In the real world whenever we have completed a work project, whether the results are good or bad, we debrief and evaluate our performance. Asking open ended questions about the semester and your student’s performance will help them develop the ability to self-evaluate, which is an important management skill.
These questions are intended for our middle and high schoolers when parent involvement in homework time may be less than at the elementary level.
For the students with a good report card, you are asking these questions to better understand what made them succeed, and to encourage this behavior when you see it.
For the students with a bad report card, you are asking these questions to better understand what went wrong and to work with them to make improvements.
Five Simple Questions to Ask Your Student
1. What did you do to earn this grade? (No teacher bashing accepted. We are developing accountability here.
2. How much time did you dedicate to studying?
3. What study methods did you use/could you use to maintain/improve these grades?
4. How have you organized your time this semester?
5. What can I do to help you maintain/improve these grades?
Remember, a good discussion with your student will go a long way to encouraging future discourse about the things that really matter.
