Counselor’s Corner
by CHARLOTTE WINKELMANN
Does your child put off starting a paper until the last minute? Do you often find him up late, slaving away to finish an assignment the night before it’s due? You may feel helpless watching your child endure the pangs of looming deadlines. Unfortunately, there is no easy solution. Although you can’t do the work for him, your support, encouragement, and understanding is important.
Start with familiar assignments
Most assignments your child is given probably resemble work he’s done before. He should estimate how long it will take him based on past experience. It can be helpful to break assignments down into small pieces. Your child should try to create a concrete plan of when he will work on what. It’s a good idea to give himself more time than he thinks he needs in case something unexpectedly takes longer.
New Assignments
In the case of a new or unusual assignment, your child should try to compare it to other assignments. For example, if he’s never written a 20-page paper before, he can assume each five pages of his 20-page paper will require about the same time. He should schedule in extra time to tie each part of the essay together. If your child just doesn’t know how to get started, above all, he shouldn’t just put it off until later. He should start early and try not to judge himself. The laws of physics apply to tackling schoolwork as well: a body that’s in motion tends to stay in motion. If a child just begins writing anything, something will happen.
Take Breaks
Your child will need to take breaks periodically. It’s important for him to rest his eyes, keep his blood flowing, and relax mentally. Sometimes a quick walk will refresh and reinvigorate his mind—and get his “creative juices” flowing again.
Learn from Experience
If some part of the assignment takes longer than he expected, your child should be sure to schedule more time to accomplish it when the next assignment rolls around. If he finds a particular book, person, or idea helps him complete an assignment once, he should keep that resource for the future.
Your Child Is Not Alone
Students can expect to get occasionally stumped by assignments, especially as they advance and work becomes more complicated. If your child is having trouble, he should be sure to talk to his teacher about tutorial sessions. Your student should check to see when these tutorials are offered. Your child’s teacher or high school counselor may also be able to recommend tutors to help him with tough subjects or assignments.
Beyond School-Work Stress
When students are going through difficult times outside the classroom, it can affect their powers of concentration and motivation to work. If your child is having problems that may be affecting his performance in school he should be sure to seek help. He can speak with his school counselor or with another counseling professional.
Charlotte Winkelmann is the Hays CISD director of counseling and college readiness
