Have a Middle School Child? Ask the Teacher these Helpful Questions!
It is often a nervous feeling parents get when their child finally moves from the comfort of their elementary school into a larger environment with multiple teachers and classrooms in middle school. Of course, we know middle school prepares students for the multitasking in high school. It is all part of growing and learning in education.
There will be favorite teachers and favorite classes, but on the other hand, there will be those courses that may prove to be more difficult to endure. Whatever the case, you want the process to go as smoothly as possible (since middle school comes with plenty of non-academic challenges as well). In other words, you don’t want to have to deal with Fs, right? Many of you will have in mind a particular GPA for your child to remain in extracurricular activities. Here are a few questions to ask your child’s teacher at the beginning of the semester so that you can best encourage your child to do well:
Do you have a syllabus?
Not all teachers rely on the textbook in the order that the chapters present themselves. Furthermore, many teachers are not relying fully on the textbook anyway. Obtaining a syllabus will help you stay one step ahead by searching for any extra resources online. So, for example, will your child be covering the slope of a line in Algebra? You can find many free resources, such as videos to explain this concept. There’s likely to be homework and it can pay to stay ahead and have a ready online reference. Middle school teachers aren’t as likely as high school teachers to have an official syllabus, but still press for information on which topics and/or chapters will be taught during the course. At the very least, you should be able to get a list of the topics covered for each 6 or 9 week grading period. Any principal managing a school wisely will require his/her teachers to have a instructional plan in place. Another way to word this plan is "pacing guide." Some schools will readily have this available on their website, but they are a rarity.
How frequently is homework given?
Is there a pattern to when it is assigned?
As you balance the extracurricular activities for your child, this is beneficial to know. If Tuesdays are always going to be the day before big exams, for example, you might NOT want to schedule music lessons on that night. Some teachers already know there will be homework every night, while some may only give it occasionally. There will be teachers who will accommodate your request and some who will not. Take advantage of the courses you can be better prepared for so that you have some wiggle room in those classes that have less prepared teachers.
How are the grades averaged?
This is a big one. Not every teacher takes the same amount of grades. Not every teacher averages grades the same way. If tests count as 75% of a student’s math grade and there are only a few tests during the semester—that’s important to know! That means those tests hold much more weight than tests in a class that only counts tests as 50% of the grade. Sometimes students are burdened with more than one test in the same day. It helps to guide your children in decision-making skills to prioritize how they spend their study time leading up to those busy test days. Some other things to consider are homework grades, quiz grades, notebook grades, and bonus points.
Will study guides be given for tests, including the final exam?
You will know after seeing a graded test if the study guide was representative of the test and if it really helped your child prepare. If a teacher informs you that there will be NO study guide, you can have that discussion with your child about making class notes count. It also helps to know ahead of time if there will be a study guide for the final exam. If an entire semester’s worth of notes need to be kept to serve in place of a study guide, that’s important to know at the very beginning—before notes are lost or thrown away.