| "body"> | | | | on at lunchtime? |
| For Students | | | | It's also important to remember that grades are |
| * The Law of a Good Start: Both parents and | | | | merely a measure of aptitude, effort and ability. |
| students say they get off to a great start and then | | | | They are not a measure of your child's worth. |
| begin to fall off. It's human nature. We start to do | | | | * The Law of Knowing: Here are three things every |
| well and then think we have arrived and can begin to | | | | parent should take the time to get to know: your |
| coast. It doesn't work. | | | | child's teacher; the material your child is being taught; |
| * The Law of Staying Out in Front: Keep doing the | | | | your child's friends and the parents of those friends. |
| things that got you off to a good start, or do them | | | | Go to school. Meet the teachers. Ask questions. If |
| even more. Another way to stay out in front is to | | | | you want to do something radical;, invite your child's |
| take whatever deadlines are given to you and move | | | | teacher over for dinner. You can get to know better |
| them up. In this way, you can be done in plenty of | | | | someone who is influencing you child; the teacher can |
| time and can relax. | | | | get to know your student's family; your child gets to |
| * The Law of Manageable Pieces: Once you hit | | | | see that teachers are regular people. |
| middle school, you have many classes and all the | | | | * The Law of Different Perception: This one is |
| work that comes with each class. If you look at it as | | | | especially important for parents. For the most part, |
| a whole, you will become overwhelmed. Break it | | | | parents and kids have very different perceptions |
| down into smaller pieces, one class at a time, one | | | | when it comes to school. The parent's perception is |
| assignment at a time. Do that one assignment well | | | | that we work for a living and want to do well at our |
| and then move on to the next. Doing small pieces | | | | job. Kids don't work, so school is their job, and, of |
| one at a time allows you to accomplish a great deal | | | | course, they should want to do well at it. |
| more than you thought you could. | | | | Often, however, the perception of kids is that school |
| * The Law of Procrastination: Beware the words "I'll | | | | is their social world, interrupted by six or seven |
| do it later" because later rarely comes. If you can get | | | | classes a day. These differing perceptions often |
| a handle on beating procrastination now, you will be | | | | create a wide gap to bridge. |
| way ahead of most folks. The next time you are | | | | * The Law of Importance: This is probably the most |
| tempted to procrastinate, put it off. Tell yourself you | | | | difficult one to flesh out in the real world. At some |
| will procrastinate later and do it now instead. | | | | point, school needs to become more important to |
| For Parents | | | | your child than it is to you. Somewhere along the line, |
| *The Law of Report Cards: Report Cards can show | | | | she must find something to be excited about that is |
| much more than grades. If grades are low in the | | | | separate from your desires and expectations. |
| morning classes and higher in the afternoon, it could | | | | At some point, students need to be put in charge of |
| be an indication of too little sleep. If the grades are | | | | school and be responsible for the outcome. |
| consistently lower after lunch, what might be going | | | | |