"Our son Cody actually graduated last fall! We were so worried he was going to give up his dream of being a lawyer after the trials and tribulations he encountered with his schoolwork. He's such a bright teen, and we know he wanted to do well, he just got so frustrated. We were afraid to believe that his best effort may only yield a C average. It was hard to determine if the classes were the cause or if he was just a poor learner."
Those are the words of a desperate parent. No parent ever wants to think that their son or daughter is unable to excel in school. Though there can be a variety of factors, there is one crucial question that many parents overlook when contemplating their child's dissatisfaction with school: have they been taught how to learn? It seems like such a ridiculous query that most parents would answer immediately, "Yes! Of course my teen possesses adequate learning skills. They are in high school!" Those same parents would be surprised to find that many teenagers have never been formally taught how to study or prepare for an exam. Without those skills, they miss out on a wealth of potential and are so caught up with their immediate frustrations that they don't understand how easy learning can be with the right encouragement.
Just because a teenager lacks learning skills, it does not mean that they lack academic ability. A chess player can only excel at chess when they have a defined set of rules and move list. Similarly, teenagers need to learn the ins and outs of studying. After repeated disappointment, it is possible to lose hope and focus, and develop self-defeating attitudes. They begin to convince themselves that school is just not important anymore. As many parents know, this sort of apathy endangers a teen's academic future as well as the potential direction of their lives.
Why do teens feel so disconnected from their schoolwork? Motivation may be the key. When a student is unable to relate to what they are learning, a barrier forms between them and comprehension. Teenagers will bore of learning information that they do not see merit in. Unless they find ways to reconnect themselves to the content, they will continue to feel negatively toward learning.
A teacher's ultimate goal is to impart information clearly to their students. How a student organizes and rehashes that information for their own personal use depends on what skills they possess. Because students process information in different ways, a teacher cannot realistically cater to every student's learning style. Students who have a more auditory style of learning absorb information differently than a student who is more visual. It is up to the student to find ways to filter what they learn into something they can use.
A mysterious phenomenon occurs for many teenagers: their love of learning is extinguished and replaced with frustration. School and responsibility becomes something that they are eager to put behind them. What happened to the precocious child who read everything with enthusiasm? Where did that promising artist go, who scribbled out crayon masterpieces in a flurry of creative passion? They are still lurking, deep inside a shell of hormones and indifference. They don't want that creative spark of learning and discovery to be lost; they just need to find a way to rekindle it.
One thing that will coax the creative spark from any teenager is changing their view of school. If it is viewed as a forced institution or mandatory responsibility, they will never understand what a place of learning can offer. Rather, school should be depicted as a gateway of opportunity. It is a place that will broaden their horizons and actualize their personal goals and dreams. Academic summer camps help exemplify this image by providing learning and teen life skills in a setting where teenagers feel comfortable. Here, they will gain important traits that will help them in their academic and personal lives, like confidence, self-esteem, and motivation.
Camps like SuperCamp arm students with a wide range of skills, designed to help them prepare for future success. Teenagers learn things like communication skills, leadership skills, building positive relationships, conflict resolution, creative thinking, setting goals, and problem solving, which ultimately ease most challenges they may encounter in school or at home.
The moment a teenager takes ownership for their own learning, is the moment that they uncover an infinitely deep well of potential. Frustration over memorizing, studying, and testing will become a thing of the past. - 20896
Those are the words of a desperate parent. No parent ever wants to think that their son or daughter is unable to excel in school. Though there can be a variety of factors, there is one crucial question that many parents overlook when contemplating their child's dissatisfaction with school: have they been taught how to learn? It seems like such a ridiculous query that most parents would answer immediately, "Yes! Of course my teen possesses adequate learning skills. They are in high school!" Those same parents would be surprised to find that many teenagers have never been formally taught how to study or prepare for an exam. Without those skills, they miss out on a wealth of potential and are so caught up with their immediate frustrations that they don't understand how easy learning can be with the right encouragement.
Just because a teenager lacks learning skills, it does not mean that they lack academic ability. A chess player can only excel at chess when they have a defined set of rules and move list. Similarly, teenagers need to learn the ins and outs of studying. After repeated disappointment, it is possible to lose hope and focus, and develop self-defeating attitudes. They begin to convince themselves that school is just not important anymore. As many parents know, this sort of apathy endangers a teen's academic future as well as the potential direction of their lives.
Why do teens feel so disconnected from their schoolwork? Motivation may be the key. When a student is unable to relate to what they are learning, a barrier forms between them and comprehension. Teenagers will bore of learning information that they do not see merit in. Unless they find ways to reconnect themselves to the content, they will continue to feel negatively toward learning.
A teacher's ultimate goal is to impart information clearly to their students. How a student organizes and rehashes that information for their own personal use depends on what skills they possess. Because students process information in different ways, a teacher cannot realistically cater to every student's learning style. Students who have a more auditory style of learning absorb information differently than a student who is more visual. It is up to the student to find ways to filter what they learn into something they can use.
A mysterious phenomenon occurs for many teenagers: their love of learning is extinguished and replaced with frustration. School and responsibility becomes something that they are eager to put behind them. What happened to the precocious child who read everything with enthusiasm? Where did that promising artist go, who scribbled out crayon masterpieces in a flurry of creative passion? They are still lurking, deep inside a shell of hormones and indifference. They don't want that creative spark of learning and discovery to be lost; they just need to find a way to rekindle it.
One thing that will coax the creative spark from any teenager is changing their view of school. If it is viewed as a forced institution or mandatory responsibility, they will never understand what a place of learning can offer. Rather, school should be depicted as a gateway of opportunity. It is a place that will broaden their horizons and actualize their personal goals and dreams. Academic summer camps help exemplify this image by providing learning and teen life skills in a setting where teenagers feel comfortable. Here, they will gain important traits that will help them in their academic and personal lives, like confidence, self-esteem, and motivation.
Camps like SuperCamp arm students with a wide range of skills, designed to help them prepare for future success. Teenagers learn things like communication skills, leadership skills, building positive relationships, conflict resolution, creative thinking, setting goals, and problem solving, which ultimately ease most challenges they may encounter in school or at home.
The moment a teenager takes ownership for their own learning, is the moment that they uncover an infinitely deep well of potential. Frustration over memorizing, studying, and testing will become a thing of the past. - 20896
About the Author:
Have your kids acquired the life & learning skills they need to succeed in school? To be sure, sign them up for one of SuperCamp's age-specific, highly effective teen summer camps for a fun & enriching summer that will benefit them for the rest of their lives.
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