Back to School Preparation
Not the same old thing....
A lot of time is spent planning for the first day of school-new clothes, new supplies, etc, new schedules and activities to work on.
As a parent do you and your student spend time talking about the school year? Do you have a plan for educational success?
Goggle a search for " parents planning for success on the first day of school 'and you get a lot of hits more than 200,000. So one would think getting ready for the first day of school is well researched. Looking closer, a lot of the articles talk about how teachers can encourage parent involvement. There are checklist for school supplies, uniforms and transportation. There are checklists for meal plans and after school activities.
As a parent, do you and your student have an individual learning plan to help you identify what you would like this school year to look like and how you would like to learn and grow? Are you familiar with the state standards for your child's age level? Do you know what test they will be taking this year?
We spend a lot of time getting ready for the actual day - organizing school supplies and lunch boxes, having back to school parties and for the younger students an opportunity to meet the teacher and see the classroom before school begins. The school and the local community do a lot to help 'gear up' for the start of school. As a parent, are you ' gearing up' for educational success or hoping educational success will miraculously happen?
It takes time and it can be hard work to plan for educational success. Yes, that's right, self-discipline and motivation. Both these soft skill habits are emphasized over and over again by employers who have taken our Employability Report Card Project Survey.
You put a lot of time and effort in to planning the summer vacation Perhaps you had fun scrap booking those memories too. Now is the time to turn off the TV, take a break form the computer games and spend an evening or two talking about the upcoming school year-and beyond if your student is in 8th grade or higher!
What should be in an ILP?
The Parent-Driven School calls for an ILP for every student. It best ensures that the needs of the student, parents, and ultimately the outcomes for the institution are met. To this end, there are five essentials for ILP success:
- Every student should have an individualized learning plan that is based on an assessment of the student's interests, abilities and goals.
- The student should be directly involved in creating the learning plan, and understand the reasons for each component behind the strategies identified in the plan.
- The ILP should be a working document. Progress should be measured against the contents of the plan. Amendments should be made to the plan on an as-needed basis.
- The plan should be detailed for the short-term, with specific activities and tasks, while being connected to the long-term goals of the plan.
- The plan should include documentation of additional support needs and how they will be provided.
The short-term effect of an ILP is to help the student achieve his or her educational goals. However, the lifetime effect is that it teaches the student how to become a lifelong learner. As evidenced by trends in business, the ILP is becoming a more widely accepted tool or strategy to achieve specific results. By teaching the student to use an ILP, he or she will not only already be accustomed to using this tool in a career, but can apply it to any pursuit they may have in life.
Strengthen those soft skill habits by designing a course of educational success with an Individual learning plan for you and your student.
