Start, Stop, Continue

Welcome to the second half of the school year! We hope you had a restful winter break.

Get ready to jump back in the school groove because we want to hit 2020 at full speed.

As the semester begins, we suggest you sit down with your student and review their previous half of the year: what worked and what didn’t? In order to clearly plan out the next semester, we recommend discussing three categories.

START: What’s missing? What could make your student’s life easier?

Our example: if your student struggles with note-taking, connect with teachers and ask about printing out PowerPoint slides or outlines ahead of time so your student has more guided notes and can add their own thoughts next to teachers’ notes.

STOP: What was a habit that really didn’t serve your student? What can you shift?

Our example: stop studying just by “looking over notes.” When your student does great classwork and homework, actively participates in discussions, and has a good understanding of material yet does poorly on tests, approach studying differently. Try a few active methods of studying (flashcards, parent quizzing student out loud, etc.). It’s always ok to look at a method and say, “This isn’t working!” Adjust as needed.

CONTINUE: Where was your student successful last semester? What helped them achieve that success?

Our example: your student attended their math teacher’s study sessions, which helped them to gradually boost their grade over the course of the semester. Make sure to keep that up this semester and schedule that time into their weekly routine so they maintain their success!

“Start, Stop, Continue” looks different for every student. Maybe your student had a really successful semester, and they need to focus on the “continue” piece so their hard work and confidence are reflected in their grades. There are always a few things to help your good student become a great student. On the other hand, maybe your student had a rough semester, and it’s time to sit down and clearly lay out what didn’t work (and make the appropriate adjustments).

This planning is great to do as the semester starts, but it should be something you and your student revisit throughout the year!