5 Part Simple Series
In this 5 Part Simple Series, we are discussing the simple steps you can take to help your teen perform better in school, without spending thousands of dollars on a private tutor.
This month, I am detailing the easiest and simplest solutions for parents to help their teens in school. I want to show parents that you do not need any complicated learning method, nor spending thousands on a private tutor. There are a few simple and easy steps you can implement today in order to see real changes in your teens learning and improvements in their grades.
I have saved the best for last.
Getting your teen organized for school is THE easiest and quickest way to see improvements in your child's grades.
Part 5 is all about getting your teen organized for school, and how organization can significantly improve their grade.
If you missed a part in the series, and would like to catch up, here are the articles.
Part 1: Create the Perfect Study Zone for your Teen
Part 2: Get Free Tutoring Assistance
Part 3: The Power of the 5 Minute Review
Part 4: Homework Hacks for a Better Grade
The problem I see so often is that most teens that are struggling in school are not organized. Their view of organization is shoving everything into their backpack, with the most important documents crammed at the bottom.
This type of organization results in lost homework and lost study guides.
All students’ grades would significantly improve if they just stayed organized.
Unfortunately, organization is not a skill that comes naturally to all of us. Some of us really need to work at it and learn it well. That is why it is so important to learn organizational skills early on in your teens.
How does organization affect your child’s grade?
Nearly all of the students I have tutored have used the “backpack organization”. After completing a homework assignment, the homework goes into the backpack, but is lost by the time they need to turn it in for class.
Even after putting in all the hard work towards that homework assignment, if it is lost and cannot be turned in, then the homework grade will still result in a zero.
It is crazy how many times I have seen a student lose homework again and again, without trying to fix the problem. This is because some students do not understand the negative results of a zero for a homework grade.
The impact of a zero
It is so important that every student understand how important every single homework grade is, and that they cannot afford a zero for any assignment. So to help students better understand, I try this analogy.
Let’s say your teen or preteen has turned in 4 homework assignment all averaging an 85%. This grade is a pretty good grade for most teens that struggle in school, so you should be proud. Then one day your child loses or forgets their homework assignment. So the fifth assignment resulted in a zero. Their new average went from a good 85% to a 68%. YIKES!
They think “No worries. It’s just one assignment. I will do better next time!”
So for the next 3 assignments, they earn an 85% on each assignment. (woohoo!). Even with the hard work on 3 assignments and 3 good grades, their new average is only 74%.
But then the next assignment gets lost in the “backpack organization”. Even after your teen put in hours of work to complete the assignment, the work is lost, and they earn a grade of a zero. Their new average grade is now 66%.
This is even worse than before, and now your teen is failing!
So even after working hard on 7 homework assignments, and earning good grades they should be proud of, it only took 2 missing assignments to bring the whole grade to an F.
This is why it is SO important to stay organized so that your teen does not lose another homework assignment. They deserve to earn the grade they worked hard on!
Organization also affects test scores
If you are thinking "homework grades aren't that big of a deal. Organization doesn't really affect much else."
No way Jose! Lack of organization affects so much more!!
If your teen, preteen, or child loses homework assignments that they worked on, then I can guarantee that they have also lost study notes, study guides, and other study material. (They do take notes, right?)
By losing study notes and study guides, your child does not have the proper materials needed for preparation for the next test. Without the proper study materials, your child's test grades will be drastically affected.
(If your child has consistently poor test scores, then this is a great way to find out if they are losing their study notes).
Getting organized
Getting your teen organized is simple and only takes about 5 minutes.
By using the supplies you have probably already bought them (and they aren’t using), you can create for them a fully functional organization system.
How do you do this?
By using their folders, binders, and notebooks, you can get them completely organized. The documents you will need to organize include homework assignments, class notes, home notes, text notes, lecture notes, class handouts, graded tests and quizzes, and all other school related documents.
Every education related document must have a place to be saved! Sit down with your teen and work with them to get everything organized in its proper place. Make sure they know how everything works so that they can use it on a daily basis!
Save everything! Throw nothing away! Every note or document has the potential of coming in handy one day. You never know when you might need it.
Does organization sound overwhelming?
That’s ok! Organization is not a skill that comes easy for everyone! That is why I have created a course just for you!
It’s called How to Create an Organization System for your Teen, and it was created to help you make organization for your child simple, easy, and functional.
This course will walk you step-by-step how to get your teen organized for school by creating a system that they can use again and again every single day.
By getting organized, your teen will no longer lose homework, and will be able to turn in every assignment that they worked hard on.
As a result your teen will:
- never lose homework or study notes again
- turn in every assignment
- be fully prepared for every class
- never lose track of when assignments are due
- improve their homework grades and test grades from not losing documents
- learn life long organization skills for life long success
Whenever I have a new student, the first step I always take is to get them organized by setting up this system.
Why?
Because I believe having this organization system is the foundation from which all students will begin to see real improvements in their grade.
Staying organized, turning in all homework assignments, and keeping ahead of when all assignments are due, are just a few of the benefits your child will learn from having an organization system
With this course, you will learn
- How to organize documents, folders, and binders
- How to organize notes and notebooks
- How to take proper notes
- How to organize the assignments and calendar to keep track of when all tasks are due
- How to stay organized with note taking supplies
It also includes many visual diagrams and printables to help make organization as simple and easy as possible!
Do you need to get this course to get organized?
Nope. If you are a parent that loves organization, then I totally recommend you trying it out on your own. But if you need help getting your teen or preteen organized, then this course was made for you. Plus, my course covers a lot more than just documents and homework assignments. That’s why I call it the organization system, because all of the parts go together as one working system.
Whether you do it yourself, or enroll in the course, I still strongly believe that your child will reap huge benefits from having an organization system. Not only will they see improvements in their overall grades, but they will also learn the important lifelong skill of organization.
