What was the lowest grade you ever got and how did that affect you? In engineering, a C is average, no matter how low the average! But for high schoolers, grades are important for college admission. Additionally, students of all ages and their families watch grades as indicators. This book has many grading recommendations for teachers, administrators and schools including using a 0-4 scale, supporting a growth mindset and reframing homework. Including homework in students' grades encourages copying as opposed to being formative where mistakes are encouraged. "Grading practices that are accurate, bias-resistant, and motivational will improve learning, minimize grade inflation, reduce failure rates, and become a lever for creating stronger teacher-student relationships and more caring classrooms."
While Math teachers these days use many online tools and SMARTBoards in their classrooms, there is still a place for old-fashioned chalk! Hagoromo chalk was back in the news this month as featured in Why Do Stanford Math Professors Still Use Chalk?Long celebrated by Math teachers, this Japanese chalk company was going out of business in 2014 when a Korean company bought the formula and is now the world's only manufacturer.
Many Math (and ELA) curricula have Family Materials to support students and their caregivers. Illustrative Mathematics (IM)provides "resources to support students in building an enduring understanding of mathematics" and has partnered with Kendall Hunt to create a free and accessible set of digital materials without an account required. The IM curricula are "rich, engaging core programs built around focus, coherence, and rigor and are trusted, expert-authored materials developed to equip all students to thrive in mathematics."
