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Academic Support
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To help promote academic success for our students, it is really important that we all work together – students, parents, teachers, and counselors. Here are some tips for parents, and for students who want to be more successful in school!
Students
- Stay organized! Get comfortable with Google Classroom and with your teachers’ webpages. There are at least three ways to know what your work is each night in Google Classroom. You can check the “To Do” tab (this will list all the work that has been assigned to you for all your classes, so long as your teacher uses Google Classroom), the Google Calendar (which will also list any tests or quizzes that your teacher has inputted), and the individual classroom pages. If you check your classroom pages class by class, you’ll also see a ton of great resources besides homework – including videos, class notes, and study guides. You should also check the “Missing” section of the “To Do” tab. This will show you any work you have not handed in. If your teacher asks you to have folder/binders for class, make sure they have the correct labels. Also make sure that you aren’t stuffing random papers in places they don’t go! Have a separate folder for each class for graded papers, so they don’t get mixed in with the work that you’re currently working on.
- Check your grades in SchoolTool (see tab on the left). You should periodically check how you are doing in your classes by logging on to SchoolTool. Your teachers will post your grades on homework and class work, as well as on tests and quizzes. This is another way to double check that you are not missing any assignments. If you have any questions about your grade, reach out to your teacher!
- Make sure you have a quiet, comfortable place to do your work each night. Often, it helps if you do your work in the same place and establish a good routine by starting your work at the same time every evening.
- Make sure you are spending enough time on your work. A good rule of thumb is that you should generally work for 10 minutes per your grade level. A student in 6th grade should be working for approximately 60 minutes. Some nights you may need to work a little longer, some nights a little less. This does not just mean finishing your homework – it should also include doing things like reading, organizing your materials, looking at your grades, reviewing your class notes, looking at vocabulary for new units, and studying for upcoming tests and quizzes.
- If you get stuck on a problem or on an assignment, try your best to use the strategies your teachers have taught you. Look through your notes and look at your class page in Google Classroom. If you can’t find anything that helps you there, ask your parents or an older sibling for help. You can also ask your teacher for help, or send your teacher an email - just remember that your teacher is not monitoring email all hours of the day and night.
- If you are struggling to manage your time properly, reach out to your counselor or talk to your parents. It can be helpful to take breaks after you’ve been working for a while, but you have to be sure to get back to your work after a certain amount of time. It can be helpful to use a timer to remind yourself to get back to work.
- When you’re working, try to put your phone and all other electronics out of sight. They can be distracting when you’re trying to get work finished!
- It is very important to study correctly for tests and quizzes. Many students do not study enough for these and it can really hurt your grade. In junior and senior high school, tests can account for 80% of your grade. Doing your best on them is crucial to being successful in the class. The first step is to know when tests are going to be given. Mark the date on a calendar and then figure out how much time you need to prepare for the test. Usually, our brains need more than one or two nights to absorb the information. Our brains work best when we can study for smaller periods of time over a number of sessions – so studying 20 minutes a night for 4 nights is better than cramming two hours of studying into a single evening. Use the first night to read through your notes, study challenging vocabulary words – it can be helpful to know what your teacher is going to test you on, so carefully check any review guides your teacher hands out or posts online. One of the most important things in studying is to have someone quiz you, or to quiz yourself (using flashcards or quizlet). This is the best way to figure out what you know versus the information you aren’t so sure about. It can help you to focus your energy and time on the things you don’t know as well, and gives you a chance to ask your teacher or parents for help.
Tips for Parents
- Provide a quiet place to study.
- Make sure your child attends school every day. This is one of the most crucial components to success in school. When students miss class, they miss instruction, notes, class discussions, class work, assignments, quizzes and tests. No matter how conscientious students are, they can never make up what they miss in class. If you see a pattern develop of your child missing school, talk to your child’s counselor.
- Help set reasonable academic goals for your child – have your child take part in this process, too, to further their investment in their success. Setting goals will help your child understand what your expectations are and will give your child something to work towards.
- Attend all parent programs – especially the parent orientation evenings and open house.
- Check SchoolTool regularly for updates on your child’s homework completion and performance on assessments (see the SchoolTool tab on the left) – if you need help logging on, please contact your child’s counselor.
- Use rewards and consequences that are meaningful for your child. Consequences are most effective when they are reasonable and logical. Make it a point to celebrate and recognize your child’s success in school – even gradual improvements like higher grades on HW assignments. Eventually, learning itself will become the reward!
- Encourage a healthy lifestyle. It is crucially important for children in school to get enough exercise, to eat right and to get enough sleep. The Center for Disease Control recommends that children 6-12 get 9-12 hours of sleep a night, and that adolescents aged 13-18 get 8-10 hours of sleep each night.
- Help your child improve his/her organizational skills. This is especially important in junior high school. The more teachers and classes your child has each day, the more complicated staying organized becomes. When students are better organized they get better grades, are less frustrated, and have more time to spend with family and friends.
- Make yourself familiar with Google Classroom. (Parents can log into Google Classroom under their child's account. The user name is the student's Rush-Henrietta email address and the password is their student ID number. Parents can also use a student's Chromebook to log on automatically.) At the junior and senior high school levels, most teachers utilize this platform. Teachers post notes, review guides for tests and quizzes, homework and class work assignments, videos and quizlets. There is a “to-do” tab that lists nightly homework assignments and missing work - along with due dates, a calendar that lists assignments and upcoming tests, and individual classroom pages that contain all kinds of useful information. It is helpful if students get in the habit of looking at two of these resources to make sure they don’t overlook any important work.
- If your child’s teacher recommends a folder or binder for a class, make sure that your child has one labeled for that class. Help your child set up a separate filing system for graded and returned work so that it doesn’t accumulate in one folder. Remind your child to put all papers (handouts, assignments, etc) in the correct folders. Encourage your child to clean out his or her locker and backpack at least once a week!
- Help your child prioritize what homework to do first.
- Large assignments or projects can seem overwhelming or intimidating. Sometimes, students can get stuck or aren’t sure how to begin. Show your child how to break down large assignments into smaller, more manageable parts. Teachers often share ideas for this, too, so check for the assignment in Google Classroom for suggestions from the teacher.
- Have your child get everything ready for school the next day before he or she goes to bed.
- Help your child with time management. In order to be able to balance all aspects of their lives – school, athletics, family responsibilities – students need to be planful and manage their time effectively. A rule of thumb is that students should work for at least 10 minutes per grade level. Therefore, a 6th grade student should plan on approximately 60 minutes of homework a night, give or take. This time doesn’t have to be just spent completing homework – it can also include things like reading, reviewing vocabulary words, studying for a test, organizing their materials, looking over their notes from class, etc. For many students, it’s helpful to take a break after getting home and before beginning their work for the evening. Other students prefer to get started on their work. Help your child figure out what works best for them. Sometimes it’s helpful to break the homework time up a little – work for 20 minutes, take a break, and then work for another 20 minutes. Show your child how to use a timer to make sure the breaks don’t go on too long!
- Make homework your child’s responsibility. This is especially true for older students, preparing to enter junior high school and above. It’s easy to become frustrated and upset as a parent if your child is not taking this responsibility seriously. Sometimes, students see their parent’s involvement as nagging and it can lead to conflicts. If your child is not completing his or her homework, first make sure that the work is generally not too difficult for him or her. Reach out to your child’s teacher to see what’s happening in class and contact your child’s counselor next. Often, a mixture of rewards and consequences can be helpful, as well as some of the other tips on this page. Consistency is the key to success – in the message you deliver to your child and in your follow-through.
- Encourage involvement in school activities. Studies show that students who are more active in extracurricular activities tend to do better academically. When students participate in these activities, they make new friends, learn new skills, and have fun.
- Encourage independent problem solving. Learning how to advocate for themselves can be very empowering for children. Pointing your child in the right direction and encouraging them to advocate for themselves at school can boost their confidence and help students to become more independent.
- Point your child in the right direction if he or she needs academic support. If your child is struggling with a particular assignment or activity, encourage them to see their teacher to get extra help. If students are reluctant to ask for help in class, they might feel more comfortable emailing their teacher. Rush Henrietta has also purchased an online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week tutoring service called TutorMe (see tab on the left). This is an excellent service that can be very helpful for students in almost every class.
Some material taken from Middle School/Junior High Parent Guidebook, published by Woodburn Press.