5 Ways To Help Students Be Their Best: How parents can help their kids succeed at school
Every parent wants their child to succeed at school, but this isn’t as easy as it may seem. After all, you aren’t in the classroom with your child, so how can you ensure they are going to succeed? Here are some tips to help you think through ways you can mold your child into being the best student they can be from outside the classroom.
1. Help Improve Their Self-Awareness.
At the Academy, parents are invited onto campus for formal events and teacher meetings throughout the school year. These visits are valuable to the parent’s involvement in the student’s school experience and relationship with their teacher.
If you don’t have a chance to be actively involved in the school’s PTO or other volunteer programs, make sure to talk with your child about the in’s and out’s of their school life. Who’s their favorite teacher? Why do they like the kids they hang out with and what role do they play in their circle of friends? What subjects do they enjoy, and which ones do they struggle with? This will help you help your child, by asking more focused questions that can help them better process their experiences. School can bring out a lot of insecurities in a child, and not every child is gifted with the intrapersonal skills to make sense of it all on their own. Asking personal questions and helping them talk through their thoughts and feelings can hopefully bring them some clarity concerning how they think about certain situations. Elementary aged students may be more prone to being open and vulnerable than middle school or high schoolers, but it’s never too late to start. Share with them ways that you’ve seen them change, and how they are growing. Self-awareness will help make them be their best as they will know how to better approach situations based on how they know themselves.
2. Give Them Opportunities to Explore
Part of students learning about themselves involves exploring new interests and figuring out what types of things they are good at or enjoy. Every child is different. What may be the most boring thing in the world to one child, may be seen as wildly interesting to another. Providing strong emotional support will help students be more willing to try new things, as it builds confidence knowing that they will still be loved and supported even if they fail. It will give them the encouragement they need to further explore certain interests which can help build self-confidence as they begin learning more about themselves. This shapes their mindset and can help them develop as a student.
3. Develop their Strengths
When you see a child has a knack for a skill, provide opportunities for them to develop it. If they are athletic, try to get them on a sports team, or if they are musically inclined, enroll them in a music camp. Encourage them to find ways in which they can enhance the natural skills they have. As they develop these talents, they are also developing their minds as they learn the ins and outs of a skill. This not only boosts their confidence, but will help shape the way they view themselves. They will be more okay with their weaknesses knowing that they have strengths.
Parent-teacher meetings are welcome and encouraged at the Academy. Our teachers invest into a partnership with the students and parents in order for the student to have a successful learning experience.
4. Overcome their Weaknesses
Everyone has weaknesses and the sooner they are addressed, the sooner they can be caught up to speed with others. While no child is going to want a tutor, if they are falling behind in a certain subject then it may be an appropriate way to help them succeed. However, before hiring a professional tutor, you may want to try other options first. While children may react differently when their parents try to teach them, if you can find the time you may be able to tutor them yourself. If not, see if there are friends who are skilled in that subject who could tutor them. Other options may be hosting some of their classmates for a group study session. By opening your home to allow students to work on group projects or study for upcoming tests, you are encouraging both healthy academic and social practices. Getting students to be comfortable having weaknesses and being willing to face them head on is beneficial both in and out of the classroom.
5. Challenge Them
Another way to help your student become the best they can be is by making sure they are challenged. This doesn’t just have to be in a purely academic sense, but by getting them out of their comfort zone and participating in activities they would rather avoid, it can stretch their familiarity, expanding their willingness to try things they would otherwise shy away from. When this attitude is applied to their academics, it helps students approach new topics with greater optimism even if it is in a subject they are weak in or unfamiliar with.
