Students that are not performing at the level their teachers know they are capable of can be a source of frustration for both teachers and parents. The Tenney School’s one-to-one learning model offers natural solutions for addressing many of these issues. Here is an overview of why your student’s academic performance may be frustrating and how we can help!
Issues That May Frustrate Teachers and Parents
Students that do not work hard enough are a common source of frustration for teachers, parents, and administrators.
Students’ Performance Does Not Match Potential
Teachers want every student’s performance to be the best and most parents feel the same way. Unfortunately, some students lack the intrinsic motivation they need to own their education and want to do their best. They may be uninterested in the material they are learning. Not make connections between learning material now and its importance for their future. Be bored by material that is much too easy for them. Feel pressure from other students to act as though learning is uncool. This is due to top performers not always getting the same reputation from their peers that they do from adults in their lives.
Some students genuinely struggle to learn and remember the material. Lack of motivation is a more frequent culprit than parents might expect.
Students’ Poor Work Ethics
Some students naturally have little interest in learning. Others simply do not know how to develop a better work ethic. They may fully understand that they should be doing better but feel frustrated with themselves. They are unsure of why they have a hard time keeping up with their peers. Also, why the effort they are putting in is not enough. The executive functioning deficit is a condition that interferes with an individual’s ability to regulate his or her actions, thoughts, and emotions. It is often linked to having a difficult time developing a stronger work ethic even if a student wants to do better.
Solutions
It can be frustrating to teach or parent students that are uninterested in their education. However, The Tenney School offers a wider range of possibilities for reaching these students than many public or even private schools. Here are some of our most common solutions for meeting students that are not performing!
Executive Functioning Coaching
Executive functioning coaching can be an excellent solution for students. Those that are capable of performing at a higher level than they currently are but lack the motivation to put in the extra effort to do so. They may not benefit from traditional tutoring as much as students that are genuinely struggling to learn. Reteaching material can only do so much for students that are perfectly capable of learning it. However, executive functioning coaching takes a different approach to better reach them.
This specialized type of tutoring can help them catch up on class material. It helps them develop the non-academic skills they need to succeed. These include organization, work ethic, and an overall better understanding of the connections between the material they are currently learning and the impact that both this information itself and their overall school performance will ultimately have on their future opportunities.
Alternative Education Path
A traditional classroom environment is fine for many students. However, some students may struggle to learn at their highest potential in a less structured classroom. Teachers with twenty or more students can only do so much for students that have a much harder time keeping up with their grade level than their peers. They are bored by material that is much too easy for them or is simply unmotivated to pay attention in class and do their best in school. Choosing an alternative learning environment can eliminate distractions. This includes an online program or a one-to-one in-person program. It also offers more flexibility for adjusting instruction to better match a student’s pace, interests, and overall potential.
Tutoring Students
Students that are doing their best but still having a difficult time keeping up with class material often benefit from traditional one-on-one tutoring. These sessions provide students with extra help in the specific courses they are struggling with. They help them better understand and remember the material. Traditional tutoring is generally more beneficial for students that are having a hard time in school while genuinely trying their hardest than it is for students that could do much better on their own and are choosing not to live up to their potential. This means that being sure of the source of academic problems is an important step in choosing the course of action that is most likely to benefit each student.
At The Tenney School, our one-to-one teaching model naturally incorporates many of the strategies that can make it easier for students that are not reaching their potential. We can help them find the motivation they need to improve their performance. Allowing each student to work one-on-one with a teacher for each subject makes it possible for teachers to adjust the speed of instruction to best match the student’s needs. Also, to immediately identify and redirect a student that is not paying attention, and incorporate additional material that they are most interested in. Contact us today to learn more about why we are a good fit for a wide range of students in the Houston area or to schedule a tour!