- Do you give extra credit?
- My child is struggling in sixth grade. What could be the problem?
- Are you on Facebook?
Do you give extra credit?
Unfortunately I do not allow for extra credit. In the 'real world' there is no such thing as extra credit. I
want the students to develop the positive work habits that will help them to be successful in life. I
feel extra credit gets used as a safety mechanism to save a grade. Learning, knowing how to learn,
and a strong work ethic are the goals of my class.
My child is struggling in sixth grade. What could be the problem?
Most sixth grade academic issues relate to:
1. Study skills
2. Organizational skills
3. Behavior
Sixth grade is a transition year. You may remember when your child went into third grade the level
of homework, personal responsibility, and academics increased. The same is true for sixth grade.
The first thing you need to do is address your child's study skills. Test are no longer just
vocabulary based in social studies and science. The tests also are conceptual in nature. When your
child gets the date for the test, he/she should begin studying a few minutes everyday prior to the
test to help commit the information to their long-term memory.
The use of their daily planner is crucial to their developing organizational skills. Organization is a
learned behavior. Middle school students are juggling their academic, social, spiritual, and athletic
lives during these formative years.
Other things that might help:
1. Sticking to a schedule. I.E. homework is done after school, regular bed-time, etc.
2. Get them to read for pleasure. Go to the library or bookstore, let them pick the book that they
will read. Discuss the book when they finish.
3. Provide incentives for displays of positive work ethics. I.E. Increase in grades= increase in
allowance, computer-time, or whatever.
4. Positively reinforce good behaviors. As parents we get trapped into just correcting poor
behavior. It is also our job to notice the times when they do perform well so that we can reinforce
that behavior.
5. Don't them whine their way out of their responsibilities. You're their parent! Not their friend!
Are you on Facebook?
NO! I never will be. If you or your child ever gets a "friend" request from me, it is fraudulent. Your
children are my students and I am their teacher. Also if your child is on Facebook, I highly suggest
that you check their dialog with their "friends" and those who are communicating or trying to with
your child. You have that right. It's your child, your house, your computer, your rules, period.