1/18/19 Each student, regardless of current or past performance, needs to examine their "Work Ethic". Often a child at this age has natural talent. He or she might even stand head and shoulders above their peers. They do very nicely in elementary school and can produce some stunning scores on whatever standardized test being used by the school system at that time. However, too often those same students begin to struggle a few years beyond the cocoon of elementary school. As the curriculum changes and the challenges become more complex, it is not uncommon to notice a precipitous academic drop in more than just a few, former, honor students. School came easily to them at the earliest stages, so they never seemed to need an hour or so of dedicated time every night simply set aside for academics. So, when the rigor of the next academic challenge came along, they assumed, as would make logical sense to them, that what they always did - report to school, listen and do whatever task was required in school - would carry the day. It often does not happen immediately. It can be a subtle erosion. Perhaps a few years go by and you, as the parent, begin to notice that your child somehow keeps performing below your expectations. Unfortunately, eighth grade is when many advanced students begin to take high school courses. Those courses now become the grades all colleges look at for admission and scholarship money. Conversely, there are students who in fifth grade are beginning to take on their own personal weaknesses. Confronting and tackling the challenges in front of them can be embarrassing. Yet, every year I see young men and women doing just this. There are two components to this phenomenon. First, a student quits pretending to know something. They take action. They raise their hand, or they get up from their seat and they ask for help. They no longer want to go through life ignorant of the academic knowledge being asked of them. This happens, and is beginning to happen in our classroom, more and more and more. The desire to know has grown large enough to overshadow the fear of caring what others may think of them not knowing. That part of the equation I can handle. I can foster, motivate and compliment every single student who displays this behavior Remember I told you this, "Behavior = Results". The second component to a student solidifying their academic foundation comes from the home. Students who dedicate sixty minutes each night to academic endeavors create a pattern from a young age. They create an expectation connected to school. They are really beginning their very own "Work Ethic".
8/16/18 Study every night. Seems simple. Many children who succeed do this simple little thing. They do work every night. And here is another thought...Stamina!
Here is something we are going to focus on for all of this year; STAMINA. Stamina is the ability to focus at a high level throughout an entire test. Recently, a law student found that when practicing for her Bar Exam, she found that in the last 25% of her practice tests, her percentage of correct answers dropped dramatically. In fact, her level of proficiency was in the 80-95% range for the first three quarters of the Mock Exam. However, her percentage of correct answers dropped to below 50% for the last part of the exam. This prompted her to realize the she was not "in shape" to take the entire exam. Realizing this, she focused mentally on retaining her concentration for the last quarter of the test. She simply could not allow herself to slip at the end.
It worked! She passed her Bar Exam and is currently a working attorney. By learning her own tendencies and creating a plan to overcome any issues which might derail her, she succeeded in her ultimate goal.
While fifth grade is certainly not Law School, we can still learn about ourselves as we try to succeed this year. We will be discussing the concept of staying strong all the way through a test. We will be exploring when to take a mental break and how to reignite our brains for the best possible results. We will be understanding the significance of being organized and responsible.