Many guardians whose wards are moving toward secondary/ High school have asked me for guidance on picking a high school that is ideal for them.
I have fostered this tip sheet in order to assist more guardians as their children are confronting this crucial, life-changing decision.
It’s about teachers.
Teachers are to schools what engines are to cars. Many aspects of school are fundamental; the rest are luxuries. But teachers can make or break a child’s natural curiosity. Their passion for learning provides the spark to ignite young minds. So, first of all, ask yourself, “How do students interact with the faculty, and how engaged are they in the classroom? How many students does the teacher see per day? “Will this teacher see my child?” and finally: “Would I like to be in this person’s class?”
You are the company you keep.
We know about teenagers that friendships come first. Because of this, if you ask your child where she wants to go to school, the answer will likely be heavy, if not entirely, based on where her friends go. So you have to ask yourself, Do I feel good about this group of peers helping my child make key day-to-day decisions? Will these friends open doors for my child? Will being with the same peer group prepare my child for a diverse college and work environment?
In schooling, more modest is better.
Educational research has shown that working in small groups fosters closer relationships between students and teachers, and also that smaller student-teacher ratios lead to greater success in college. However, numbers can be misleading. Some schools count every adult and coach as a teacher in their published student-teacher ratios. To predict the amount of attention your child will receive from classroom teachers, multiply the number of sessions a teacher has per day by the average class size. This will give you an idea of how much individual contact the teacher will have with each child.
Wise choices
Late adolescence is when the brain undergoes a second pruning phase (the first occurs in early childhood), during which neurons that are not stimulated are lost for life. However, competition in college admissions today encourages students to narrow their interests when they should be broadening them. Look for a place where your child’s brain will be exposed to a wide range of subjects, cultures, and activities, both in and out of the classroom, particularly those that won’t influence the student’s grades.
Work with the adolescent brain, not against it.
Teen brains are wired to take risks, and when it comes to harmful or unhealthy behavior, that can be negative. There are many schools that try to channel that effort by challenging students to travel, try out for a sport or a team or something they’ve never done before, take the lead on a school project, perform in front of the student body, and participate in a class retreat. , or tutor other students. Facing challenges is a fundamental piece of character development, so investigate the open doors your kid should test themselves and fill in sure ways. Search for instructors who can be motivational tutors.
