A new school year can bring many emotions for students. Some may feel excited for a new year. But many students that struggle in school may feel anxious and overwhelmed if they have poor or failing grades from the previous semester or quarter.
For these students, it may be hard to help them turn their grades around. So how can we, as parents, help our teens go from failing to flourishing?
1. New Year's Vision
With every new year comes new excitement for new opportunities and a brighter future! (I love New Years optimism!) You can help your child harness this New Years Excitement to fuel them for future success.
By giving your child the vision for what they can achieve, you can help them see what academic success looks like, and how it is within reach.
You can create a vision board with your teen as a visual reminder of all the potential that this year has! Keep this vision board posted up where they can see it daily and be inspired to work through the new challenges school can bring.
2. Emphasize Effort over grades
Help your teen understand that effort is more important than high grades!
Why is effort so important? Higher grades follow higher effort! (In most cases, but not all cases).
I have known many students that struggle in school, and because they don't understand the course material, they begin to slowly work less and less on learning. If these student put in more effort, instead of less, then they would be able to make progress in the class!
Let them know that putting effort into learning is more important than what grade they get on a test!
3. Learn New Skills
For your teen to improve their grades for the rest of the 2019 school year, they need to learn new skills.
But not just any skills! They need to learn the right skills!
What skills do they need? Your child needs the right skills for academic success. Skills that take time and practice to learn. Skills such as, note taking, test taking, organization, and study skills.
4. A new rewards system
Many parents use positive rewards for better grades or grade improvements. I personally am against monetary rewards, but you should use it if it works for your teen!
There are many different types of rewards you can use for your child. For example, cell phone use for a B average, or get out of household chores, like cutting the grass, for a 100 on a test. You, as the parents, should choose whichever rewards system works best for your child.
And if one type of reward no longer motivates them, then move on to another system.
5. Get a tutor
In some cases, students really want to be better students, want to learn more, and want to excel in school, but just struggle with course concepts or struggle to learn the right academic skills. For these students that have the heart and desire to learn, getting a tutor can be the perfect match.
Having a tutor can offer the one-on-one attention that students need!
If you are interested in a private tutor, then look no further! Sign up here for more information.
My Commitments for the New Year
For this new year, I have thought deeply about what I want to achieve and accomplish before the year's end. And after deciding what "success" means to me, I have decided to make a deeper commitment to YOU!
Why? I use this website as a way to provide resources to parents that need help with their teens and tweens that are struggling in school. And I am determined to use my passion for education to help you have the resources you need to help your child in school. Even if this website helps just one person, then I have achieved what I set out to do.
So I hope that you stick around and use the resources here to help. You can sign up on this page to receive even more resources, and use me as your go-to for all education and academic questions.
What about you? What new ways will you help your teen or preteen in school this year? What has worked and what hasn't worked? I would love to hear about you and your student!
My name is Rachael and I have been a private tutor for over 12 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.
