If you are like most students, you want to get good grade, but you don’t know how. School feels overwhelming, and you don’t know where to start. You might even wonder if it is too late. Rest easy! This blog post is going to tell you everything you need to know about how to get good grades in school.
Ask for Help
First, make sure that you are getting the help you need. Do you have difficulty learning? School should not feel impossible. If you are struggling, ask for help. Teachers love to help others. Helping students learn is why they became teachers. Most teachers will go above and beyond for kids who ask for help.
If you ask your teacher for help and don’t get a good response, go to the counselor. Counselors are there to make sure students’ needs are being met. The counselor will help you find helpful resources, communicate with your teacher, or, in extreme situations, transfer you into another class.
Your teachers and counselors can’t help you if they don’t know you need help, so, my first piece of advice for for to get good grades in school is to ask for help. If you don’t feel comfortable talking to an adult, ask your parent to initiate contact. Do it in whatever way feels right to you, but do it!
How to Get Good Grades in School: Focus on Your Goals
School can be boring. It can feel easier to check out during class when the teacher is droning on and on, and chatting with friends is way more fun than reading the textbook during work time. Unfortunately, checking out and talking to your friends is not going to improve your grades.
So, how do you stay focused when you are bored or distracted? Focus on your goals. You are going to have a test on what your teacher is teaching. Write down what you will be test on, and make sure you understand the material. Often we are bored by a class because we don’t see the purpose for what we are learning. By focusing on our goals, the learning has meaning.
For example, if you are learning about the slope of a line, you are going to be tested on it. As your teacher is teaching, think about how she might as questions about slope on a test. Make sure that you can answer these questions. If you can’t, ask questions.
While you are working on an assignment, pay attention to what you know and what you don’t know. If you are having trouble solving story problems on your homework, you will most likely struggle with it on a test.
Knowing that what you are doing has a purpose will help you stay focused, even when you feel bored.
As a side note, if you aren’t sure what you will be tested on, ask your teacher! The topics covered on the test are not secret. Your teacher wants you to know what will be on the test!
Chunk It!
One of my best tips for how to get good grades in school is to work less. Stay with me, I know this sounds counterintuitive, but let’s be honest. When you are working on an assignment or doing your homework, how much time are you actually spending working? If you are like most of us, you spend a huge chunk of time getting settled, thinking about how much you don’t want to work, and staring off into space. You may feel like you did homework for three hours, but how long were you actually working?
Instead, plan small chunks of time for working. For example, you work on your math assignment for 15 minutes and then take a break. If you commit to actually working for the entire fifteen minutes, you will be amazed at how much you accomplish. Plus, after working for fifteen minutes, you might be in the zone and decide to just get everything done. Either way, you will be getting more done in less time and feeling less overwhelmed.
How to Get Good Grades in School: Look it Up
I am a huge fan of using the internet to learn. Everything is online, and you can access the information from anywhere. For example, if your teacher assigns you a reading passage that you don’t understand, you can watch a YouTube video to learn the information. Can’t remember how to simplify fractions? There are a ton of websites that will show you how. One of my favorite resources is Khan Academy. There are tons of resources for learning math, science, and anything else!
The internet lets you take control of your own learning, so you get what you need to be successful. In other words, don’t feel limited to the resources offered by your teacher. Use the power of technology to get what you need to learn.
Make Sure You Have the Right Supplies
Speaking of using the internet as a tool for learning, a huge part of how to get good grades in school is having the right tools. First, make sure you have a pen or pencil that you like using during every class. You will also want a notebook for taking notes and a binder or folder for storing class papers. Most teachers will work to help you stay organized and prepared, but it is up to you to manage this part of your education.
If you can’t afford school supplies, talk to your counselor. There is no need to be embarrassed. The counselor is not going to tell anyone, and he or she will discretely get you what you need to be successful. After all, that is why they are there.
The Real Secret of How to Get Good Grades in School
Finally, my last tip on how to get good grades in school is to believe you can do it. Pay attention to your self-talk. Are you telling yourself that you are smart, capable, and resilient? If you aren’t, that is a huge part of the problem. Luckily, self-talk is something you can change with practice.
For example, if you notice yourself repeating defeating thoughts to yourself, how are you going to have the motivation and energy to ask your teacher for help? Before you do anything else, stop the negative self-talk, and repeat and more positive mantra. Try, “I am smart. I am capable. I can do this.” You will be amazed at how a change in your self-talk will affect your life.
Still feeling like you need more help with how to get good grades in school? I got you! I have tons of resources for learning about a variety of topics. You can also send me an email anytime at cate@theproductiveteacher.org. If I know the answer, I will tell you. If I don’t, I will find it! Like your teachers and counselors, my biggest goal is to help you succeed.
Are You Learning Science?
I am working on creating science units so that every science student can get exactly what he or she needs to master science. You can read my blog posts to get more information on a variety of science topics and get links to my science resources.
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