What To Do When Third-Quarter Slump Hits Home?
March brings many challenges for our students. The academic honeymoon ended months ago, and a sense of restlessness and complacency has set in. It is difficult to stay motivated and complete work that reflects one’s best effort when the semester feels like it is dragging and the weather starts changing. Even at home, we are talking about summer plans—vacations, sports, camps—and our minds start tuning out the current workload. This “third quarter slump” is defined as the time of year when students’ grades drop, and unfortunately, this can happen rather quickly.
A parent’s initial reaction is to panic. Watching the successes of first semester’s hard work slip away can raise tensions in our homes, resulting in frustration that makes this slump even worse. None of this is uncommon. Think of it like the 7th inning stretch of a baseball game. Students need to get up, move around, maybe grab some nachos because although we are close to the end, this year isn’t over yet. Instead of jumping into panic mode, try out these tips.
Enlist the help of others. No matter how hard we try, advice and help from parents can come across the wrong way to our children. This is a great time to enlist the help of teachers and tutors to talk about third quarter slump with your student, and create a plan to finish strong.
Consider adding an additional tutoring session. Let our tutors help motivate and keep your student on track. By adding an additional in-person or virtual session to your week, tutors can be sure your student stays on top of assignments and projects. Even a shorter, 30-minute virtual check-in session will help hold students accountable and show how much our tutors care about your student’s success!
Try something new to jumpstart those good routines and habits. We all start off the school year with clearly defined routines and habits. Many of those teeter off as the year progresses. Now is the time to revisit those plans and maybe make some changes. When is the best time to get homework done? Where will your child do homework each night? When will a parent check grades, planners, and backpacks? It is important to acknowledge this restless third quarter slump is a natural response, even for parents. We might be feeling burnt out with the school year, too, and some of the routines we were more diligent with in September are in need of a jumpstart.Hang in there, families! Stay involved but stay calm, too. Another great year will wrap up soon, and all our students have so much to be proud of.
