Overcoming early challenges
We’re a month into the school year! Hopefully things have gotten off to a solid start and your student has gotten into a good routine of classes, homework, activities and extracurriculars. By now, they should know their schedule, have a good handle on when things are due and how to turn them in (paper, Google Classroom, their school’s unique portal). But for some students, the end of September is when things can get rocky. Maybe they’re taking a class that is giving more work than they expected; maybe they have a teacher who is very challenging. Each year can present transitions, but this is especially true for students in a new school or entering a year like 9th grade. Often with these changes, the increased workload and independence can present a challenge.
What do you do if this happens?
Act quickly. It’s important for the student not to feel stuck or in a hole that they can’t get out of. One missed assignment or failed test can lead to another. We recommend taking a pragmatic, non-judgemental approach that takes emotion out of the equation. Start by asking the student, “what can we do differently?”
Here are some of those opportunities for change:
Find a class buddy. Even if assignments are posted online, it’s helpful to verify with a friend about homework. Additionally, if your student can teach the material to someone else, they’re already on the road to mastery.
Go talk to the teacher. We wrote about office hours in our last newsletter, and how ideally your student has gone even before there was a problem. But if they haven’t, now is the time to say, with confidence, “I’m struggling with X and I need help.”
All students benefit from creating and sticking to robust study plans. Looking at their weekly calendar, considering extra curricular activities and commitments and scheduling study time can help avoid cramming or other complications that occur when a student is unplanned or rushed. In addition, this may be the first time that a student has work that requires an extended block of time and this may feel overwhelming. Break it down into chunks - 20 minutes per day over five days is more effective than a big burst on a single day.
Seek out other school resources. Is there a tutoring center at school? A peer writing group for essay feedback? Schools want their students to be successful - and they have ways of helping outside of the classroom.
Finally, consider one on one support. Sometimes just having an additional voice, who is neither a parent nor a teacher, can help a student get unstuck.
You’ve got this! We’re here to help!