Finish Out The Year With a Light at The End of The Tunnel

It can be very difficult to stay motivated to finish the school year with math, especially if it has been a difficult math year. Below are three suggestions to help you finish the school year on a positive note regarding math.

1. Set an end date, regardless of where you are in the course. That way it doesn’t feel like math is going to go on forever. Pick a date that works for your family. April 30^th. May 15^th. Whatever is reasonable. Then, you have a light at the end of the tunnel and can finish strong.
2. Don’t worry about finishing the course. Don’t stress. Unless your child is just loving the course and determined to finish it, just get as far as you can and go on with life. If you are at least 2/3 of the way through the course, my general advice is to pick an end date, finish strong through that end date, and take a summer break. If it was a tough year and you are only half-way through the course (or less), then consider taking a summer break and just picking back up with it in the fall.
3. Don’t do math through the summer. It rarely works out and really just depresses everyone. If math didn’t go so well during the school year, summer will most likely not work out (and then you’ve just taken up your summer break with math stress, which nobody likes). There are exceptions to this rule, of course. If it works out wonderfully for your family to math throughout the summer, then go for it. But by and large, I would say call a halt at the end of this school year, take the summer off officially (to recover), and if math didn’t go so well, check out denisonalgebra.com for a new math direction.

The bottom line is that you are the best teacher for your student and best equipped to make good decisions about school. Hang in there and have a marvelous rest of your school year with your eye focused on the light at the end of the tunnel.

Happy Teaching!

-David Denison