Why these five skills are so important for Middle School success.
My latest article, Surviving Middle School, addresses some of the crucial skills students will need to make a successful transition to Middle School. As most educators know, Middle School is a juggling act. Students are moving from an environment where they are used to having one primary teacher to a much larger building where they may have more than half a dozen different teachers. Each of these teachers will have his or her own personality, style, and expectations. Good organizational skills will help keep students from feeling overwhelmed.
Likewise, time management skills can prevent the left-everything-til-the-last-minute phenomenon that so many middle schoolers find themselves in. Faced with new social opportunities and activities, kids often mismanage their time and wind up procrastinating with their schoolwork. By the time kids realize they are going under, the hole they have dug may be too deep.
Goal Setting and Problem Solving are often overlooked skills that are critical to academic success. How can you ever get anywhere if you don't know where you are going, and what you need to do to get there? Likewise, if you get off track, or run into an obstacle, how are you going to tackle it? Unfortunately, many kids have not developed these skills, and find themselves paralyzed by problems. They don't know how to brianstorm solutions or implement ideas.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, is Asking for Help. Perhaps kids are trying to be too independent. Maybe it's too threatening to risk appearing "dumb". Whatever the reason, too many kids are hesitant to each out when they are having trouble. As a result, things usually snowball into an even bigger problem.
Please check out the article for ways to help kids develop skills in these five critical areas!
