How To Prevent Students From Failing Part II

12 Ways To Prevent Students From Failing Part II

(A Guide for Parents and Students)
By: Aquarius Cain

            1.      Communicate With Teachers Regularly

It’s important to build a good relationship with teachers.  Communicate with them weekly to make sure that homework assignments were turned in on time, classwork is being completed, etc.  Ask for make-up work ahead of time when you know absences will occur.  Get an advanced notice on major assignments and upcoming projects.  Let them know that you are not a threat; you just want to stay informed and are willing to assist in any way to ensure a fair grade.

Schedule a conference with the teacher monthly to receive feedback on student performance.  DO NOT WAIT UNTIL GRADE REPORTS ARE SENT HOME.  By the time grade reports are sent home, the damage may have already been done and you may not be able to reverse the damage.

            2.      Get Organized

·         Organization is the key to success! To be organized, first de-clutter lockers, back packs, and notebooks; sort through the papers and separate them by subject.  DON’T THROW ANYTHING AWAY…YOU MAY NEED IT LATER!

·         Try to keep the notebook in a particular order so that it’s easier to find things

·         Have a system to communicate between parents, students, and teachers by having a: Home/School Communication Folder

·         Students remember more if they do homework in the same place and same time each day! So, it’s important to have a workstation and a study schedule.

Read this article to find out more about how to stay organized: How To Be Successful in School

            3.      Understand How You Learn

Students learn differently! However, many teachers do not teach differently (that is, according to the way each student learns).  Teaching to the multiple modes of learning is called differentiated learning. The modes of learning are visual, auditory, or kinesthetic. 

Students should take a Learning Styles Assessment to determine exactly how they learn:

·         Visual learners learn by reading and seeing things written down or drawn into pictures.

·         Auditory learners learn by hearing and discussing information.

·         Kinesthetic learners learn by practicing and doing things over and over until they understand it.

After taking a Learning Styles Assessment, use study techniques that will help you learn new information based on your learning style.

Learning Styles Assessment

            4.      Know When To Ask For Help

One of the easiest ways to prevent failure is to know when to ask for help and to actually ask for help. Students should always raise their hand in class and ask questions when they do not understand.  It is important to understand that no question is a stupid question and that there is probably someone else who doesn’t understand and is waiting for someone to ask for an explanation.  If not you, then who?

If students are afraid to ask questions in class then they should ask the teacher after or in-between classes or schedule an appointment to get further help.  This is also where extra tutoring with the teacher may be needed.

            5.      Stay Positive/Be Encouraged

To prevent failure, it is imperative to keep a positive attitude.  “If you believe, you can achieve.”  Even when things get tough, students should continue to encourage themselves by using compliments and positive mantras.  Being surrounded by friends who are encouraging and positive is a helpful way to stay positive and encouraged as well.

Students should know and understand that they may not be successful at everything and with every assignment, and that’s ok.  Everyone fails eventually but it is important to keep trying and to always do your best.

            6.      Reward Progress

As small goals are met, such as turning in all homework assignments this week, celebrate those accomplishments.  Go and grab ice cream or rent a favorite movie.  Rewards also help to keep students motivated and encouraged.  It is imperative to reward small things just as much as major accomplishments.  Some students may make all C’s and rewarding them for consistency is good while making the next incentive greater if they can make a B, for example.

Figure out what works but don’t overdo it to the point where it backfires and students begin to expect rewards for performance.