A place to record problems you struggled with
One of the tricks I suggest to all my students is to create a page filled with all the problems you struggled with or got wrong during the past unit. (I call it the “I got pwned page” – pwned is teen-speak for getting destroyed by something). I suggest students use the last page of your notebook because it’s always easy to find. They should record either a reference to the problem (problem #, worksheet, etc.) or simply copy the problem down.
The night before the test (or a couple of nights before the test!) they should do all of these problems first as part of their practice. Hopefully they have solutions to these problems in their notes. They then check the solution v. their work. If they get it right, just cross it off! If they don’t, come back to it after doing all of the other problems and try again.
I usually tell students to rip these out of their notebooks after the test (so that the one for the next unit will be on the last page).
This reminds me also that students should ask to see problems in class that they got wrong for homework so they can copy down the worked out solution into their notes. Most math teachers will go over any problem a student asks, but if time doesn’t permit this – the student should go to extra help after school. Even if it’s for just 5 minutes to get that one solution down.
Leave a Reply