There is no question that school is challenging! Academic as well as emotional and developmental issues converge in middle school. Our goal is to help you and your family meet those challenges and be prepared for high school and beyond.
First of all, it is essential to have high expectations for your child's learning and behavior. Successful business leaders as well as teachers know that people rise and fall based upon expectations. Expect the best!
Sometimes we may say: "No one in my family is good at math." Remember that children often model the behavior and attitudes of parents and feed into their opinions. While math may not be your best subject, you can certainly learn enough to pass and move on. If you find yourself being negative, simply say: "Even though this work is hard, I'm smart enough to do it!" Don't sell yourself short. You may find that being positive will become your new habit.
Another helpful key to success is to break large problems into smaller pieces. Anything that is worth doing is going to be challenging. Believe it or not, learning our A, B, C's was difficult at one time!
You won't complete middle school in one day, but that's okay. You know your goal is to pass, but all you can work on is this one assignment. For example, too often we face a few problems and quit because we feel overwhelmed.
Research on brain physiology tells us that when we practice our academics and learn new material, the very structure of our brains change. We are actually getting smarter! What is more fun that getting smarter?