Acknowledging the February 14th mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida and the seventeen individuals who were killed as a result is essential. As fellow educators, community members and simply human beings, we join in the mourning of the lives that were taken. During times of tragedy, healing is often accompanied by reflection. Reflection on the event that transpired, its causes and changes that can be enacted as a result. In terms of initiating dialogue among friends and families, we recommend the steps outlined by ABC News. Experts suggest approaching the subject directly, tailoring the details according to your child’s age and maturity level. Given that the internet makes information ubiquitous, jump-starting the conversation can be crucial. Take care to reassure your children in light of any fears they may express, and be diligent about following-up on the initial discussion as time passes. Finally, we encourage all members of our community to seek solace and comfort where they are able. While debate ensues regards numerous aspects of the Parkland shooting, we underscore the importance of connection and support. The right to an education is one of the most precious privileges afforded in our nation, and doing safely is necessary. Wishing all of our parents and students a physically, mentally and emotionally health week as the impacts of this event are continuing to be digested and processed.
You might believe that identifying when a child is struggling in school is a cinch. Surely, all a parent needs to do is review their child’s progress report or report card for scores below a “B” average, right? If that’s not enough, then obviously any attentive teacher worth his or her salt will promptly notify the parents of academic missteps from their little one. This is not a tried-and-true rule. While using grades as performance markers may seem self-explanatory in evaluating a child’s learning abilities, sometimes the challenges a student encounters in school do not always manifest via test scores or classroom conduct. Often, parents and educators must use additional indicators to take a closer look into lags of academic achievement. Consider your child’s pace when approaching their schoolwork. Does he or she complete all tasks within the recommended time allotted by teachers, or do they spend far longer on homework that should only take thirty minutes? Consider that when a concept is not well-solidified mentally, it takes longer to apply this concept to assignments. The inverse is also worth examining. Students who claim to finish a weeklong project in just shy of an hour might be avoiding academic struggles. Note that when a child misunderstands an assignment, it can cause frustration that breeds an attitude of dismissal and/or resignation. Instead of tackling the obstacle of confusion directly, some children may opt to ignore it. This leads to overwhelming amounts of late assignments, stressful cram sessions and lower scores. In either case of pacing, hiring a tutor might be useful for pinpointing specific areas for academic growth, and to create a more measured study regimen to complete homework and assignments. Aside from issues of time management and pace, students who are struggling in school may demonstrate this through changes in attitude. For instance, some children may lose confidence in class. Whereas they may have initially been raising their hands and openly participating, feeling confused about concepts can cause them to withdraw. Unsure of whether this pattern applies to your young pupil? Reach out to their instructors to discuss in-class performance. Kids may also lose enthusiasm for learning due to frustration or boredom. It is not uncommon to hear students profess to “hate school,” typically starting around the second or third grade. This is likely because the core curriculum for most public and private schools noticeably increases in difficulty when a child turns seven or eight-years-old, making some students may feel like they cannot keep up with the demand of their classes. A tutor who can transform learning into a fun and engaging experience stand to impact students who feel undermotivated or discouraged in a constructive way. Isolating the cause for your student’s underperformance in school could prove pivotal to their feelings towards school in general. Catch lags and missteps early, invite a tutor to help hone your child’s abilities, and watch them soar!
