Parents of Hardworking Teens

Students' grades dropping, even though they’re still putting in the same amount of effort, is a common yet often perplexing situation for many students and their parents.
This common challenge is especially prevalent when moving up from Years 7 & 8 into Years 9 & 10 and then again as they move into the Senior years.
If you’ve had this happen (or you just want to make sure it doesn’t happen!), then listen in for the two ‘behind-the scenes’ reasons why this happens - which have nothing to do with the subject content getting harder - and how to turn things around.YOU WILL LEARN:

Why 'what got them here, won't get them there'. What achieved success in Years 7 and 8 is not the same as what's required in high year levels.
- The subtle but super-important changes in requirements and demands of questions and their mark schemes as students move up through the years in high school and college.

The two specific ways students need to operate at a different level (literally!) in Years 9 & 10 and then again in Senior Years.

FEATURED ON THE SHOW

• The 10WGT: 10 Week Grade Transformation Program
  
• Free Parent Guide: 3 Huge Mistakes (Even Smart!) Students Make in Exams and Assignments - and how to fix them immediately so your teen confidently achieves their best ever grades.

Essays don’t have to be quite so overwhelming, long, and arduous.
The 2-step 'Topic and Focus' System is a proven, simple and super-effective way to get your teen on the right track in their response and ensure they ‘actually answer the question’. ;)

In this episode I share a real life essay question and how to use the Topic and Focus system to help your teen avoid the ‘Topic Traps’ and answer the precise Focus of the question - even if you have no clue about the subject yourself!
YOU WILL LEARN:

The most common pitfalls affecting students’ essays.

How to help your teen avoid major re-writes, waffling, and low-level responses (all of which can happen, even when the info they include is factually correct and there’s lots of it!).

The trick to checking the focus of the essay and making it super-clear to answer.

How this will help your teen make strategic decisions on what points to include or evidence to select for their essay.

FEATURED ON THE SHOW

• Trick to Address the Key Focus of an Essay: Coaching Call video excerpt
  
• 10WGT: The 10 Week Grade Transformation Program
  
• Next Level Coaching: Open to graduates of the 10WGT only.
  
  
• Free Parent Guide: 3 Huge Mistakes (Even Smart!) Students Make in Exams and Assignments - and how to fix them immediately so your teen confidently achieves their best ever grades.
  
• Real parent feedback: “Lauren has been using ... the essay writing skills on topic and focus to finish her latest English Literature essay last night.
  She had received feedback on her draft that it had gone a bit astray, so last night she went back a step to review the topic and focus and reworked it a little. Well today she got her grade: an A!!!!”

Ep. 109
Talking to me about her son, a parent recently told me this:

"He’s smart in terms of subject knowledge, but I think he could improve in working smarter and being smart about his study."

I see this situation a lot and thought it might be interesting - and hopefully helpful - to talk a bit about the word 'smart'. Being smart, feeling smart.

Because - what does ‘smart’ really mean?
Does it mean clever in a knowledge type way - knowing lots of facts? Like, ‘wow’ they’re so smart. As in so knowledgeable about a subject or topic.
Or does it mean smart in terms of being very practical?
Or smart with people and dealing with situations?
Or able to problem solve or be strategic - being able to see the most efficient or effective way to do something?
Or maybe there’s a better word for all of this than 'smart'?

FEATURED ON THE SHOW:

• Episode 63: The Game
  
• Follow Rock Solid Study on Facebook
  
• Follow Rock Solid Study on Instagram
  
• Get your teen skilled and strategic in their study with the 10 Week Grade Transformation Program.
  
  
• Up-level your teen's skills and maximise outcomes in Next Level Coaching (only open to 10WGT graduates)
  
• Get the Free Parent Guide: 3 Huge Mistakes (Even Smart!) Students Make in Exams and Assignments - and how to fix them immediately so your teen confidently achieves their best ever grades.

If your teen has ever left an assignment to the last minute OR gotten started early BUT taken waaay longer over a task than was necessary then this episode is for you.

YOU WILL DISCOVER

• The difference between procrastination and a lack of motivation.
• The 3 root causes of procrastination and how to solve for them.
• Why no amount of nagging, bribing, rewards or sanctions will fix the real issue.
  

FEATURED ON THE SHOW

• Video - Coaching excerpt: Why even top students sometimes procrastinate - and how to overcome it!
• The 10WGT: 10 Week Grade Transformation Program
• Get the Free Parent Guide:
  3 Huge Mistakes (Even Smart!) Students Make in Exams and Assignments - and how to fix them immediately so your teen confidently achieves their best ever grades.

Ep. 118 -

• Get the Free Parent Guide: 3 Huge Mistakes (Even Smart!) Students Make in Exams and Assignments - and how to fix them immediately so your teen confidently achieves their best ever grades.

If your teen has ever questioned ‘what’s even the point of this task?’, or exclaimed ‘why am I having to do this?’... I want to let you know: those are actually some very strategic and smart questions!
In fact, if they’re not already questioning that, then they should be.
Because the reason - the point of the assignment, essay, research project, design task, or whatever it is - is a significant clue to what the marker wants and how to tackle the task in a strategic and successful way.
FEATURED ON THE SHOW:

• Have Katie speak at your school: Parent-Student 'Exam Mastery' Information Evenings for Schools
  
• Episode 18: The Truth Behind Creative Tasks
  
• Episode 64: Shortcuts to a Stunning Short Story
  
• Follow Rock Solid Study on Facebook
  
• Follow Rock Solid Study on Instagram
  
• Get your teen trained by Katie to excel in exams and assessment, using the most effective study strategies in the 10 Week Grade Transformation Program
  
• Up-level their skills and maximise outcomes in Next Level Coaching (only open to 10WGT graduates)