While I enjoy my career as a real estate broker, I can't help but to miss the art of helping children in the academic scene(my former teacher in me). Thus, I have decided to list a few ideas to help parents with the upcoming school year. It's much easier to start off in the right foot rather than try to catch-up later in the year as progress reports get distributed. Many people are quick to put their kids through medications and tough I.E.P. (individualized educational program) meetings rather than learn the proper ways to teach their kids to learn and absorb the class materials. I am not saying it's only the parent's responsibility, but with the over-crowded classes, the teachers can only do so much. While ultimately it may be the teacher's responsibility to teach proper learning skills, one shouldn't take a chance on their child's future by playing the Blame Game.
The following are my recommendations based on personal experiences as a student and teacher:
- Know the teacher--you must make an effort to stand apart and be noticed. This makes the teacher not lose you and may provide extra support. There are always a few who get extra attention and those usually ask for it. This helps when the grades are on the borderline or when you are falling behind.
- Know what the teacher wants--learn to regurgitate materials. This may not help as much in learning the material necessarily, but it helps in grades! Teachers love themselves and their ideas and if you can show them you were listening, you will be rewarded. By asking the teacher to elaborate on the assignment during recess, lunch or before/after school, it takes care of #1 above and helps you really know what they are asking.
- Learn to read properly--most people read the chapter of a text book once and then go the end of chapter questions or the assignment and try to answer the questions. The better method takes a bit more time but it reinforces the learned material and the answers will pop up right at you as you read. The better method is to glance through the whole chapter quickly by reading headlines and first couple of sentences and last couple of sentences in major top headings area. Then read the questions/assignments and then read the text book throughly. As you read, you'll remember the questions and the answers WILL pop up right at you!
- The most important thing to know in any level of education is 3 simple things: 1. Discover the problem/issue/topic.(What is it?) 2. Know it's importance/significance.(What does it do or say?) 3. Apply it to your life. (Why is it important?) Let me explain. The teacher wants you to write a paragraph on genetics. First you have to find out what it is. You realize it's the basic building blocks of life that determine how you look, act and feel. Then you find out specifically that based on genetics, you hair color, attitude, propensity to good or bad health is determined. Finally, you can make various assumptions on genetics; helps people know their risks and prepares them for a better way to manage their lives/health. Do this and you're teacher won't know what to do with themselves. They'll go nuts from happiness and you'll be on your way to full ride scholarship.
- Read, Read, Read, Read! Anything! Just read; it helps with math, science, English or any other topic at any age. Becoming a life reader is probably the single most important thing in helping improve academics and success in life. I promise you this!
The beauty of these skills are that they are universal. Change the teacher for your boss or client and it applies. Change the courses to a real estate transaction and it applies. We are always learning whether it's in a classroom or at client's house.
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