"When Cody graduated last fall, we danced a little jig of joy. He had so much trouble with schoolwork that we were afraid he would give up on his dream of becoming a lawyer. We know he's a bright teenager, but at the time, our highest expectation for him was a C average. We didn't know if the problem originated with his classes or with him."
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.
A lack of learning skills does not automatically equal a lack in academic ability. Trying to play a game without a set of rules is impossible, just as it is impossible for a teenage to tap their latent potential for studying and excelling in school without guidance. If a teenager is faced with repeated disappointment and failure, they may develop a self defeating attitude and convince themselves that school does not matter. This can be very dangerous for their academic and personal futures.
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.
Though a teacher's goal is imparting information clearly, students are not always able to organize and rehash that information into something they can use to study, especially when they lack the learning skills to do it. Every student has a different way of absorbing information, and teachers are often unable to cater to their specific learning styles. Some students learn audibly, while others learn visually. Ultimately, a student must find the best way to decipher what they learn and make it comprehensible.
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.
Summer programs like SuperCamp focus on a broad range of life skills designed to prime them for a rigorous future of accomplishment, things like communication skills, leadership skills, building positive relationships, conflict resolution, creative thinking, setting goals, and problem solving. These skills will help ease the difficulties they may face in school or at home, and will last them a lifetime.
When a teenager takes ownership for their own learning processes, the results can be astonishing. Learning, memorizing, studying, and testing all just become part of their goal of self-betterment. With that attitude, they can do anything they set their minds to.
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.
A lack of learning skills does not automatically equal a lack in academic ability. Trying to play a game without a set of rules is impossible, just as it is impossible for a teenage to tap their latent potential for studying and excelling in school without guidance. If a teenager is faced with repeated disappointment and failure, they may develop a self defeating attitude and convince themselves that school does not matter. This can be very dangerous for their academic and personal futures.
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.
Though a teacher's goal is imparting information clearly, students are not always able to organize and rehash that information into something they can use to study, especially when they lack the learning skills to do it. Every student has a different way of absorbing information, and teachers are often unable to cater to their specific learning styles. Some students learn audibly, while others learn visually. Ultimately, a student must find the best way to decipher what they learn and make it comprehensible.
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.
Summer programs like SuperCamp focus on a broad range of life skills designed to prime them for a rigorous future of accomplishment, things like communication skills, leadership skills, building positive relationships, conflict resolution, creative thinking, setting goals, and problem solving. These skills will help ease the difficulties they may face in school or at home, and will last them a lifetime.
When a teenager takes ownership for their own learning processes, the results can be astonishing. Learning, memorizing, studying, and testing all just become part of their goal of self-betterment. With that attitude, they can do anything they set their minds to.
About the Author:
Have your kids been given the life & learning skills they need to succeed in school? To make sure, enroll them in one of SuperCamp's age-specific, highly effective academic summer camps for a fun & enriching summer that will benefit them for the rest of their lives.
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