At Walker, we’re always looking for good methods to help students maximize their grades in simple, effective ways.
One of the best ways to make sure a student’s grade is at its highest is to make sure they’re obtaining all of the homework points possible. In most classes, completing homework on time is a ridiculously easy way to obtain an A+ to average against test and quiz scores. In fact, most students who have been meticulous about staying on top of their homework will get bumped up to a higher grade if they end the semester with a C+ or B+.
However, when students don’t have a good system of tracking their homework, completing it, and turning it in for credit, this stream of points dries up. Time and time again, we know that it’s far, far easier for students to get a perfect homework score than it is to ace a final.
So what can we use to make sure students do their homework?
In today’s era of PDAs, iPads, computer tracking systems, and internet, there are many parents and inventors trying to come up with a better way to increase student accountability. Call us a little old-school, but our solution isn’t anything high-tech. Sometimes, our students actually become overwhelmed by the electronic systems, mail servers, and software that their schools use as a result of trying to help them!
We recommend you help your student raise their grades immediately with two simple tools: A spiral-bound notebook and a simple cardboard portfolio.
Whenever a student gets a homework assignment, it gets written down in one place: the spiral-bound. This doesn’t need to be big: a 3” by 2” size will work. And, whenever the student completes an assignment, it gets crossed-out from the spiral-bound notebook and put into the “homework” portfolio. And it stays there until it gets turned in.
Parents often think that students don’t turn in their homework because they don’t care or because they have a poor work ethic. In most instances, that’s not true: more often than not, it’s because students haven’t developed a system that works for them. By keeping things simple, students learn a consistent method that allows them to stay on top of their responsibilities.
If your child might benefit from additional help that will raise their performance in school, drop us a line! We’d be happy to talk about ways our excellent tutors can get them on track effectively.
