Parenting Tip #5: Schedule in a Study Hall
Tuesday January 15, 2008
Teens are busy with part time jobs, sports and friends. This is a good thing if they have the time for family, home responsibilities and to get their homework done. Time for homework can be assured if your teen has scheduled in a study hall for the semester. While he/she may still have to do some of his/her school work at home – the demands of high school are not easy – a study hall can ease the burden during the times when your son/daughter has a basketball game the same night their English teacher needs him/her to finish a research paper.
This seems like a no-brainer, right? Well, the problem happens when your teen is doing the scheduling. It comes at a time when he/she is not busy and wants to take every class offered. A gentle reminder of the busier times from you will do wonders for the I-want-to-do-it-all teen. Study halls are perfect for the teen who uses them wisely and is able to get his/her work done. Even teens who tend to lack self-control at home are able to get more of their assignments done in the school environment. I definitely recommend a study hall for every teen.
Share your thoughts, opinions and experiences in the comments area.
Comments
I just don’t know how to get my daughter to understand that you need to spend time on homework. How will she ever survive in college if as a junior she thinks she should never open her books at home. She has so many friends and issues with them that she spends no time at all on school issues. Do I keep nagging or do I give up and let her suffer the consequences? She’ll never make it into to college with here grade point average. HELP!!
Do you have the ability to check her grades daily? Many schools offer that through the internet. If you do, I suggest you check everyday. Require that she earn her time with friends by having an 80% on everything you see daily – includes homework, quizzes, tests, etc. This has worked well in the past for our family.
I do agree with the comment by Pat. My daughter is a sophomore. I’m having the same problem. My daughter always get mad and like to debate with me. I do check her grades daily, her high school offer that through the internet. She wants to watch t.v., use the computer and use the internet instead of doing her homework. I want her to get a good education, and get her high school diploma and be prepare for college. Do I keep nagging or give up too?
Our school has eliminated study halls and I am currently in communications with the middle school principal on this subject. They are instead filling the students day with mindless, meaningless classes. Ugh!
Our school only allows certain students to be in study hall. If you have a student that does well they are not allowed to be in study hall.
As a highschool student whose school requires at least one study hall for every student, I can say that this time is usually not spent studying. Students who don’t want to focus and do their homework at home aren’t inclined to at school either. From my firsthand experience, most students spend their study halls chatting, playing computer, video, or card games, or just sitting around wasting time. Those who do sit down and work are not usually the students who have trouble completing their homework in the first place. Having a required study hall has been a source of much frustration for me because it prevents me from taking electives like Art and Speech that would make school much more enjoyable.
I’m not saying that study hall should be eliminated, but I strongly disagree with requiring it for all students. If study hall is not required, students who actually need/want one will be able to use the time much more effectively because they won’t be distracted by the noisy antics and enticing conversations of those in study hall against their will. Since I’m in a private school, I also feel that study hall is a waste of the tuition money my parents pay each semester. Study hall is a nice idea but the reality doesn’t deliver.