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Welcome to the last year of Middle School!
Welcome to the last year of Middle School!
You did it! You made it to the last year of middle school with your student. CONGRATULATIONS! No, really, that's no small act. You've no doubt gone through many ups and downs while navigating the start of puberty with your child. It's challenging riding the ups and downs of the adolescent roller coaster. Many of those days are not for the faint of heart. By hook or by crook, as my Grandma would often say. Not only did you make it this far, but you weathered it through the start of a global pandemic. Not even OUR caregivers could claim that feat! Pause for a moment, take a deep breath, savor your favorite treat, and give high fives. You deserve it.
Now - let's partner together and get them ready for oncoming High School (in a year)…
I've been in your shoes once...(my oldest is 21) and will be going through it again this year...and in two more years. This is familiar territory for me. I've also educated for the past 16 years - 5 of them virtually. As a parent, whenever I heard teachers say "let's partner together" to me, I was on board because I wanted to support my child in anything they take on - I wanted them to be successful - but I had no idea what "partnering" with professional teachers meant. Make sure they are clean? Fed? At school on time? Well, yes. Those are the basics. However, it is pivotal for students to have active caregivers. It is true that the actual learning process begins at home. There are many tools out there to help caregivers master the art of parenting. Some things will work, some things will not. Use what rings true for your home. Sadly, I don't have a crystal ball that can magically predict the best techniques for each individual family. I do have some great suggestions for resources you might consider. I've listed them all at the bottom of this website. I've also listed some key points that are universal:
How to partner with professional educators:
(This is not a definitive list - just a start)
Just Ask. Ask your children what they studied in class today — what they liked and what they learned. Asking questions shows that school is important. Try being more probing than just "So, how was your day today?" because "Fine" is usually the extent of that communication. If you know what's going on in class, try specific questions (Was the quiz challenging? What was your favorite thing / most surprising / interesting / thing that happened in (insert class here). I have emailed out the BIOLOGY NEWSLETTER and the 8th grade SCIENCE NEWSLETTER to my families for information on what's in store in my classes. If you need an extra copy, please feel free to click on those links. I will email and update these, monthly.
Quiet Study. Choose a place for home study and make sure the room is quiet during that time. Creating a quiet place goes a long way toward helping your children learn. You don't have to have a dedicated study space. A kitchen table or living room coffee table works fine. Just be sure all distractions are eliminated and the space is set aside specifically for study.
Regular Schedule. Set up a certain time of day that is dedicated to homework. Follow up with your children to be sure their homework is complete and turned in on time. Check the student planner daily. Make sure they are utilizing it (it IS a skill) and they are on top of any time sensitive projects. Have your students help create the schedule. Some want down / snack time before study. Some need to get it done before anything else. Some need to break it up into chunks instead of all at once. Scheduling is really a life skill. If anyone needs help with this, school counselors are amazing resources at working on this!
Learn Together. If you want your children to read their assignments, give yourself an assignment, too. When it’s time for them to do homework, take a break and spend a few minutes reading a book, magazine or newspaper. It's the perfect excuse to finally read that book you've always meant to read!
Learn Everywhere. Increase your children’s interest in homework by connecting school to everyday life. For instance, your children can learn fractions and measurements while you prepare favorite foods together. What physics go into making a ski run a blue or black diamond? What goes into constructing a wall?
Meet Their Teachers. Meet with your children’s teachers to find out what they are learning and discuss their progress in school. Many have professional websites (like mine). Most have some kind of syllabus or lesson pacing that can help you know what is going on in the learning environment.
Praise Helps. Praise your children for successfully completing homework. Nothing encourages children more than praise from their parents.
Food, sleep and showers matter. In addition to a regular schedule for homework; a sleep schedule, regular personal hygiene, and cutting back on highly processed junk / fast food can go long way for prepping students for success. If any families find themselves in need of assistance with any of these items, please do not hesitate to let a trusted teacher, school nurse, school counselor, or office staff know. Sometimes there are resources we can find to help. Remember, we are truly in this, together.
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