Grade Transformation Blog

Grade Transformation Blog

No.1 in Transforming Students’ Grades

Revealed: Missing link between SETTING and *ACHIEVING* goals

We hear all the time about the importance of setting goals and targets.

And it can certainly be a productive and motivating thing to do ?

However, there’s one key, super-important, super-ESSENTIAL step that often gets missed.

And it’s a trap that we can all so easily fall into…

Now, before I reveal all, I’ll give you an example and then you can ‘play along at home’ and see if you can work out what I’m talking about 😉

Let’s say Bob sets a goal to lose 5 kilos. He writes it up, sticks it on his fridge, does some visualizations of himself being 5k lighter, and all the rest of the steps in goal-setting.

He even puts a time-frame on it – to make it a SMART goal of course……..

And then what?

Is Bob going to just lose those 5 kilos?

No, of course not.

So, have you guessed it?

What’s missing?…

Yep, it’s the steps and actions that are needed to achieve those goals.

It’s knowing:

  • what those steps are
  • what we need to do to complete them

and then

  • precisely how and when we’re going to do it.

 

So, for Bob, he needs to figure out what foods or drinks he needs to take out of his diet and what he should eat or drink instead, and how much of them, probably even at what points of the day.

He might also need to find a way to become more physically active and then decide how, where and when he’s going to incorporate it into his life each week.

 

But back to your teen… It’s exactly the same for students, their study and their grades.

For example, if your teen sets a goal to get an A in English, they need to identify exactly HOW they are going to do it.

What precisely do they need to change or improve?

And then, exactly how are they going to develop their knowledge and skills to make those changes or improvements?

Because it’s not just a case of ‘working harder’ in English.

(Proof = I see some of the hardest working students STILL stay STUCK term after term, semester after semester, on the same old grades).

It’s instead knowing the exact steps to take that will create the changes they need to make, in the skills and criteria that the grading system requires.

So first they need to figure out how identify these.

  1. How can they find out what they need to specifically improve? That’s link 1 in bridging that gap between goal and achievement. This might be talking to their teacher, or go through their previous comments and feedback on assessments.

Let’s say they realise that need to focus on giving more detailed analyses.

Great – now they need to figure out link 2.

2. They need to find out HOW to do that. (Insider info: This is often the trickiest part! Because if they knew THAT then they’d likely already be getting those A’s, right? )

Well let’s take the example of needing to give more detailed analyses:

They’d need to work on extending explanations (which BTW is where my 3 magic words –  so, therefore and because come in!).

They’d need to use more technical vocab, and…

They’d need to select suitable examples or evidence and develop detailed links to back up their explanations.

 

So, let’s wrap this up:

The key message here is to make sure, whatever targets or goals your teen sets for themselves in their study, that they have a clear and specific path to get there. That they know precisely what they need to do and HOW to do it to achieve them.

 

I’d love your feedback or questions around this – Scroll down and leave me a comment 🙂

Until next week, let’s make this a fantastic week!

Katie

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Take the pressure off subject selections

Decisions, decisions!

It can be tough deciding on subject choices, whether it’s for optional subjects in Y8 or 9 or deciding on Final Y12 subjects.

So this week I just want to share a lighthearted way to help your teen do this when it comes down to option A or B.

Here’s one of my fave ways to break a decision “tie”…

– Whether it’s me choosing between the lemon cheesecake or the sticky date pudding on the dessert menu, or… I’ve even had a friend do this to name one of their children!

(Which is almost as important as dessert, right?!) ?

 

It can be tough deciding on subject choices, whether it’s for optional subjects in Y8 or 9 or deciding on Final Y12 subjects.

So this week I just want to share a lighthearted way to help your teen do this when it comes down to deciding between ‘option A’ or ‘option B’.

Because I see some students tie themselves up in knots about this, and I think there is sometimes too much pressure on this decision with students feeling like they’re having to decide their life’s future at the age of 14!

But with all the pathways available these days aaaand the fact that it is a minority of people who start in and stay in the same career their whole working life these days, then it really doesn’t need to be so stressful.

I didn’t start out as a teacher straight out of uni.

I worked in environmental monitoring and then in conservation before deciding to become a high school teacher, and I’m glad that I had experience in other industries and jobs before going back into the school environment.

So here’s one of my fave ways to break a decision “tie”,

(whether it’s choosing between the lemon cheesecake or the sticky date pudding on the dessert menu –or – at the other end of the scale –  I’ve even had a friend do this to name one of their children!).

It’s to have someone I like, love or respect to ‘pretend’ to pick for me.

 

If I’m excited by the option they pick, I know that’s the right one 🙂

If I’m disappointed or feeling my stomach tighten up, I know it’s not.

Have you ever had that?

When you explain to someone your dilemma, they give you their opinion and then you go

“hmm, yeah. Actually I think the other one”.

We kinda trick our brains by having the pressure taken off and the decision made for us 🙂

You can get the same effect by flipping a coin — choice A is heads, choice B is tails.

The point is, if your teen wants to give this a go, whatever system they try, they need to note their gut reaction and their immediate feelings and TRUST them.

It’s easy to feel confused or unsure – I’m certainly guilty of overthinking things, but in many cases, we know.

Even if we have to give the truth a way to show itself to us.

So if your teen is in an electives or options pickle, have them give this a try.

AND if they still feel like they reeeeeally don’t know

(yep, I get it, I get it…), just remind them that:

1)  They CAN change their mind – usually any time within the first term of a subject is totally doable

AND

2) They’ll likely change direction or career at some point in the future anyway, so just don’t put too much pressure on themselves to make the “right” decision!

Until next week, let’s make this a fantastic week 🙂

Katie

 

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Maximise ‘Power Hours’ for ultra-productive study

Does your teen struggle to get up and going early in the mornings?

They can just about ‘rise’, but there’s not much ‘shine’? 😉

Or are they all ‘up-and-at-em’ early in the day, but tired and a bit brain-dead in the afternoons or evenings?

*Yup – Raising my own hand over here for that second one* 😉

Well, the good news is, this is all toooottttally natural.

There’s a lot of research out there about what makes us earlybirds or night owls and how these energy ebbs and flows vary between males and females and at different ages.

But how can students optimise this and *really* make it work for them?

Does your teen struggle to get up and going early in the mornings?

They can just about rise, but there’s not much shine?

They can just about ‘rise’, but there’s not much ‘shine’? 😉

Or are they all ‘up-and-at-em’ early in the day, but tired and a bit brain-dead in the afternoons or evenings?

*Yup – Raising my own hand over here for that second one* 😉

Well, the good news is, this is all toooottttally natural.

There’s a lot of bio and psych research out there about what makes us earlybirds or night owls and how these energy ebbs and flows vary between males and females and at different ages.

It has now been well-documented that teenagers are naturally later risers and some schools have even adapted to this and start their days later for students in the later year groups of high school.

But how can students optimise this and really make it work for them?

 

Well, once your teen pays some attention to their daily patterns (if they aren’t already aware of when they’re feeling most alert and when their best times to work are), they can then take action to make these these their ‘power hours’ and really maximise their productivity.

That means really ramping up their focus at these times and removing distractions that might slow them down or disturb their concentration.

Giving themselves timed bursts and specific tasks to get through in that time will also help.

They should also make sure that they’re tackling the trickiest tasks and those that require the highest levels of cognitive thinking and processing.

This includes creative tasks as well as those involving analysis, synthesis and evaluation.

 

Other more straightforward tasks can then be done in the lower energy times of day, so that at those busy times of year, ticks are still marked against on that to-do list, but with a little less brain-power.

Things like proof reading, filing notes perhaps, or doing background research for an assignment or essay task are good tasks to do at these times 🙂

 

So, have your teen get clear on their ‘high energy, high focus’ times of the day and then make these their *power hours*.

This’ll help them achieve their best possible grades by having them produce their highest level work at their highest performing times AND get these tasks done more efficiently.

And then perhaps they’ll even have a little more time to relax and recharge at those lower energy moments too 😉

I’d love to hear from you! Let me know whether your teen is an early bird or a night owl.

And tell me – what do they do to maximise their power hours?

Scroll down and tell me in the comments 🙂

Until next week, let’s make this a fantastic week!

Katie

 

 

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Prioritise tasks and skills that’ll ‘move the needle’

It’s easy to stay busy doing things that make us feel productive.

Often, students get good at disguising these ‘distraction activities’ as something that still feels study-related.

Making a beautiful-gorgeous cover page perhaps 😉

But the key to higher grades with less stress is your teen figuring out the specific tasks and places to put their effort, that will really move the needle in terms of results, rankings and grades.

Here’s what these tasks are likely to be (and what they aren’t!).

 

It’s easy to stay busy doing things that make us feel productive.

In the good old days it used to be things like putting your CD or video collection in alphabetical order.

As a teenager it was (and I’m guessing still is today), cleaning up your bedroom.

[I know, I know! ‘Not such a bad thing Katie’ you might be saying – but not so great if it ‘s just as a distraction activity for something they really should be doing. Like that English essay or Maths investigation] 😉

We also get good at disguising these distraction activities as something that still feels study-related.

Making a lovely cover page for that Maths investigation perhaps!

 

But the key to higher grades with less stress is your teen figuring out the specific tasks and places to put their effort that’ll really ‘move the needle’ for them in terms of results, rankings, confidence and grades.

So this could be:

  • Practicing some past paper Qs, rather than writing out notes from the text book.
  • Working on extending their analyses in their English essay rather than finding another reference for it.

OR, thinking…

  • How many sources do they really need for that History inquiry? Would they be better off adding more depth and detail to evaluating the sources they already have?

 

In other words, they need to identify the tasks that’ll boost their results, not just give them some more the ticks on their to-do list.

They should also consider training and learning that’ll really help across the board – which will be universal to all subjects and serve them across different subjects.

For example:

  • honing their paragraphing skills, their range of vocabulary and the sentence structures in their writing,
  • developing exam technique skills,
  • studying past paper mark schemes and chief examiner reports and retrospectives.

 

The trouble is that these are jobs or activities that rarely appear on any to-do list, but are SO important to boosting grades and confidence for students.

 

I’d love to know… Scroll down and leave me a comment – what are the things that would move the needle most for your teen AND what are the activities that are keeping them feeling ‘busy’ but aren’t necessarily giving them the biggest pay off?

 

Until next week, let’s make this a fantastic week 🙂

Katie

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If it’s not PROCESSING info, it’s not PRODUCTIVE

Many students right now will be in revision mode for Semester or half-yearly exams, or soon to be.

And most of these students will be revising in some of the least effective, in fact often totally useless  ways.

Here’s the bottom line:

Revision has to be ACTIVE rather than PASSIVE.

And that means that they have to be doing something with the information they’re revising –  processing it in some way. Here’s why, as well as some practical suggestions on how 🙂

Many students right now will be in revision mode for semester of half-yearly exams,

(or at least they should be), so I thought this would be a good time to share one of

THE . biggest . mistakes

I see students making in their revision.

(I know my personal coaching students will be so bored of hearing me say this, but I realised I actually haven’t hammered on about this publicly that much, so it’s time I did!)

Here’s the bottom line:

Revision has to be ACTIVE rather than PASSIVE.

I have a whole Catapult module dedicated to the specific strategies and techniques to make revision ACTIVE in my 10 Week Grade Transformation Program, but just getting to grips with this concept will be a huge step in the right direction for many students and parents for now.

By active I mean that they have to be DOING something with the information, processing it in some way.

So, no, reading or highlighting notes is NOT active 😉

Processing means transferring the info from one format to another and here’s why it’s so important:

Digesting the information and then making a decision about how to recreate it in a different format means that our brains have to have understood that information, not only proving to themselves that they ‘get’ the content, but also – this is much more likely to make it stick.

At the most basic level – this could be condensing full notes or text book info into colour-coded revision notes.

To do this effectively, students have to process and make decisions about which words and info are most important and decide which colour to use depending on the type of info it is.

For example is it a key word, a case study example, or is it a definition or is it a process?

But even better are techniques like converting text and notes into a mindmap, categorizing examples into a table, or turning a flowchart process into notes.

And I would advise, when time is getting tight, as it often does during revision

(unless of course, they use my reverse-engineered revision planning system!, also in the 10 Week program 🙂 )

that students are better off revising less information actively, than more information passively.

Because what’s the point of reading through 3 whole text book chapters if none or very little of it sticks or can be retrieved in the exam?

It’s waaaayyyyy more beneficial to get through just the key points of the 3 chapters, but know those really well and have them easily flow from brain to paper in the exam hall.

 

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The Sneaky Truth Behind Overwhelm

Overwhelm is NOT having too much to do.

It’s NOT about not having enough time.

That’s what we think it is.

But .(newsflash). it isn’t.

And when I realised this, it made a huge difference to how I tackled that oh-so-common feeling of overwhelm. AND of course how I help students tackle it too.

So, let’s get to it. Overwhelm is ACTUALLY:

Not knowing HOW you’re going to get it all done.

I explain everything, including the 2 step system to combat overwhelm using this new definitionin this week’s blog:

 

I got an email recently from Cassie, a 10 Week Grade Transformation Program Grad and current member of the Grade Transformation Zone.

She said:

“The GTZ video about how to instantly de-stress helped a LOT. I get stressed easily and seeing ways to help de-stress was a lot of help. A lot of people have told me to not stress but that isn’t what I wanted to hear and watching that video was helpful because it provided ways TO de-stress rather than saying ‘don’t stress”.

So I thought that, as we approach the Semester and Half Yearly exams, I’d share a brief overview of one of the strategies that I shared with my GTZ Members.

Because we all have times when we feel overwhelmed, right?

It’s a major stress factor in students’ lives.

And like Cassie said, it’s really not that helpful, just telling someone not to stress.
(We just say that when we don’t know a practical way to help).

What IS helpful is having some actionable strategies to actually DEAL with that stress and OVERCOME the overwhelm.

So let’s start with this:

Overwhelm is NOT having too much to do, or not enough time.

It’s not knowing HOW you’re going to get it done.

Now, that’s not an official definition!

But it’s a description works for me and it can work brilliantly for students – because it gives us a potential solution.

And therefore it’s a much more positive way to look at and tackle overwhelm.

 

Because if overwhelm was simply not having enough time, then this would be an unsolvable problem. Because we can’t create more time

(although – yes please-  if anyone DOES have that magic potion I’d LOVE it if you could pass it onto me) 😉

Anyway, back on topic…

When it really comes down to it, not having enough time, is often not really the case.

More often, the stress of feeling overwhelmed comes from not knowing how you are going to tackle that to-do list, or how to actually complete some of those tasks.

 

And so here’s the first step to overcoming overwhelm:

  1. Getting Organised (so that your teen knows exactly what they need to do to accomplish each task, and PRECISELY how they’re going to do it).

So first, break down each task. For example, simply ‘write English essay’ can be a little daunting, so breaking down each component and planning out the main content of each paragraph will make that more manageable. And if the REAL problem here is that they don’t KNOW what those paragraphs need to be, then actually, the first job on the list needs to be ‘go see teacher or speak to tutor to get help on essay’.

NEXT:

      2. Prioritise and schedule what needs to be done when.

Schedule each and every broken down task into the diary.

This way, there’s no more

“I’ve got so much to do, where do I start?”

OR

doing all the easy things first, so that then right at the deadline, the hardest and least-liked items are all left.

And then, stick to that planned list of items for each and every day .

Just follow it and trust that when you get each item done, each day it needs doing, everything will come together 🙂

 #done

 

I’d love to hear from you – let me know in the comments below, on a scale of 1-10 how overwhelmed is your teen feeling in their study right now? What are they currently doing to deal with it?

And if you’re curious to find out more about my live monthly online student seminars and the treasure trove of resources inside of the GTZ (AKA – the Grade Transformation Zone Member Area), then CLICK HERE to check it out 🙂

Until next week, let’s make this a fantastic week.

Katie

 

 

 

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Does your teen REALLY understand the subject content?

When revising for an exam or prepping for an oral presentation or speech

(because – yes it is VERY easy to tell when a student doesn’t really understand what they’re presenting in an oral assessment)

there’s a very simple ‘test’ to see if your teen really understands a concept or really knows about a topic. (Plus a sneaky little sub-test too!).

Find out what they are and how your teen can use them!

When revising for an exam, or even prepping for an oral presentation or speech (because – yes it is VERY easy to tell when a student doesn’t really understand what they are presenting in an oral assessment) there’s a very simple test to see if your teen really understands a concept or really knows about a topic.

Here’s the test:

Can your teen teach you about the topic by teaching you or telling you all about it?

(Or if they’re not up for that, and I get that they might not be – then the alternative is that they could record their explanation – like a podcast to teach others about it – and the added #bonus of this is that they then have this recording as a revision resource to listen to later).

But the key thing is, can they talk about it without their notes or their script or the textbook?

If so, great!

(Hold out for my little sneaky sub-test coming up in a second) 😉

But if not, then they don’t really know it yet and need to go back to learning and processing.

Because it’s very easy to think that we’re taking in information and understanding it when we’re reading about it, even if we’re answering Qs about it from a textbook.

But often, when the content stimulus or resources are removed, it can become difficult to vocalise or convey that information when we’re relying only on the knowledge and understanding we’ve retained and digested in those whirring brain cells.

To be able to process it into a different format and in a way that others can understand is a TRUE test of OUR understanding.

 

And here’s that sneaky little sub-test I mentioned earlier…

If your teen passed the first test of being able to fluently talk about and teach you the subject content, then just to ‘double-triple’ check, ask them a few tightly related questions about it.

For example, if they just explained how circulatory system works, ready for their Biology exam, then ask them something like – “OK, so the de-oxygenated blood, how does that become oxygenated again?”

Something that isn’t just a pure repeat, but makes them re-explain something in a slightly different way or with a different focus.

So that’s the test – the test before the test if you like! – to check whether your teen really knows their stuff.

Leave me a comment below and tell me how you could use this with your teen  🙂 and until next week, let’s make this a fantastic week!

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Competing with Classmates

I vividly remember being sat in a History class and listening to a classmate read out her response to a question that we’d all just been sat quietly answering.

My overriding thought was:

“How does she *write* like that?”

Accompanied by thoughts of

“I can’t write like that.” and

“Well, that just isn’t me – I *don’t* write like that”.

But, if I’d realised back then that I just needed to know and enact some simple yet effective strategies and I could’ve definitely written as well as or even better than Suzanne – ‘A-Grade’ – Baker! 😉

It’s wierd the things we remember right?

For example, I can vividly remember being sat in a History class and listening to a class mate read out her response to a question that we’d all just been sat quietly writing out answers to.

Now this occurred over 20 years ago now and yet I can still remember where I was sat in class and I can remember the other students’ name even though she wasn’t a particularly close friend of mine.

(It was Suzanne Baker, if you’re wondering) 😉

But what I remember MOST of all were the feelings I felt and what I was thinking .

My overriding thought was:

“How does she *write* like that?”

Accompanied by thoughts of

“I can’t write like that.”

and

“well, that just isn’t me. I *don’t* write like that”.

Interestingly  I WASN’T thinking – “I wonder how I can write like that?”.

It’s kinda crazy, the limits we put on ourselves isn’t it? 🙁

 

So , there I was, feeling a little in awe, (and a little bit nervous in case the teacher were to pick on me next to read out mine – which didn’t happen, thank goodness!)

but on reflection, what’s most interesting now is that – I was, well,  just… resigned.

Resigned to the fact that, that just wasn’t me.

I simply accepted that I didn’t have the confidence or skills to write in such a sophisticated, high quality way. I figured it was just some sort of natural gift.

Of course, I know NOW (after over a decade of teaching and national and state exam marking, including specifically FOR Y12 state writing tests (which I never would’ve believed I’d be doing if you’d asked me back then!))  with absolute certainty, that it isn’t about who you are or how much of a natural you are at writing.

What it IS about, is essentially putting on a bit of a show or performance for the marker, by putting into action a set of specific techniques, some simple strategies and tricks, so that you can craft amazing responses in whatever genre or style a task demands.

 

For example, in an analytical essay:

Students should be using longer compound and complex sentences, using fully expanded wording and technical vocabulary that gives a formal and official feel and will give the impression of a confident competent student who really knows their subject and how to convey it clearly.

But then for a blog, a feature article or a persuasive speech:

A more casual writing style is needed, which is achieved by using more colloquial language and contracted words (like it’s instead of it is). Plus it’d be good to use a few short, sharp sentences, perhaps sprinkled with a bit of purposeful repetition as well for impact 🙂

 

The point is, students need to write in the way the task and criteria demand and there are simple tips, tricks and techniques to do that. 

They don’t need to be a natural writer or a wizard with words and they certainly don’t need to slave over grammar books or read novels cover to cover to catapult the standard of their writing.

If I’d realised this back then, aaaaaaannnd known these key strategies (and of course, how to enact them and when to use them), I could’ve definitely written as well as or even better than Suzanne Baker 🙂

 

And if you’d love your teen to have aaaaaaalllllll the steps, strategies, tips techniques and tricks to writing like an A-grader, then CLICK HERE to check out my ‘Write Like and A-Grader’ Training.

It’s where I give your teen everything they need – all the tools, explanations, tutoring and examples of how to apply them, so that they become one of those students who can write with confidence and sophistication (and has those skills for.ever.)!

 

 

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How many hours should students spend studying?

I recently got this question from a student:

“How much time would you recommend I should be spending on my study each evening or overall each week?”

Now, before I tell you my answer, you might be thinking,

“Well it depends. I mean, what year group are they in, what sorts of subjects are they doing?”

And you’d be right.

There is more to this than just plucking a number out of the air.

BUT although yes, students will be spending more time on homework, revision and study as they move up through high school, these details are really NOT important.

Find out why (and what IS important!) in this video (or scroll down for the written version!) 🙂

 

 

Wouldn’t it be great if there were some magic formula that stated:

X hours + Y pages of notes = Grade

Unfortunately,

(Because you KNOW I love specifics.)

this Q is (sadly) reeeeally *not* about the numbers.

Yes, students will be spending more time on homework, revision and study as they move up through high school, BUT…

We could spend hours on ‘study-type-activities’ that are keeping us ‘busy’ but aren’t actually productive in terms of

  • the learning of content,
  • retention in revision, or
  • preparing awesome essays or assessment pieces.

For example, I’ve seen so many students spend waaayyyy more hours than they needed doing research for an investigation.

I’ve seen way too many students revising in ways that are not anywhere near as effective as they could be, and I’ve seen students waste days and days, not just hours, diligently drafting, editing and re-writing reports and assignments that could’ve been cut down massively if they’d had a clear and proven strategy to start on the right path and be able to craft their response more effectively.

 

In other words, it’s quality over quantity.

 

It’s about students gaining and honing the techniques, knowledge and strategies to work efficiently and effectively.

To minimise wasted time and stop doing any unnecessary tasks, and *still* gain the same (or better!) grades along the way.

This is why there are some students who work all hours of the day and night, yet still struggle to get the results they really want, and perhaps are capable of, and others just seem to breeze through getting A’s effortlessly.

Now, that might be a bit of an exaggeration of extremes, but it’s definitely the case that it’s more about efficient and effective study techniques and revision strategies than it is about the number of hours slaving away over textbooks.

 

>> If you think this could help someone else you know, please share or like this post ?

>> Oh, and leave me a comment below to let me know your thoughts on this ⬇

 

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4 Reasons Your Teen Gets ‘Stuck’

Here’s one of the statements that really frustrates me as a teacher…

“Miss, I’m stuck”.

My auto-pilot response is “in what way?” or “with what?”.

Now, the worst answer to THAT is – yep, you guessed it:

“Everything”.

Where do you start with that?

And more importantly, it’s NEVER actually the case.

So what’s really going on behind the belief or declaration of being stuck?

Watch this week’s video OR scroll down for the written version to find out 🙂

It could be one of 4 things:

  • Is they haven’t read all of the information carefully. Now, this isn’t necessarily a criticism (sometimes it is if they are just being lazy) but sometimes, it’s more that they haven’t processed that information. Very often, once I have a student just re-read the introductory info or the question to me, they suddenly get it. They process something or notice something they hadn’t before and it all slots into place. Other times, there might be sources or resources they need to be using, and they haven’t done that, for example, using a graph or an extract or a diagram to help them answer a question.

 

  • A second potential hidden situation is that they aren’t savvy in breaking down questions and identifying key words and command words. If that’s the case then they are likely struggling to figure out EXACTLY what they need to do and indeed that CAN be tricky to decipher in some questions, essay titles or assignment instructions. This is why students absolutely need to master their knowledge of command words and Bloom’s Taxonomy.

 

  • Which leads me nicely to the third possible problem lurking here: It could be that they know WHAT they need to do, they just aren’t sure HOW to do it. For example, how to ANALYSE rather than simply describe or explain. Or how to EVALUATE effectively and concisely. Or they don’t have a template to cover all the bases in responding to a COMPARE and CONTRAST question. This comes down to their exam technique (even if they aren’t actually in an exam situation) as well as having a stack of go-to systems and templates so that they can smoothly and confidently answer any question and command they’re faced with.

 

  • Lastly, they might actually know all these things really, but they are perhaps just lacking the confidence to go ahead and execute on them. They don’t trust their own judgement and feel like they need approval or have someone confirm things for them.  This is unfortunately the least common situation I find with students, it’s more often situations 1, 2 or 3, but it most often occurs when students have been used to having scaffolds, structures and high levels of input and need to build their skills in independently putting things into practice.

 

So, if ever your teen is stuck on a homework task or assignment, then consider these 4 potential reasons behind that “I’m stuck” statement, or “I’m not sure what to do” to help them then get on a path to getting clear and confident.

 

If you think this could help someone else you know, please share or like this post 🙂

Oh, and leave me a comment or drop me an email to let me know which of these situations is the case for your teen 🙂

 

 

 

 

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