Academics and School Success:

What Parents Can Expect: On Your Mark!

Think back to your first day at a new job. You walk into the office to see your boss, co-workers, and office space. You have different hours and another set of rules and expectations to learn. It is a new world, one for which you may feel both prepared and unprepared. You may have the experience to build new relationships, but not know how to use the office printer. Your teen’s experience of going into middle school is not very different. The school is bigger, with multiple teachers and more students. Classes are held in different classrooms and teachers give more work with higher expectations. Sometimes, students are exposed to tracking, which can affect the classes they can take both now and in the future. Middle schoolers have to organize their locker and their schoolwork, with limited oversight from teachers and staff. Along the way, they must learn to balance increases in freedom and responsibility.

For many teens, this is a natural progression. For others, it can take some time to learn the ropes and find strategies that work. While some will naturally be organized, others will have to experiment with different strategies before they find the one that works best for them. Your middle schooler may show up late for class, forget to turn in an assignment, struggle with a group project, or delay studying for a test. This can be frustrating or even alarming for you as a parent, especially when this is outside your teen’s typical behavior. Remember to hang in there with them. They will eventually get there!

What Parents Need to Know: Get Set!

Your role is to support them. You can be there to guide, monitor, and assist them, but do not do their work for them. As a parent, you are doing them a great disservice if you do not allow them to take on new responsibilities and accept the consequences for their actions. Let them make mistakes while they are learning a new system and the stakes are low. By the time teenagers get to high school, they are expected to have organizational strategies and study skills that work for them.

Academics are important. Teens increase their chances for future success when they can analyze, synthesize and evaluate information, communicate well with others, work together in groups, lead groups, and make responsible decisions. There may be times when parents are called upon to help students get together for a group project. While it may feel like an imposition, these are important skills and experiences for young people to acquire. A general understanding in the areas of science, math, computer skills, foreign language, history, geography, and global awareness are important to be successful in today’s world. Parents can help middle schoolers apply what they are learning, and see the relevance between school and the real world. Doing well in school is linked to a delay in sexual activity, alcohol use/abuse, and deviant behavior. Teens who feel successful in school are also less likely to be depressed or anxious, and typically have a higher self-esteem. Often, they grow into healthy adults that are more likely to be employed in a career of choice, rather than one that simply pays the bills.

Remember, there is more to school success then academics. Not every middle schooler is highly motivated by academics and standard classroom activities. For example, some young teens have a stronger interest in athletics, the arts, or cooking. Either way, any school-sponsored activity can increase their sense of belonging at school, which is vitally important. While you don’t want to stop encouraging success in core classes, it is important that you appreciate the value of extracurricular activities and allow your teen to develop other interests. Exposure to a wide range of activities can help middle schoolers learn about themselves and identify their interests, skills, strengths, and weaknesses.

What Parents Can Do: Go!

• Tune into your teen. Middle schoolers do not always anticipate their mistakes or foresee the consequences of their actions. Catch little problems before they turn to big ones, and provide a way to work together to solve problems.
• Help them to be organized! Make suggestions, provide helpful tools and materials, and talk to your teen about organizational systems that may work for them.
• Help your teen establish routines. Decide together when and where schoolwork will be completed. This establishes expectations around your home, while building effective work habits early.
• Avoid being too critical. When your teen makes a mistake, make it your job to help your teen think through what worked, what didn’t work, and what could be done differently.
• Teach that learning is within their control. Emphasize that achieving is not always about being smart. Achievement is also related to effort, dedication, and learning from past experiences.
• Help them to stay healthy. They need you to provide good food and encourage plenty of rest.
• Expose them to new things. Participating in a variety of activities provides an environment where teens can learn about themselves.
• Take advantage of times when you can talk about school and help them apply what they are learning. They need to see, feel, and experience the relevance of school.
• Parents need to participate in school. Attend all conferences, open houses, and opportunities to have a presence at school. Not only does this help parents develop valuable relationships, it also demonstrates to your teen that you value school.