November – HEART NOTABLES

November 15, 2013

Logistics

• Thanksgiving Break is 11/27 – 11/29. Tutor as scheduled on Monday 11/25, but NO TUTORING on Tuesday 11/26 due to class parties and other school events.

• Winter Break is 12/23 – 1/3, with school and tutoring starting back on 1/6. If your holiday travel plans extend beyond the school’s break and you will miss tutoring sessions, please let me know so that we can make arrangements for your students.

• See full list of school holidays here or in grid form here.

• Please bring back the take-home notebooks you no longer need.

Tutoring Tips

• Remember the Word Problems, located in the lower right section of the lesson plans. They help to review important prior concepts and reinforce students’ ability to apply the math.

• Goals. Does your student know what he/she is practicing? Ask and find out. If your student believes he/she is practicing “connecting cubes” or “hiding game,” he/she needs a review of the concept goals. Your students can take ownership of their learning once they identify the math skills they are trying to learn. Just like for the rest of us, knowing the target helps students meet it. (Check the title of the notebook and all of the goals on the cover page to make sure your student is grasping the concept.)

• Hold students to high expectations by helping them use complete sentences when answering questions. This is invaluable for language development, student confidence in class, and our ability to discern their understanding of the math.

• Continue to encourage hard work and perseverance. Learning requires willingness to work hard as concepts get difficult, so praise students when they persevere in the face of a challenge.

• Keep having fun! Your students are so happy to see you each week.

More Resources

• This article describes Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools’ 2012/13 test scores and the elevated expectations of rigor and critical thinking associated with new national standards. HEART’s curriculum supports the Common Core standards described in the article.

Just for Fun

• HEART Volunteer Mixer – This Thursday November 21st, 6PM, Carolina Ale House (210 South College Street at 4th Street and College Street) This is very casual and simply a chance for anyone who is free and interested to meet other tutors, share stories of your students, and celebrate progress. Friends and family are welcome. RSVP here or just show up.

• Visit HEART Tutoring’s Facebook page!