James Weaver

For the Parent Looking for Suggestions on How to Help Their Student

From time to time we get questions from parents on how to assist their student. Below you will find our standard suggestions. We’ve found that if parents and students stick to these over a period of time many problems are solved.

Binder Organization: Students should have their binders set up for each subject with tabs. Once they set it up, it should be maintained. Check it to ensure papers are in the right area of the binder- Notes in the notes section, vocabulary in the vocabulary section, graded work in the graded work section etc… There should be no paper jammed into the backpack or even in a sleeve of the binder. Every sheet of paper is secured behind the appropriate tab.

Binderize Homework: Use the binder to house homework. One of the tabs is "homework." We suggest that students complete their homework in that section of the binder, never taking it out before class. When they come to class and it is time to collect the homework, they open their binder to the "homework" section and there it is. Check the binder and backpack the night before to make sure everything is ready to go the next day.

Calendar: Use the online calendar to compare what your student copied into their planner. Every Monday we go over the calendar and during this time there is an opportunity for students to ask questions about what is expected of them regarding the week’s homework. The planner should also be used as a checklist- as students complete the homework in their binder they check off the assignments in their planner. They should also use it to budget their time for the week. If they have a soccer game on Thursday and a test on Friday, they should use time earlier in the week to study for the test.

Homework: 1.5-2.0 hours of homework each night. If they have all the homework done they can review, reread, check vocabulary, work on long range projects, look over power point (notes), do review math problems from the current chapter, etc…

Studying for Quizzes and Tests: Homework/Notes/Vocabulary prepare students for questions on tests and quizzes. So again, looking over the homework/notes/vocabulary periodically is a good habit- for sure a couple of times prior to the test/quiz. For math and language arts’ quizzes and tests it is important to do problems and check answers against answers that the student knows are correct.

Grades Online: Check grades regularly online. You might want to attach consequences and rewards to their homework performance on a weekly basis. If you make it longer than a week, middle school students will typically lose interest.

Extra Help: There are three major opportunities for students to get extra help: 1) AR/resource period, 2) before/after school, 3) the 10 minute break. The AR/resource period is a time when students are required to read their AR book. It is also an opportunity for students to see academy teachers if they have questions. They should obtain a pass from the teacher that they would like to see, and use it during this period. Students can meet with teachers before or after school; my office hours can be found on the "Resources" page of the class website. Other teachers will have different office hours. Finally, the 10 minute break between 2nd and 3rd period can be used by students to get help.

If these fail to help over a period of time, email is the best way to communicate with teachers. We are happy to answer any question you might have at any time. Parental support is a hugely significant factor in a student’s success! We want to assist you in any way possible.