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Spring break is almost here, which means the end of the school year will be here before we know it. At this point in the school year, many students look at their grades and start to panic. They worry that they’re not going to meet their goals by the end of the year and that it’s too late to make a change. However, nothing could be farther from the truth. It’s never too late to shift your focus and make a change. This blog post outlines some simple tips for getting started on improving your grades.
The first and most important step in improving your grades is to get an accurate picture of your current standing. Look at your current grades, and if your teachers do not update your grades frequently, go ask them for the most accurate number. In addition to your grades during this marking period, get a sense of your grades during each marking period as well as semester grades. All of this information is important in assessing your overall current status in each class.
Once you have a clear picture of your current grades, you can set goals for the grades you would like to achieve by the end of the year. When setting these goals, be sure to do the math to figure out what’s possible. While you can certainly improve your grades at any point, someone who failed the first semester might not mathematically be able to achieve an A by the end of the school year. Keep your goal grades both realistic and ambitious.
Once you’ve determined these goals, it’s important to prioritize the classes that are most important to you. While improving your grades across the board is a great goal, you may find that you don’t have capacity to achieve your goal in every class. For this reason, it’s important to know where you want to focus the most of your energy. Start with any classes where passing is a concern, as there is no higher priority than passing all of your classes. Then, consider the classes that align with your goals. If you’d like to study science in college, it might be more important to achieve the A in Biology than the A in English. Knowing where you would like to focus your energy will help you make the most efficient plan possible.
To begin making your plan to improve your grades, the most important information to have is a list of work you’re missing. Go through your grade or homework portal and make a list of every assignment you’re missing, separated by class. Record every assignment, even ones that you’re fairly certain you can no longer complete. This list will help you get a sense of the work that needs to be done, but it is also essential for the next step in having a successful meeting with your teacher.
The best way to bring up your grade is to get help from your teacher. The best way to ensure you get the most help possible is to talk to your teacher face to face and ask them how to improve your grade. Taking the initiative to do more than simply send an email shows your teacher that you care, making them more likely to want to go the extra mile to help you. When you arrive at that meeting having already compiled a list of your missing assignments, they will be even more impressed.
At a time that is convenient for your teacher, tell them that you would like to bring up your grade. Show them that you’ve made a list of missing assignments, and ask them what you need to do to bring it up. Clarify whether you should complete every assignment on the list, and if there are some assignments that are more important than others. You should also ask for any opportunities for extra credit, as you might be able to bring your grade up even higher than just completing the missing assignments. Having this conversation with your teacher is the only way to be completely sure of the best ways to bring up your grades.
Once you’ve had the conversation with each of your teachers about bringing up your grades, it’s time to make your plan. Look at the weeks until the end of the school year and be honest with yourself about how much time you will devote to bringing up your grade in each class. Then, make a week by week plan of which assignments you’ll do when. Don’t stress about following your plan exactly, but it’s important to make a full plan that includes every assignment to help you get a clear idea about how much time each assignment will take, and how much wiggle room you have if some assignments take longer than you think.
Once you’ve made your plan from now until the end of the school year, it’s essential to revisit your plan weekly. At the end of each week, check in on your progress toward your plan. If you did not complete all of the assignments you had intended to, you’ll need to adjust your plan accordingly. If you did complete all of your assignments, make sure the rest of your plan still feels achievable. In both cases, be sure to take the time to celebrate your progress each week, even if you fall a little short of your goals. As long as you’re moving forward on your plan, you should feel proud of yourself. Maintaining this positive mindset while checking in on your progress weekly is the best way to stay motivated through the end of the school year.
Some students can benefit from a little extra support when it comes to bringing up their grades. For students who could use some help getting organized, making a grade recovery plan, and sticking to that plan, success coaching can help! YA Success Coach emphasizes getting to know each student as an individual and developing strategies that will work for your unique needs. We help you find the things that motivate you to succeed and give you the tools you need to find that success. For more information on how success coaching can help you end the school year on the right foot, contact us today.
Having a conversation is the first step to helping your child realize their full potential and set them up for success!