Strategies for Achieving Poor Performance in School - Guidance on Handling Negative Feedback
In Bavaria, report cards are being distributed, and for parents whose children are struggling academically, the news can be disheartening. However, beyond the typical advice found in Bavaria's school counseling services, there are several additional strategies that parents can adopt to support their children.
Firstly, it's crucial to manage expectations by emphasizing effort over perfection. Help children understand that their value is not solely tied to grades. Encourage them to view each assignment as an opportunity to learn and grow, rather than a measure of their worth.
Secondly, organise and become actively involved in study time. Review homework with them, help develop study tactics, and consider enrolling them in after-school programs or engaging trusted adults for study support. Working cooperatively with teachers and school staff is also essential, forming alliances rather than adversaries to create a supportive educational network for the child.
Encouraging independent study skills is another key strategy. Make advance study plans, break study material into manageable parts, and promote early preparation for tests or projects. Provide positive reinforcement generously, recognising both large and small accomplishments to motivate continued effort.
Maintaining a balanced routine that includes adequate sleep, play, and breaks is equally important. Create engaging, predictable daily routines with visual schedules to help children anticipate transitions and manage expectations about study and non-preferred activities. Establish a distraction-free, supportive study environment where chores or other tasks are postponed to prioritise study time without interruptions.
Exploring alternative study techniques such as recording lessons (with permission) to reinforce learning and improve note-taking can also be beneficial. Lastly, continue committed involvement over time, helping children form durable study habits and supporting their emotional and academic needs consistently.
These strategies together create a holistic approach encompassing emotional support, practical study assistance, collaboration with the school, and the establishment of a structured yet nurturing environment. This approach can improve academic outcomes for children struggling with poor report cards beyond standard counseling advice.
It's important to note that the ministry of culture and education in Bavaria emphasises that issues such as switching from a private to a public school and options if a child leaves school before completing the required education should ideally be discussed in a personal counseling session. School counseling services advise offering support such as discussions with subject teachers, joint learning, tutoring, or seeking school psychological support.
When a child brings home a poor report card, it's important to stay calm. The child should decide when to have a deeper conversation about the poor grades. Most inquiries are handled by the counseling staff at the schools themselves, not the ministry's "report card hotline" numbers.
In Bavaria, school counseling services provide advice for parents facing poor grades. These services are located in the nine state school counseling services in Bavaria. The number of inquiries has remained relatively constant over the years, according to the ministry of culture and education. The inquiries increase in the months leading up to the report cards, as the grades on the report card are hardly a surprise anymore.
Certain topics are trending in school counseling inquiries, including whether a child should stay at their current school or switch to another type, if they have failed a grade, psychological stress or fears, learning during the holidays, switching from a private to a public school, and options if a child leaves school before completing the required education.
Report cards are distributed on July 31st, in the Free State. The inquiries originate from Bavaria, specifically Munich. The advice includes conveying belief in a child's abilities and encouraging them to try in the new school year.
- To further support their children with poor academic performance, parents should consider discussing the community policy on switching from a private to a public school, as well as the employment policy for engaging trusted adults for study support, as advised by Bavaria's school counseling services.
- Beyond focusing on education-and-self-development strategies like study planning and creating a nurturing environment, parents can also explore employment policy options, such as enrolling their children in after-school programs or securing tutoring services, to bolster their children's academic growth.
