Being a teenager is a busy and challenging time. It’s at once the most exciting your student’s life has ever been and often the most difficult. Combine growth spurts with social maneuvering and tough new school subjects to tackle, it’s no surprise that many teenage students struggle to keep up with it all. The most often-dropped plate grades, sometimes in only one or two classes. Teens who struggle with grades don’t know what to do. Often, they fall further behind than they can handle.
It’s here where parents and teachers can step in to help struggling teens find their feet and get back on track before it impacts their graduation.
Talk to Your Teen About Why They’re Struggling
As soon as you realize that your teen is struggling, open a conversation. Try to discover the root of the problem, not just the symptoms. Teens let their grades slip when they are stressed out, distracted, or dealing with emotions they can’t handle. It can be tough to focus in class or get homework done when other challenges weigh heavier. Your teen may also be directly struggling with lessons themselves and the advanced subjects covered in the high school curriculum.
Sit down with your teen and help them identify what’s really going on. Then, decide what you can do to help them restore their grades, focus, and life balance.
Stop the Snafu Snowball
Once a few homework assignments have been missed, the grades slide can snowball out of hand. This is especially true if your teen is struggling with lessons and learning material. Consult with their teachers on how to help stop the slide and move toward make-up work and grade recovery. Teachers are often willing to help if they know that the student really wants to succeed and is willing to work to make up their grades.
It’s also worth noting that many kids are incorrectly tracked into all-advanced classes when their talents lie in one or two special subjects. If your student excels in English, advanced math may not be their bailiwick. If you and the teachers agree, don’t be shy about getting your student literally on the right track.
Lower the Schedule Demand
Teens take on a lot in their high school years. Sports, music, theater, clubs, friends, volunteer work, and afterschool jobs can pack a teen’s schedule more than they realize. With just a few extracurriculars, teens can get overwhelmed with the demands on their time. Even if they’re having a good time, parents should watch for signs of fatigue and burnout, just like an adult who has too much on their plate.
Talk to your teen about cutting back their schedule a bit. It doesn’t have to be a punishment. Instead, have them choose something they could give up. Then, prioritize the activities that help relax them instead.
Offer Your Teen Tutoring If they Struggle With Grades
A teen struggling with a class or who has simply fallen behind can often catch up with a little one-on-one help. Private tutoring and personalized afterschool lessons can help them understand the subject matter and tackle the concepts, then even catch up on those overdue homework assignments in time for the next mid-terms. If your student really is in over their head, their private tutor can help identify where they should be and make sure the transition isn’t traumatic.
Earn Back Credits With Self-Paced Courses
You can also offer your teen a chance to redo the class in their own time with one-to-one learning or online make-up lessons. When they finish the course with better focus, that credit can be transferred back to their school. Thus, getting graduation back on track.
Help Your Teen When They Struggle With Grades
If your teen is struggling in school, it doesn’t have to permanently impact their high school experience. With tutoring, supportive parenting, and maybe a make-up course or two, your teen can recover even from a really tough school year. Contact us to discover how the Tenney School can improve your teen’s experience if they are struggling in one or more subjects.