There are many wonderful parenting ideas you can use to help your child succeed in middle school. But two of them are especially needed for your child to be successful in this age group!

I’ve been teaching middle school for the past twelve years. I absolutely love my job and I enjoy working with kids this age.

However, every new school year I see the same things from all kids! The successful students share these two habits. The ones who fail share the lack of the same habits.

The biggest difficulty in transitioning from elementary to middle school is that your child suddenly has many teachers as opposed to just one. All teachers would have different expectations while in  elementary school your child has only one main teacher they get used to. This can often lead to confusions.

So the following two tips have to do with exactly that- making sure that your child gets help transitioning from having one person’s expectations, to many!

Help Your Child Succeed in Middle School

So based on my experience, here are some very simple tips that will have a BIG impact on your child’s success in middle school.

1. Get Organized

It is so important for your child to get organized in middle school. While in elementary school they are all used to one teacher who takes care of their HW, now they have many teachers with completely different expectations. I cannot tell you how many kids I have worked with loose or forget assignments simply because they are unable to get organized about their school work.

• Help them organize their binder.
• Set a special time of day to check if their binder or backpack stays organized.
• Ask to check their work and HW until they get used to the new routine.
• Ask them at the beginning of the year about HW every day until you are convinced that they are on the right track.

 

2. Get to Know the Teachers and Their Expectations

• At the beginning of the school year, each teacher would have given you a letter to go home. Don’t overlook these. Read them carefully and follow the instructions on the parents letters. They hold valuable information about what to expect and how to prepare for that particular class.
• Talk to your child about their new teachers. Ask them what types of things they have been doing during the first  days of school, how big their classes are, how do they perceive the teacher. Conversation with your child will not only strengthen the bond between you, but it will also give you valuable information about your child’s new environment and if there is something you can do to help or guide them in the right direction.
• Make a quick phone call and introduce yourself to your child’s new teachers. Again, you are not only making an introduction. You are making a valuable investment. With that teacher simply knowing you, lots pf potential communication issues would be avoided.
• Your child might need a bit of extra help. In my practice I see lots of  new middle school students who are unsure why they are getting specific grade. In other cases they feel they have turned their work in and they don’t realize why they are not getting the outcome they have expected. The problem is that they are new at the school and they are afraid to ask that teacher for clarification. They may need you to call that teachers and clarify expectations. Your child may also need you to help them feel confident that it is OK to talk to their teacher!

Is Your Child in Middle School? What Has Been Your Experience So Far?

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