Monthly Tip: If You Need Help, Just ASK!

Monthly Tip

October 2021

If You Need Help, Just ASK!

Asking for help can feel extremely intimidating for many students. They may feel inadequate compared to their classmates, or they may not even know what to say to their teacher. It is important for students to understand that asking for help is a sign of strength and shows their support team that they are serious about learning. Moreover, self-advocacy is a crucial skill not only for school, but for post-school life as well.

Recognizing When it's Appropriate to Seek Help

Self-advocacy begins with the meta-cognitive skill of understanding one's own strengths and weaknesses, and then seeking help from the appropriate sources. If your children are unsure whether they need to seek help, here are some warning signs:

Your children consistently receive low exam grades. Sometimes, helping your children understand their academic content may be beyond your scope. If your children are struggling to pass exams, this may be an indication that they do not comprehend the material and need to meet with their teacher.
Your children constantly have missing assignments. There are a variety of reasons why your children may not have completed an assignment – they forgot, they did know it was assigned, they completed it but did not turn it in, they did not understand the material – and the first step is to identify why your children have not completed their work so that you can put in place the appropriate support system.
Your children dread going to a particular class; they also become defensive. Often times when students are struggling with a class, they become defensive when asked about it. This attitude, coupled with poor exam or homework grades, may be a sign that your children need outside assistance with this class.

If you notice the above warning signs, it is time to sit down with your children and encourage them to seek help. To make sure they do not feel as though you are attacking their intelligence, have them follow these steps:

Reflect. To identify strengths and weaknesses, ask your children to think about the school subjects that they enjoy and those which they find difficult. After making this list, have them then think about why they find certain subjects more complicated; for example, does the teacher move through the information too quickly? Are they not interested in the material?
Plan. Next, have your children create a list of potential sources that they could seek help from. These sources can include teachers, tutors, parents, classmates, and more. On this list, your children should also include the rationale for why they believe a particular source would be beneficial to speak with.
Organize. If your children have evidence of their struggles, such as old tests or homework assignments, have them gather these together. That way, they can use these documents to point out exactly where they become confused when they later meet with a member of their support team.
Execute. The final step is to have your children reach out to a resource. To make sure they do this and feel comfortable, sit with your children and have them email their chosen source. In this email, they should explain the situation and offer availability for when they could meet with their source.

There are many ways to self-advocate, and the method may vary from subject to subject depending on the type of help your children need. However, there are a few tried and trusted methods that your children can use:

Set up a meeting with the teacher. In most cases, having your children meet with their teachers is the best way to help them better grasp the material. Sit down with your children and have them email the teacher; in the email, your children should note which topics they are struggling with. Prior to the meeting, encourage your children to create a list of topics that they do not understand and gather past exams or homework that they can use to explain their confusion.
Form a study group. If your children are too shy to meet with a teacher, forming a study group with trustworthy classmates may be exactly what they need. By working with peers, they may feel less pressured to voice their confusion.
Set up weekly meetings with a tutor. Many schools offer tutoring, either during lunch or after school, and this is an excellent service for your children to take advantage of. This one-on-one help can move at the perfect pace for your children.
Work independently. Whether your children decide to ask a teacher, classmates, or a tutor for help, they cannot just work with them once a week and expect to gain instant mastery over a subject. Every night, your children should do a little work on the subject that is giving them trouble; whether it is completing extra worksheets, watching videos, or re-doing old tests, they will become more comfortable with the material if they engage with it on a daily basis.

Final Thoughts

Asking for help can seem difficult, but learning how to use your voice and advocate for yourself is one of the most important skills an individual can gain. There are dozens of resources out there that can demonstrate innovative ways to understand a topic, and these sources are more than willing to sit down and take the time to explain a concept in a way that your children best understand. Asking for help illustrates a high degree of maturity, and your children’s confidence will soar after they advocate for themselves.

TO BLOG

The Transition Isn't Over Yet

By Colette Hapi

It’s October (yay Fall!), and we’re a little over a month into the academic year. Usually, around this time, students have gotten used to their schedules and are really getting into the swing of things. However, this year is unlike any other. After a year and a half of virtual or hybrid learning, getting acclimated to participating in activities in person, including school, has been easy for some students but hard for others. Many students thrived on the online platform and relished in completing their assignments at a leisurely pace. Now, having to make the shift to school as they knew it, many are finding themselves struggling under the weight of the demands and expectations.

While it may be tempting to take a step back during this “normal” time, we’re finding that students are still very much in need of assistance to adjust to this transition. If your children are finding it difficult to manage their in-person classes, there are a few steps that we highly recommend you try.