Annual meet-the-parents session. Used to be we would seek parental pressure as a final motivating force to get a slacking, underperforming kid pulled up by the bootstraps. At this late stage in the game, one last-ditch effort from all interested parties might make all the difference.
Current trends, however, have necessitated a new tack in the way we approach parents. The thing is for us now is to figure out what to with kids who do have a strong work ethic, but unsatisfactory results to show for it.
Interestingly, the parents are agreeing with me that their kids are overstressed, that they don't manage their time well enough, that they need to eat better and get more sleep. They recognize the need to work hard, but not to the point when it becomes counterproductive. Tired kids means their capacity to learn gets diminished; which results in poor grades; which adds pressure to perform; which begets frustrated, stressed-out, tired kids. A vicious cycle.
I suppose this new wrinkle to an age-old problem is somewhat easier to deal with. It's easier to redirect a body already in motion and make changes to a strategy that isn't working to one that does work, than to kickstart a body at rest with no strategy whatsoever.
No comments:
Post a Comment