Maximizing Your Students Potential

Gone are the blissful sighs of summer and in its place are the melancholic groans of students adjusting back to the monotonous routine of classwork, homework, and study sessions. At this point in the school year, your student will have become accustomed to their new classroom settings, their teacher(s), and have an idea of what the lessons are like.

At the present moment, does your student feel negatively or positively about school?

Having spent the past year and a half dealing with virtual learning, students’ ability levels can vary greatly—something that will be reflected in their work for the current school year. While some students may have adapted well to learning online, others may have either struggled to keep up or suffered a loss of motivation. Now that instruction has moved back into the classrooms, the students who are ahead may be left disengaged while their teacher is playing catchup with the rest of the class and the students who were already behind may feel like they can’t keep up.

At Tutoring Club, we recognize that whether your student is ahead or behind, there are things we can do to help maximize their potential for this school year!

If your student is ahead, here are ways in which you can help keep them engaged:

1. Read more challenging books

Allow your student to read more complex or challenging books with content that is still age appropriate. Other than fictional stories, there is a whole world of nonfiction books for your student to explore such as books about animals, science, and autobiographies. Your student can learn a number of interesting facts and even expand their vocabulary!

2. Challenge their creativity

Your student has already proven that they can hold down the fort academically. To switch things up, how about doing something to help stretch their creativity? In TC Writing, we don’t just have students practice writing essays. We challenge our students with narrative writing where the format is less structured, but the train of thought and flow of the story matters.

3. Prep for college

If your student is in high school and has what it takes to take on higher level courses, give them the opportunity to stay on track for college! Your student can get started on the next level of math or prepare for AP classes. At Tutoring Club, we teach math all the way up to calculus, work with students on essay writing, and offer SAT and ACT prep.

If your student is behind, here are the possible issues and how we can solve it:

1. Has difficulty grasping the material

Not every student will effectively learn utilizing the same teaching methods. There are 7 different learning styles which include logical, visual, physical, solitary, social, verbal, and aural. Once your student’s learning style has been determined, they can be taught according to the style that suits them best! This will greatly improve your student’s ability to understand the material.

2. Thinks the subject is boring

Not many students are going to express enthusiasm towards subjects such as math, science, or history. A way to remedy that is to make it FUN. Try having your students learn scientific concepts by conducting some experiments at home. We have compiled a list of easy experiments here! For our TC Math students, nothing gets them more fired up than a friendly competition with math flashcards. Flashcards would also be a great way for students to learn history. They can match the event with a specific person and/or place.

3. Lacks motivation

If your student is lacking motivation for school work because they don’t enjoy it, offer them an incentive. Was there a specific item they’ve been eyeing or a particular place they’ve been dying to go to? By offering rewards for their hard work, your student just might be more willing to complete the task at hand. If your student is lacking motivation because they lack confidence, reassure them. Let your student know that their efforts matter, regardless of the end results. Especially with the on and off of virtual learning, let your student know that the situation was out of their control and they were not at fault. Positive reinforcement can make a world of a difference!

Which Approach Sounds Best to You?

This past year has been weird and many of our students had to fend for themselves. Students’ ability levels are spread farther across the spectrum than it ever was before the pandemic. Whether your student is ahead or behind, there are ways to keep them engaged.

If you would like your student to get ahead or stay ahead, Tutoring Club is currently offering 50% off academic assessments and consultations. We offer help in all subjects and for all ability levels from K-12. We hope to meet you soon!