Welcome to your first high school math course!
This is a year long course, so we're going to have lots of time together to build some key math skills for the rest of high school. Here are some things you should know about Math 9 to help you be successful:
1) There is a lot of content in this class, and we will be moving faster than you did in elementary. Try your very best to stay on top of things - it is much easier to keep up than it is to catch up! Also, not to scare you, but every future high school math class you take will be moving even faster than this one does - so learning to stay on top of things now is crucial!
2) Practice, practice, practice! Math is a skill like any other, and skills take practice to learn. Homework is important because most of you will not have time to finish all the practice you need during class time. There are homework spaces in the school at lunchtime and before and after school, as well as my classroom - make use of these! There are also some excellent online resources and even apps that you can use to brush up on your skills (see a list of some of these here)
3) Ask for help when you need it! Needing help is not a sign of weakness, it is a sign of self-awareness which is a really important thing to develop. I cannot read your mind, so I won't know what you need help with unless you let me know. If I try to help and you still don't get it, you need to let me know that too and I'll try to explain it a different way!
4) Don't give up! I find that the main thing that separates students who do well in math, from those who do poorly, is NOT "being smart" - it's perseverance (sticking to it, even when it's difficult). Learning new things can be difficult, but you can do it - sometimes it takes several tries! In fact, research shows that making mistakes and struggling actually help to make your grown grow new connections and makes your brain stronger. So keep struggling, it's helping!
5) Work on becoming an independent learner and taking responsibility for your own success. High school means increased responsibility for your own learning. Your teachers and parents and other adults in your life are here to support you, but ultimately it is YOU who must decide if you want to be successful.
If you keep these things in mind as you go through grade 9 (and particularly Math 9), you will find that the rest of high school (and life for that matter) goes much more smoothly. Keep a positive attitude and remember that you can do it if you keep at it!
Another tip I can offer is to stay up to date - you should check this blog and our course calendar regularly, and I strongly suggest that you sign up for Remind, to get the latest reminders on the go!
Sign up for Remind
Students and their parents (and other caregivers of course) are encouraged to sign up for Remind, which is a service that allows me to send mass text (or email) messages to my students, all without sharing personal phone numbers or email addresses.
To sign up:
Option 1: Click on the link for your course below to sign up for texts or emails
Math 9: https://www.remind.com/join/mishmath9
Option 2: Sign up by Text
Send a text with the course code @mishmath9 to this number (902) 701-9279 and then follow instructions
Option 3: Sign up by Email
Send an email to this address from the email account you would like to add to the list.
Math 9: mishmath9@mail.remind.com
This is a year long course, so we're going to have lots of time together to build some key math skills for the rest of high school. Here are some things you should know about Math 9 to help you be successful:
1) There is a lot of content in this class, and we will be moving faster than you did in elementary. Try your very best to stay on top of things - it is much easier to keep up than it is to catch up! Also, not to scare you, but every future high school math class you take will be moving even faster than this one does - so learning to stay on top of things now is crucial!
2) Practice, practice, practice! Math is a skill like any other, and skills take practice to learn. Homework is important because most of you will not have time to finish all the practice you need during class time. There are homework spaces in the school at lunchtime and before and after school, as well as my classroom - make use of these! There are also some excellent online resources and even apps that you can use to brush up on your skills (see a list of some of these here)
3) Ask for help when you need it! Needing help is not a sign of weakness, it is a sign of self-awareness which is a really important thing to develop. I cannot read your mind, so I won't know what you need help with unless you let me know. If I try to help and you still don't get it, you need to let me know that too and I'll try to explain it a different way!
4) Don't give up! I find that the main thing that separates students who do well in math, from those who do poorly, is NOT "being smart" - it's perseverance (sticking to it, even when it's difficult). Learning new things can be difficult, but you can do it - sometimes it takes several tries! In fact, research shows that making mistakes and struggling actually help to make your grown grow new connections and makes your brain stronger. So keep struggling, it's helping!
5) Work on becoming an independent learner and taking responsibility for your own success. High school means increased responsibility for your own learning. Your teachers and parents and other adults in your life are here to support you, but ultimately it is YOU who must decide if you want to be successful.
If you keep these things in mind as you go through grade 9 (and particularly Math 9), you will find that the rest of high school (and life for that matter) goes much more smoothly. Keep a positive attitude and remember that you can do it if you keep at it!
Another tip I can offer is to stay up to date - you should check this blog and our course calendar regularly, and I strongly suggest that you sign up for Remind, to get the latest reminders on the go!
Sign up for Remind
Students and their parents (and other caregivers of course) are encouraged to sign up for Remind, which is a service that allows me to send mass text (or email) messages to my students, all without sharing personal phone numbers or email addresses.
To sign up:
Option 1: Click on the link for your course below to sign up for texts or emails
Math 9: https://www.remind.com/join/mishmath9
Option 2: Sign up by Text
Send a text with the course code @mishmath9 to this number (902) 701-9279 and then follow instructions
Option 3: Sign up by Email
Send an email to this address from the email account you would like to add to the list.
Math 9: mishmath9@mail.remind.com