The first thing we can do is to constantly affirm our belief in their abilities and praise their work ethic. The best thing parents can do for students is to praise their work ethic above their innate intelligence. When students face their first experiences with challenging school work, those who have established powerful work habits are successful. Those who have relied solely on their natural intelligence because things have typically come easy to them can find themselves in uncharted territory - unsure about how to face the challenge. So when your child comes home with a great grade, celebrate it! Remember, though, that comments such as "I'm so proud of how hard you have worked toward achieving your goal of getting good grades," are a far better way to encourage students to become self-directed, life-long learners than comments like "What a great grade! You're so smart!" In addition, let's be committed to coaching all of our children to see value in the act of learning as opposed to being hyper-focused on a grade. When students do the former, the grades fall into place.
The fact is that all of our kids have CHAMPION qualities and the ability to be really great at something. Middle School West students heard this message at our opening assembly this year. They learned that all champions have some things in common:
- They believe in themselves.
- They don't listen to negative people. Instead, they keep their eyes on the goal.
- They work hard, even when they don't feel like it.
- They show up - They have great attendance.
- When they are not performing well, they seek out assistance from coaches, teachers, parents, and trusted peers.
- They never give up. When they fall, like we all do at times, they get back up and start again.
Clearly, these are practices that are good for us to apply to our own lives and for students to keep in mind as they go through tough times. Parents are the most important coaches that a student can have. Take the time to talk with your children every night about school. Ask probing questions about what they learned that day and see if they still have questions. Your conversations about school are the best way to keep students on a track for success and motivated to learn. If you have been discouraged by the typical "nothing" answer many kids give when asked about what they learned at school, the following link has some good tips on how to approach the topic with children.
Thanks for reading. Have a great weekend!
Brett
What's Coming Up at West?
September 10 - Market Day Pickup (5-6pm in cafeteria)
September 13 - GJPS Board of Education Meeting (6:30pm at Clark Hall)
September 13 - 6th grade Orchestra Parent Meeting (7pm at LHS Auditorium)
September 14 - First GMSW Renaissance Celebration (2:15-3:30pm in GMSW Auditorium)
