A for effort
- the recognition that someone has tried hard to do something even though he or she may not be successful
The students received an A for effort for their work on the class project.



above average
- better or higher than average
The boy's marks were above average in all subjects except history.



as easy as ABC
- very easy
Learning how to use a computer is as easy as ABC for the children.



back to basics
- an approach in education that uses traditional ideas or methods that have been successful in the past
The teacher believes that back to basics is important in her classroom and the parents are happy with the results.



below average
- worse or lower than average
Most members of the class were below average in the math test.



bookworm
- someone who reads a lot
My sister is a bookworm and is always reading a book.



brainstorm (something)
- to try to develop an idea or think of new ideas
The students got into groups to brainstorm ideas for the school play.



call the roll
- to call the names of students on a roll and expect them to answer if they are there
Every morning when the class starts the teacher calls the roll.



cap and gown
- the special cap called a mortarboard and the robe that is worn during academic ceremonies such as graduation
All of the students wore a cap and gown to the graduation ceremony.



catch up to (someone or something)
- to move fast or work hard to reach someone or something that is ahead of you
After my illness, I had to study very hard to catch up to the rest of the class.



copycat
- someone who copies the work of another
The children called the girl a copycat when they saw her copying the test of another student.



count noses
- to count the number of people
The teacher stopped to count noses several times during the field trip.



cover a lot of ground
- to complete a lot of material in a class or course
We covered a lot of ground during the first month of the science class.



cow college
- a school where farming or agriculture is studied
My cousin will go to a cow college when he fies high school.


crack a book
- to open a book to study (usually used in the negative)
I did very well in the course even though I did not crack a book until the last week of classes.


crank out a paper
- to write a paper or essay in a mechanical way
I had to crank out a paper almost every week to pass the course