I’ve spent hours trying to figure out why some do well in math class but others struggle. I’ve come to realized students doing well in math class are doing these four things. (Check out the graphic at the bottom.) 1️⃣They have a Strong Foundation in lower level math. Particularly they are strong in the multiplication facts and their integer operations. (Integers are positive and negative numbers.) So they don’t have to think twice about these concepts when they are brought up. Therefore their brain can completely focus on the new t concepts. Then there’s the pillars the foundation sits on and where the SUCCEED acronym come from. 2️⃣ Seek to Understand 3️⃣ Completely Committing 4️⃣ Execute Every Deadline Seek to Understand means they ask lots of questions. They don’t care about others thinking they’re dumb. Their goal is to understand concepts. If they don’t get it in class, they will find the answers somewhere else. They might ask other students or teachers. They may Google concepts and research. They will do what is necessary to learn it. Completely Committing means nothing will distract them. They have friends that don’t distract them in class. They have supplies and materials ready. They don’t need to borrow a pencil or paper. However, the most important is that their cell phone is not a problem. This is THE biggest problem for the struggling student. I have students that actually try to watch TV shows and movies in class. Usually the most common distraction is music. Over half my students will have an earbud in one, or even two ears while I’m trying to teach. My best students will not. Finally, Execute Every Deadline is exactly as it sounds. Since school is a priority, these students will get their work done and they will do it on time. This is important because students need to know what they don’t understand as much as what they do understand. However, if their work is not done on time then they can’t get feedback on time. Furthermore they are not getting the necessary practice that is often needed to solidify the understanding of concepts.