How hard do you push?

This morning as I corrected a slew of math packets, I was a little disappointed with the quality of the work. I realize that while most students are completing the routine study, many need to elevate their attention to detail, checking their work, neat completion of the assignments, and asking questions when they don't understand. To learn this sets students up for success now and into the future.

As I noticed this, I realized that if I send this message to family members and colleagues too, I'll enlist their support. However I don't want to push parents too much with too many emails and notes. What's a teacher to do?

I decided to err on the side of over-communicating because even if a few more families make time to help out, that will be great support. I did acknowledge, in my note, however that teaching and parenting are limitless propositions while time and energy are limited. None of us can do it all. I know this well as with my first son, I spent so much time supporting his steady learning, but by the time it came to my third son, my time and energy were dramatically challenged due to a number of events. While I desired to spend lots of good time helping that son, I simply had to give myself a break due to the unexpected events that occurred during several of his academic years. Thankfully teachers and coaches did a great job and I was able to make some time for him so he's doing just fine.

Learning is also a limitless proposition. There is always more to learn and better ways to demonstrate and enrich your study. The best we can do is to put aside time daily to attend to the study that matters. As a math teacher, of course, I support putting aside about 20-30 minutes a night and perhaps a bit of weekend time for math at-home study. At school we invest about 60-90 minutes a day on this study. Of course, you could study math all day every day, but that would not support the holistic programs and broad support for student learning and success.

So while I don't want to push too hard, I will push a bit in these ways:

• Talking to students about elevating the quality of their work by making time to study math well, check their work, complete work neatly, and ask questions when they don't understand.
• Regularly keep family members and colleagues in the loop as to how students are doing, what they need, and ways we might help them learn more and better.
• Supporting students' daily study and reviewing their practice efforts regularly in class and by checking their weekly online and offline study.
• Giving and reviewing regular assessments.
• Using student learning and assessments to inform the program so that I'm helping students reach mastery with all standards.

It's a joy to help students learn well, and it's also a practice that requires a good routine and steady attention. Onward.