Math Homework
For some reason, something strange happens to a student between the hour they spend in math class at school and the hour they sit down to do their homework for that same topic at home. Many students or parents of students who are taking math discover that whatever knowledge was gained in class mysteriously disappears when it is time to apply that knowledge on the homework. Of course, the purpose of homework in the first place is to reinforce the math concepts that were taught and cement them in the minds of the students to assure that the knowledge will "stick" at least until test time.
A lot goes through a kid's head between that math class and home. So when it is time to focus on math again, that area of the brain that was being used for math has been pretty much put into the idle mode. It is your job as the student in this equation to find ways to get back in the groove well enough to recall not only the math concept of the day but how it works when you exercise that concept with problems as are commonly presented during class time.
There are methods you can utilize to jog your memory so that the jolt back to the world of math after being away from it for a few hours is not so sudden. One technique that is not particularly new or original is taking notes in class. But if you take notes with the goal of giving yourself "memory" starters when it is time to do homework, those can be a lifesaver when you are trying to get that knowledge to the surface of your mind to use it to get your homework done. For each person, a "memory starter" can be something else. Just focus on the points that you had those "ah ha" moments in class and what caused you to have that mini breakthrough at the time. Find a key word to replicate that "ah ha" at home and that will get the memory flow moving.
Of all of the subjects that you study, math may be the one that is the worst to study alone. So if you can find a study group from your class to join regularly, you have the community environment, not to mention several minds to pick to get better recall of what was taught during class that week. This is an outstanding method to use to prepare for exams. But if your study group is a small band of close friends you would hang out with anyway, you can use your friendships to help each other do well with your math homework each night.
Other sources for getting the math thoughts flowing again or to get some help if you are "stuck" on a math concept one week are your parents and teachers. These two groups are devoted to helping you succeed. While you may not prefer to tap that resource, they can be a huge help when you are in trouble. And you parents are the ones who would even be willing to sponsor some tutoring help if you are in a serious situation and falling behind with your studies. So don't be afraid to exploit the help of your parents. In this context, they want you to exploit them.