The holidays are over, the last decoration has gone back in its box, the final present put away, and that last piece of pie has been consumed. It’s a brand new year. Now is the perfect time for a fresh outlook. Whether your students are in elementary, middle, high school or college, it’s time to set some goals and make commitments pertaining to the new school year. Whether it be memorizing their times tables, reading more books, scoring better on standardized tests, or achieving a certain grade point average, kids of all ages benefit from setting goals.
One of the most profitable goals for students is simply to get and stay organized. You can start by purchasing a large calendar for your home. It can be paper or wipe-off, the choice is entirely up to you. Make sure it’s placed in a central location in your home so that everyone involved has easy access. As you receive the syllabus from your teacher or find his/her online calendar, go ahead and mark down dates for all tests and assignments. Additionally, make sure you write down all extra-curricular activities, doctors’ appointments, birthdays, etc. The key to not getting bogged down with everything at the last minute can be found in this great visual and organizational tool.
In this same light, committing to doing readings before they are due, writing up 
clear notes after each class, ordering or checking out books well in advance, and setting up specific times for completing general reviews of material learned each week will all help avoid that rushed and helpless feeling that putting things off till the last minute can produce. Remember, procrastination is the masked enemy of your inner super hero, in school and in life.
Additionally, when a test or essay is looming in the future, that show you’ve been watching on Netflix can seem like a welcome distraction. Often times, we set out to watch only one episode, but find ourselves still engaged in them way past our intended time frame. In this digital age, the easy availability of so many television shows, movies, and video games can be a big hindrance to studying and learning. Limiting the number of shows and games that your kids actively watch and engage in can thus be another commitment to make to their education in 2023.
By the way, has anyone noticed that I haven’t used ‘resolution’ at any point so far? Curious as to why? Well, apparently numerous surveys and studies have shown that New Year’s resolutions often fall flat by the end of January. Think about it, how many years have you made a specific ‘resolution’, only to find yourself traveling down that same road the next year and the year after that? It might be time to take a new course of action or try a new tactic. “A resolution is “the act of resolving or determining upon an action or course of action, method, procedure, etc.” In contrast, a commitment is defined as “a pledge or promise; obligation.” The difference is that a commitment involves more of an emotional tie than merely deciding on a course of action. A commitment is a promise to yourself.
So, if you’ve thought about getting some help for your kids in school and made any type of resolution to check out what kind of aid is available, make a commitment and contact Dynamis Learning Academy. From one-on-one tutoring to test prep and student advocacy, we can help by determining your child’s struggles and assist with writing their educational goals for the semester. To obtain our FREE SMART Goal Planner, click HERE to download it now!