Spring has officially arrived and summer is just around the corner, which means so is the end of the school year…and it goes without saying that students are likely counting down the days already.
As the weather starts to warm up, their thoughts will be preoccupied with visions of sleeping in, spending endless hours in front of their screens, hanging out at the pool with friends, and best of all – NO DAILY HOMEWORK! What they aren’t thinking about is that summer is the perfect opportunity to keep their minds sharp, and is bound to take the sting out of starting back to school in the fall. Here are just five reasons why mixing academics into summer break is an ideal strategy, while still leaving plenty of time to kick back and enjoy the downtime.
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FIVE TIPS FOR TURNING YOUR STUDENT'S STRESS INTO SUCCESS Stress and pressure trigger the brain's fight, flight or freeze mode, shutting down the ability to learn new material. Unfortunately, once younger students believe they can't cut it in school, especially while surrounded by classmates who can, their sense of self worth can easily go from bad to worse. Without intervention and support, this attitude can become ingrained affecting the academic and career choices they make over their lifetime. In my 20 years as a full-time teacher, and the past five as a substitute, I've been observed sources of pressure that stem from schools and colleges. A few examples include: •class sizes have gotten larger, and include a wider range of student abilities, meaning lessons are often directed toward the average student, which leaves struggling students without enough support; •standardized exams are being administered at each grade level, and student scores are often tied to a teacher's' annual performance reviews; •college admission committees are placing an increasing emphasis on applicants' service, extracurricular, leadership, and work activities •quality universities are expecting higher scores on standardized college admission exams in order for admitted students to qualify for academic merit scholarships. This is due in part to high school grade inflation, underachieving students being passed on to the next grade, and fewer scholarship dollars available to award. So, circling back to today's topic, how can YOU create a supportive and encouraging environment that will help turn your students' stress into success? 1.) Accept that each student has natural strengths and weaknesses in all areas of life, including school. Some may be math wizards, but have problems spelling; while others might find learning foreign languages a breeze, but science a tornado. Reinforce the positive by offering praise, and expressing your appreciation of their skills and strengths - which could even be non-academic in nature. Then provide supportive resources to develop growth in the weaker areas. 2.) If you don't already know what your student's natural learning style is, have it tested. There are four primary learning styles: visual (by seeing), auditory (by hearing), tactile (by touching), and kinesthetic (by doing or moving). If lessons are being taught using only one learning style; and it's NOT the one that's your student's strong suit, having a tutor who can explain the material in the style that IS, can open up new opportunities for understanding. 3.) Learning how to learn is... well... vital to learning. There are several proven tools and techniques to give students the edge by helping them understand, memorize, and apply new material, as well as organize homework and manage deadlines. For example, at Penrose, we find that reading comprehension is fundamental to be successful in any subject. When a topic is especially intimidating, the additional support of a tutor to coach effective study skills can help get students over the hurdle and frustration of not understanding the material. 4.) If students already knew it, they would be teaching it - not learning it. Generally speaking, for any particular class, students receive textbook reading assignments and classroom instruction; and they submit graded work, such as homework, quizzes, tests, projects, and the like. So, when there are a lot of graded homework and quizzes required, each is worth a small amount of the total course grade. Even though getting a D or an F on a homework assignment or quiz is discouraging - as they say, don't sweat the small stuff. It only means your student doesn't have a complete grasp of the material... yet. Sometimes, asking the teacher why an answer was wrong can be intimidating, or could even be perceived as being challenged, in which case a tutor serves as the perfect neutral source of support. The most important next steps are to review the topic from the course material, complete similar questions or problems from the textbook, and rework every incorrect answer from scratch. Getting a firm understanding of why an answer was wrong will boost your student's confidence and prevent repeating the same mistake on an exam, which will carry more weight in the overall course grade. 5.) Reinforce your student's ability to persevere by encouraging them to post inspirational and motivational quotes around their study area, or even on the bathroom mirror. These positive messages really can overcome a defeatist attitude, which is half the battle. Here are a few examples: "Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." ~Christopher Robin to Pooh, A.A. Milne "A bend in the road is not the end of the road... Unless you fail to make the turn." ~Helen Keller "Success seems to be connected to action. Successful people keep on moving. They make mistakes, but they don't quit." ~Conrad Hilton "Strength doesn't come from what you can do. It comes from overcoming things you once thought you couldn't." ~Rikki Rogers "Challenges are what make life interesting. Overcoming them is what makes life meaningful." ~Joshua J. Marin Because, as Principal El shared, "The best thing we can do for kids.. instead of teaching them to be successful...teach them how to respond when they are not successful!" And at Penrose, that's our mission. Reflecting upon my childhood, I vividly recall select times during my educational experience (specifically 6th - 8th grade) that I was stressed (worried, scared, anxious, etc). My days as a middle schooler were brutal. After 5th grade, I transitioned to a private school, and quickly realized the expectation level was about 10 times higher and there was not much flexibility or concern about my feelings or learning style...just get the work done. It was definitely one of the most difficult times in my life (academically), but it was excellent preparation for what I would encounter as I moved along the educational track. There was a lot of pressure to do well during these times. Pressure from myself, parents, and teachers. That kind of pressure led to a significant amount of stress thrust upon me. I did not fully realize it at the time, but I am sure it negatively influenced my physical and emotional well being. The last thing an 11/12/13 year old needs during one of the most challenging developmental stages of life is stress. It was difficult, but I endured because despite pressures I had a good support system. Thirty some odd years later I see that school related things I was stressed about really were not a big deal in the grand scheme of things. During my 20 years of full-time classroom teaching (currently in my 5th year of subbing), I realized that in many situations kids are under a substantial amount of pressure regarding school (standardized test scores, grades, GPA, etc) That pressure often leads to stress and is detrimental to student productivity and their overall attitude toward school and learning. When I was growing up, I wish I knew that it is okay to struggle/fail from time to time. Thinking one must excel all of the time can lead to self-doubt when encountering challenges. So here is my advice for parents and teachers (and students as well)...it is OK to sometimes struggle in school. Avoid direct and indirect pressure to succeed by realizing the following:
I recall some of my 3rd and 4th grade students experiencing academic challenges from time to time with their classwork. Some even continued to struggle the next year and the following year, but they eventually figured out a formula for success. These are some of the colleges and universities those students ended up attending and graduating from:
The bottom line...allow students to develop and provide them with adequate support during this process. Think about the number of times you failed a test or didn’t do as well as you would have liked to in a class. Now think about whether a D on math test in 5th grade determined your future as a productive member of society. For students that attend elementary, middle and high schools with a traditional school year calendar, you should continue to learn during the summer months to avoid "Summer Learning Loss". Summer Learning Loss is real. Take a look at the infographic on the left to read a few statistics about it. This is something that requires commitment to learning (despite not being in school) and doesn't have to consume a huge chunk of time from week to week. This infographic suggests 2-3 hours per week needed to prevent any learning loss. I would lean toward a minimum of 4 - 6 hours (not a lot out of a 7 day week of 168 hours) and not put a limit on it. When anyone is engaged/enjoying what they are doing, time goes out the window and learning is unknowingly taking place. The beauty of Summer Learning is that (outside of your required school work) you can take control of what you learn and how you learn it. Set a schedule of when and how long you plan to work on improving skills and learning something new, and stuck to it. By implementing and carrying out a Summer Learning plan, students will enjoy a sense of pride and accomplishment as well as a boost in self-esteem that will contribute to a more enjoyable school year. |
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June 2023
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