Message to Honors Students

You have been identified by the teachers at Pathways to obtain Honors credit in one or more of your classes this term. It is important to understand what this means to you, to your math class, and to me.

First, you have been identified because you are already performing at the top of your class. To me that means being prepared, participating, contributing, completing assignments, and demonstrating mastery of the course concepts. You have an excellent attitude and aptitude, and are an asset to the class and to the school.

This does not mean all of your days are perfect, that you never stretch or break a rule, laugh out loud, talk to your classmates, make mistakes, lose concentration, forget to do an assignment, misspell a word, score less than 100% on every test, have your shirt tucked in, or every hair in place. If your were graded on any of this items, however, you would receive a 90% or better consistently.

I truly enjoy your being in my class. You challenge me to be a better teacher because I want to do everything I can to maximize your potential. I have high expectations for each of you. For you to continue to grow, however, you need to do more. Help me to teach you and to teach everyone in the class by the following:

-Give me feedback on your learning and my teaching

-Help others to understand concepts and your knowledge will be deepened beyond your expectations, because the students you help may need to learn in some way that is different from yours and you will need to use untapped abilities to help others

-Let others help you and give them the same opportunity to strengthen their communication and math skills.

-Strive to be clear when you communicate, anticipate that the other person needs to have all the details laid out, not just the solution. Read your work back to yourself and see if even you can understand it, or will understand it a week or month from now. Create work that has value.

-Exhibit a positive attitude, be cheerful, be funny, be happy, be a risk-taker, be a future-thinker, do things differently, try new things, travel to unexplored areas of your mind.

Mister E