<p>Son has lots of extra curricular activities, and usually could hold his own with his grades. 8th grade wake up!!! He is not keeping up with his assignments. I want to walk the fine line between helpful parent and helicopter parent as it is time for him to become more resonsible for his own class work. I checked on 2 of his classes at his school’s website. He has a 67 in Language Arts, (had a 97 prior), and a 72 in Social Studies, (had a 98 prior). He told me today that his Language Arts teacher said that he missed 4 assignments and is allowing him to turn them in. Social Studies teacher, (who is also his homeroom teacher), he says “intimidates” him, and he is afraid to ask about his grades. I have had a past run in with this teacher regarding a non-grade issue, but I really would like for my son to handle this on his own. Peer pressure from my mother, lol, (she has stated she does not like this teacher from my last issue with him). Mom says I need to advocate for my son and talk to this teacher about his current grade. I don’t want to as I think my son has a responsibility to follow up on his own first. I did, however, send him an email this evening asking him to please allow my son to see if he has completed all of his assignments thus far. I really didn’t want to send the email, but I did. Personally, I think this is a good learning lesson for him to keep up with his grades, and extra curriculars, or choose to drop some of those extra curriculars if you can’t keep up. I need advice…what would you have done?</p>
<p>8th grade is too young to be on his own, IMO. He still needs a lot of guidance, and middle school teachers can be intmidating to 13 year olds. I would give him whatever support necessary; perhaps going with him to talk with the teacher?</p>
<p>I think he also needs your guidance in trying to figure out time management and what extra curriculars to drop (or if to drop). No one’s born knowing how to do this, and very few can figure it out themselves. The “lesson” can be talking about the decision-making process and the time priorities, but he needs to be guided by you. Coming to an agreement is good, rather than you saying, “You should drop X”, but he can’t do it himself.</p>
<p>Something that worked for my D when she got dingy, whatever, in 7th grade was a form I created with my D</p>
<p>It was simple-it was each class she was not turning in homework for, with each day of the week- if there was an assignent that was noted…at the end of the week, the teacher put in a quick initial if work was turned in…</p>
<p>Believe me, it only took a couple of weeks of this before my D didn’t want to have to get the initials any more</p>
<p>Also, I had my D rewrite all her homework assignments onto a white board in her room, she did that every night- then she would check off it was done, and in the morning she double checked…</p>
<p>What you do is this:</p>
<p>TONIGHT- your son cleans out and organizes all his folders, books etc
He makes himself a to do list of what he owes and what homework he has for each class
He checks with his classmates to double check
You go with him to office supply store and find the supplies and tools that will work for him- sometimes starting fresh and with new tools- 3/5 cards, a white board, a day planner, whatever can do wonders</p>
<p>What you are doing is what a parent needs to do- help guide the student through the process, give them the tools they need, show them methods that will work</p>
<p>YOU aren’t writing the assignments on the board, or bugging the teacher for the initials, the student is. It ends up being the student’s responsibility, you are setting the parametors</p>
<p>Also, set rules for facebook, myspace, gaming, etc…don’t take away the ECs</p>
<p>You can also tell your son that you know he can do it, and if you see him taking care of it himself, you won’t need to step in…that gives your son control </p>
<p>Also, set aside Sunday afternoons for homework…that gives them fun time, and that is how many HS students do it—sundays afternoons are homework time</p>