Liza Rivas

First is first. As parents, we need to define what our demands are.  Some parents assume that doing good in school is excelling academically related to grades.  I tend to tell parents to make sure their child completes his/her homework, cares about the outcome and is organized with school work.

The abilities we need to succeed rely more on the skills than an actual number.  Saying this, I am not implying that achieving high grades should not be a goal, but that it should not be the goal.  Definitely, getting good grades can result in great outcomes such as getting into a good college, applying for scholarships and most importantly, the habit of following through.  What would be most important?

I insist mostly on responsibility and organization skills.  Students that tend to do well in school have these skills and have a tendency of being motivated.  I have worked with students that do great in following through, but not necessarily those students get excellent grades.  All humans have different interests and abilities, so excelling in all areas may be difficult.  Have you ever heard a student say, “How will I use this in my life.”  Very true, but I usually answer, “This is part of your general knowledge, you never know when you will need different information and life has different processes we need to conclude to get to the next step and reach our goals.” 

Parents and teachers need to be able to observe and motivate those different interests and be able to find the opportunities and programs that fits their needs.   Most importantly recognize their efforts and improvements and let them know you feel proud as a parent or teacher.