Tip! Did you know that in middle school, what you do and how you do it can be just as important as what you know?

You may be the smartest kid in the class. You study hard. You ace tests and quizzes. But, maybe you’re not quite as diligent when it comes to homework or other assignments. You’ve got a few missing or late assignments, and you forgot to make up that lab you missed. “It doesn’t matter,” you tell yourself, “My teacher knows how smart I am because of my awesome test and quiz scores!” Well, you may be in for a shock. When your final grade arrives in the mail, you stare in disbelief at the grade you received! What happened? You’ve just found out the hard way that in a grade averaging system, those seemingly minor missing and late assignments can wipe out all of your good efforts on tests and quizzes. Under grade averaging, those assignments, homework and labs all counted toward a percentage of your final grade. So, be smart! Know and understand your teacher’s grade averaging schedule. Do all of your assignments, turn in your homework, and make up missed work. Remember, even the small stuff counts!