Many parents come to me asking for me to tutor their teen. These teens are struggling in school, and parents don't know how to help them.
These teens are smart, but part of the problem is that they are just a tad bit lazy.
Lazy? My teen?! How could you say that?!
I know, I know! Shocking!
It can be hard for some parents to picture their teens academic problems as laziness because they see how involved and dedicated their child is at many other extra curricular activities and groups.
If you are a parent whose teen may struggle in school, you may not think your teen is lazy because you see them working hard at an after school job, or sports, or house chores, or leadership position, or church groups, or volunteer position. You know how busy their schedule is, and know you raised a child with a strong work ethic. So how can this active and involved teen be lazy?
Being lazy at school does NOT mean they are a lazy Individual.
Just because your child is a bit lazy at school, does not mean they are a lazy bum! Your child is still just as smart and capable!
What it does mean is that your child is not giving school their 100% effort the same way they give towards their other responsibilities.
. . . your child is not giving school their 100% effort the same way they give towards their other responsibilities.
There are 2 reasons your teen may not be giving their best effort towards school anymore.
1. Your teen is over worked or involved in too many other activities.
Some teens are so involved in so many other activities, that they do not have enough time to dedicate towards school work or studying. Even if your teen is not involved in ANY other activities, they may spend so much time on doing better in once class that they let the learning and grades for their other classes suffer.
2. They are struggling to understand class concepts.
A student may work hard trying to understand a tough class or learn a new concept, and because they still don't get it, they stop trying. This mentality is "if trying harder is not helping me learn, then why even bother trying at all. If I'm not going to understand it, then trying at all is a waste of time!"
Solution #1.
If your child is involved in too many activities, they may need to eliminate a few and choose only a few that would benefit the child the most.
Solution #2.
If your child is struggling to understand concepts from a certain subjects, getting them extra help can help them understand that learning this tough subject is possible with a little extra effort. You can find extra help by hiring a tutor, or asking the teacher for extra after school help, or by setting aside a few hours each week for you and your child to go over it together.
Solution #3
Show your child or teen some extra time management skills! Lots of teens have problems with time management! (Even the smart straight A students miss manage time). Teaching them some real time management will be one of those life long skills they will need to take with them for the rest of their life!
So basically,
Ultimately, your child is still the smart, amazing, hard working person they have always been. They are just facing some new challenges, and need a little push and guidance to get them back on track.
My name is Rachael and I have been a private tutor for over 10 years. I earned my undergraduate degree in 2 and a half years and earned my graduate degree by age 22. I have tutored dozens of high school students, college students, and graduate students. I offer my resources and experience to help parents learn how to best help their teen or child that is struggling in school.
