In Class - Focus, Take Notes, Think, Ask questions, Participte in discussions and activities, Do the assigned work.
At Home - Do all your home work, Study Study Study. There is no set time for each kid. Spend the amount of time it takes you to memorize vocab, rules, and to practice solving problems. The average student needs to spend around 20 minutes a night per subject.
I recomend developing a place at home to be your study center and a set time frame where you do homework and study everynight. If you don't have homework for any class, use this time for AM, AR, or to review your notes for upcoming quizzes and tests.
Click here for fun : Brainbashers FigureThis
Philosophy
I believe that every student can learn. Some stuents need to spend more time and work harder then others in order to have success, but everyone is capable of learning. Each student has the personal responsibility for their education. Coming to class prepared, taking the notes, doing the practice work while maintianing your focus so you can process the information, and developing study habits are essencial for meeting your potential. The effort you put in to something is often reflected in the outcome. I believe that it is important not only for students to learn the content of the class but also those skills needed in life: honesty, reponsibility, integrity, work ethic, and comitment.
Its also very important for everyone to work together. It takes support from the school, teachers, students, and parents to get the best results.
I want students to gain an understanding of the expectations in the outside world and learn to be accountable for their choices. I want students to be able to work as individuals and also learn to work as a team.
Roles
Teacher - plan lessons, teach and present information, answer questions, and grading.
Student - pay attention in class, take notes, do all assigned work, ask questions, and study as much as needed. The student is responsilbe for thier learning.
Parent - monitor students grades, ask student questions, know your child has homework and needs to study even if they say they don't. Check Power School and the class websit often.
Here is a link to our text book websit. Feel free to search and find stuff on your own. Specific links will be provided on the daily lesson plans.
Grading
Teachers don't give grades, Students earn them.
As a teacher, I believe that a students grade needs to directly reflect their knowledge of the subject and show they have the work ethic to succeed. I don't give any extra credit or bonus points that could set a students grade higher then what they are achieving. I want people to understand that an "A" is excellent and means that a student has met and even went above standards. A "C" is average but can still be concidered a good grade because it shows that they are learning. Most students may be in this catagory, especially in math. A grade of an "F" shows one thing. A student is not trying or puting in the time and effort needed to have success.
There is no extra credit because extra credit is just a way to inflate a students grade. True grades based on knowledge of the content are important for many reasons. It helps a students future teachers have an honest veiw of the students level and can identify that they may need exta help from the start. It helps with class placement and show's strengths and weaknesses for the student to use while planing for thier future. Grade inflation currupts the competition for schalorships and college placement as well as sets a bad example for students, saying that success can be given rather then earned.
Parents need to be involved in your childs education and monitor their study habbits. This age group has a tendancy to not want to do homework or study for tests. Both of which will be expected in my classes. If you have high expectations for your child, help them develope study habits and monitor their progress. You can use powerschool to keep up on their grades.
Grading
Practice 30% - In class practice wil be worth 5pts, graded on completion and/or corrected
Out of class will be graded on did they practice or not. Will be given a 1 or 0. Instead of an assigned set of problems, students will be asked to practice the amount each individual students needs in order to learn. The practice can be done from the book or web site.
Assesments 60% - Quizzes, Tests, Projects
AM 10% students will be required to complete 10 objectives per Quarter. Most/All of this should be completed in class after students complete the daily work/Quizzes/Test. This grade will be the average of their AM Test scores and Percent of Objectives passed.
The goal is to learn. If a student earns a better score on the end of chapter tests, their mid chapter quizze grades will be changed to relfect the improvement..
A common question we always are asked is : What can my kid do to get their grade up? The answer to that question is : Do better on upcoming assignments. There is no extra assignments given to raise their grade. If it's late in the Quarter, it may be to late for the grade to go up.
Responsibility is important to success. Assignments are to be turned in on time. Late work will be accepted up until the day of the chapter test, but for reduced points. After the Chapter Test, the grade will be a 0 and can not be made up. It is more important to focus on current work then it is to focus on missing assingments that have already been tested on. Missing Quizzes and Test can be made up anytime before the end of the Quarter.
Its the students responsibility to talk to me about work missed when absent.This includes grading the assignment due the day you were absent. I will not seek you out to give you assignments or to collect your work.
Progress Reports
The school sends out progress reports after the 3rd and 6th weeks of each quarter.
I will send home progress reports home with kids that have D's and F's about every 2 weeks. Progress Reports should be signed and returned to teacher.
Report Cards come out after 9 weeks.
Be Respectful, Be Prepared, Be on Time, Be Accountable
