At the beginning of January, children return to the classroom refreshed and, honestly, probably a little reluctant. For high schoolers and college students, January may mean exams. For elementary students, they could be returning to material that they haven’t seen since before break. How can your student start the year off strong?
- Check in with the teacher: You’ve probably seen a progress report from the teacher with grades and comments before break, but January can also be a good time to follow up with your child’s teacher to see how you two can work as a team in a way that best benefits your student. If you need clarification or more details about what a teacher wrote in a progress report or explained at a busy back-to-school night, the start of January is an opportunity to ask before the making period gets hectic again.
- Create a plan for the rest of the school year: You and your child may have had a plan in the beginning of September. Maybe they were going to read twenty minutes every day or going to try a new sport. How has the plan been working for your student? January can be a great time to take a pause and reevaluate. How can you both readjust your plan so that some subjects that need improvement get a little more attention?
- Check in with your student:Returning to school can be a difficult transition after a week or so relaxing. Anxiety about grades, social life, and school may rise to the surface again. The start of a new year can be a great opportunity to ask your student how she’s doing, how she felt about the first few months of school, and how you can best help support her.