Does Your Child’s Self-Esteem Help or Hurt Their Grades?

A student's self-esteem has a marked impact on academic performance, and affects how they engage in activities, deal with challenges and interact with others. A confident child learns eagerly, enjoys the company of friends and family, and often achieves established goals.  A child with low self-esteem, on the other hand, may have difficulty in school as the result of a lack of interest or an inability to focus on the work. They may be withdrawn, and reluctant to engage in after-school activities or try new things.  

When we work with children who have low self-esteem, our goal is to restore their belief in themselves so they can persist through personal and academic challenges. Their social core - the adults, peers and friends with whom they interact each day – have the most significant impact on their well being, and can help by giving encouragement and support.

Show appreciation for the things they do well.  Offer very specific feedback rather than generic praise. (Instead of “You aced your math test? That’s great!” try “You worked really hard to prepare for that test, and it’s paid off. I’m so proud of you!”)

Encourage their involvement in activities of interest to them.  Help them realize their natural talents, and don’t be overly concerned as their interests change and evolve.  

Help them learn to deal with failure.  If they encounter academic difficulties, help them understand that failure isn’t just a part of learning, it’s a part of life. You can Google ‘famous failures’ for some examples. 

• Walt Disney was fired by a newspaper editor because he "lacked imagination and had no good ideas."  
• Oprah Winfrey was fired from her job as a television reporter because she was deemed "unfit for TV". 
• Stephen King's first book, the horror thriller Carrie, initially received 30 rejections. Despondent, King threw it in the trash. His wife retrieved it and encouraged him to resubmit it to yet another publisher - and the rest is history.   

Demonstrate confidence that they can improve. No one succeeds with every attempt, and it’s important that your child understands that failure isn’t the end of the world.  Acknowledge their frustration, and then work together to develop strategies for improvement.

Growing up as a teen these days is difficult, and whether they’re your kids or not, they need your help.  Don’t hesitate to reach out to the kids nearest to you, with support and encouragement to boost their confidence and self-esteem. 
   
 That’s what we do every day at Tutoring Club of Jacksonville, and the results are magical.  Call us at 268-8556 to see how we can support your child.

Measuring Academic Achievement

Measuring a child's level of academic achievement can be challenging for any parent, yet remains one of the most critical components in achieving your child's ultimate education goals.

Since no single source of information may be fully reliable in accurately assessing a child's full scope of learning abilities, the best strategy is to evaluate academic performance through multiple sources that can help ensure the best possible results for your child.

Report Cards

Grades are certainly among the most recognized tools for evaluating academic achievement. Report cards are an active indicator of academic success and short term learning. However, grades don't always measure long term learning or mastery of academic skills.

For example, some students may do well on tests because they can memorize information and reiterate it at test time. However actual learning becomes questionable when they forget it right after the test or don't demonstrate the same level of knowledge at a later date. Grades are partially based on short term knowledge that comes from weekly tests and homework; only part of the grade is indicative of longer term learning.

Teachers Evaluation

Teachers employ various evaluation methods for measuring performance in the classroom. Often the method used depends on the content being taught or task being measured, and whether it's a formal or informal evaluation.

Teacher evaluations should be fair and valid, taking into consideration a student's developmental level, and based on clearly defined learning objectives. Effective evaluation measures the work a student performs to demonstrate an understanding of concepts or the ability to perform tasks at a given grade level.

Standardized Testing

Nationally standardized tests compare your child with an 'average' student of the same age from a sample of students across the country. They are generally well researched with a reliable measure of validity, but don't necessarily measure the level at which your child is learning based on what is actually taught by the teacher in class.

Each state also chooses its own standardized measure of 'proficiency' on its own level, which can often provide a better guideline for determining your student's learning ability with what has actually been taught in the classroom.

Individualized Assessment

Perhaps most important, every parent should seek an individualized assessment in evaluating a child's full learning ability and potential. Take time to talk with your child's teachers to review grades, as well as to gain greater insight into classroom evaluations or standardized test results.

"Call now to schedule a full assessment specifically designed to measure your child's individual level of academic achievement," suggests Dana Edmonds, Director of Tutoring Club Jacksonville. "We will identify the specific subject 

areas or skill gaps to target, and create an individualized curriculum to get 

their grades back on track quickly.  That's critical to your child's success, and ultimately translates to a lower cost for you."

Tutoring Club Jacksonville, 268-8556

UF Shands Science Fair Competition

It's a very proud day for us at The Tutoring Club of Jacksonville! One of our students, Cassidy M., is headed to the UF Shands - Learning Resource Center for participation in the UF Office of Educational Affairs/Jacksonville Advances in Medicine Education Event and SIM Wars Competition today! She is a vibrant, smart, and energetic middle-schooler who is on an exciting trajectory! Cassidy did a project on the "Effect of Anti-Coagulants on Coagulation". Goooo Cassidy! #tutoringclubjax

I'll never use this math again - or will I?

How many times has your child said "I will never use this math again"! The fact is, we use math and math concepts every single day, and don't even think about it.  We follow a speed limit, we monitor street crossings and calculate if we need to walk fast or can walk leisurely to make it across the street, we spend money, etc.  The Tutoring Club teaches every level of math our students bring to us, including advanced math!  Read some key points we took from an excellent article:

 

Any global contexts used in math should add to an understanding of the math, as well as the world. To do that, teachers should stay focused on teaching good, sound, rigorous, and appropriate math content and use global examples that work. For instance, learners will find little relevance in solving a word problem in Europe using kilometers instead of miles when instruments already convert the numbers easily. It doesn't contribute to a complex understanding of the world. 

Algebra can explain how quickly water becomes contaminated and how many people in a third-world country drinking that water might become ill on a yearly basis. A study of geometry can explain the science behind architecture throughout the world. Statistics and probability can estimate death tolls from earthquakes, conflicts and other calamities around the world. It can also predict profits, how ideas spread, and how previously endangered animals might repopulate. 

Math is often studied as a pure science, but is typically applied to other disciplines, extending well beyond physics and engineering. For instance, studying exponential growth and decay (the rate at which things grow and die) within the context of population growth, the spread of disease, or water contamination, is meaningful. It not only gives students a real-world context in which to use the math, but helps them understand global phenomena—they may hear about a disease spreading in India, but can't make the connection without understanding how fast something like cholera can spread in a dense population. In fact, adding a study of growth and decay to lower level algebra—it's most often found in algebra II—may give more students a chance to study it in the global context than if it's reserved for the upper level math that not all students take.

In a similar vein, a study of statistics and probability is key to understanding many of the events of the world, and is usually reserved for students at a higher level of math, if it gets any study in high school at all. But many world events and phenomena are unpredictable and can only be described using statistical models, so a globally focused math program needs to consider including statistics. Probability and statistics can be used to estimate death tolls from natural disasters, such as earthquakes and tsunamis; the amount of aid that might be necessary to help in the aftermath; and the number people who would be displaced.

If students are given the right content and context for a globally infused math curriculum, they'll be able to make global connections using math, and create a math model that reflects the complexity and interrelatedness of global situations and events. They'll be able to apply math strategies to solve problems and develop and explain the use of a given math concept in the global sense. And they'll be able to use the right math tools in the right situations, and explain why a math model they chose is relevant. More importantly, students will be able to use data to draw defensible conclusions, and use mathematical knowledge and skills to make real-life impact.  

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/global_learning/2014/10/math_is_global.html

Be a Parent who is involved in your child's education

Research overwhelmingly shows that parent involvement in their children's learning is directly and positively related to achievement. Unquestionably.  At the Tutoring Club of Jacksonville we also are involved in your child's learning, and we are your partner in their education achievements!

The Duval County Public Schools website has excellent resources for parents.  It also reinforces the premise above with words and tools.  Read the excerpt below from www.duvalschools.org:

There is nothing more important than your child and contributing to their achievements. Become a player.

Make time each day to be a part of your child's educational and social activities. Help your child study. Make sure they complete and understand their homework. Review the work they are doing. Play a game, watch television or read a book together. Know your child's friends. Learn what motivates your child, in and out of school. Help your child set goals and measure their progress. Praise achievement. Talk with your child every day. Talk to your child's teachers about any teacher conference concerns before they become a problem.

Rewarding hard work and achievement

At The Tutoring Club of Jacksonville, we reward all our students for hard work and achievement.  We reward good attitudes.  We reward manners.  We try to find any positive aspect during our precious time with our students to make this a place they come to learn, feel accomplished, and look forward to returning!
We are launching some creative ways to incent our students even more by enabling them to earn extra tokens!  Be on the lookout for those announcements and always encourage their efforts here at the Tutoring Club.