After the excitement of a new school year and the hustle and bustle of Christmas preparations have passed, March sometimes sees a decrease in focus. Try these three methods to keep your student on track for the rest of the year.
1. Hold a conference.
Look over your student's schoolwork. Sit down together. Ask what he is most proud of this year. Take time to listen and to remind him about other accomplishments. Have your student grade himself in each of these areas: time management, work ethic, study habits, and attitude.
Ask your student what he can improve on. Have your student set one or two realistic goals. Together, develop consequences for meeting or not meeting short-term goals. For example, being on schedule for a month earns a positive consequence, while getting behind earns a negative consequence like losing video game or computer privileges.
Allowing your student to self-evaluate ensures that goals will be met. You may want to have your student write out and post his goals. End the conference by telling your student how proud you are of him. Set up a time for your next conference in a month or so in order to check on progress. Moving forward, be sure to enforce consequences and offer praise when your student works to achieve goals.
2. Keep in touch.
Maintain communication with your student. Know what he is learning and how his learning is going. A great place to start is having each member of the family share something interesting learned every night at dinner. Asking questions that connect the lessons to real life reinforces concepts and lets your student know that you want to be involved in his education.
Utilize academy resources. If your student is resisting work or doing poorly, contact your faculty advisor or academy services representative. Each of those individuals can help identify problems and find solutions.
3. Celebrate.
Take time to share some fun! Special days in March to celebrate include
March 14th – Pi Day. Find the area and circumference of a pie using pi. Enjoy a slice!
March 17th – St. Patrick's Day. Have your students wear green and bake some Irish soda bread.
March 30th – Take a Walk in the Park Day. Go for a nature walk as a family.
Helping students assess their progress and set goals, discussing school regularly with your student and his faculty advisor, and making time for family enjoyment can go a long way toward a smooth and successful school year.