How to Help Your Teenager Get Organized in 5 Easy Steps

High school can be an intricate maze of assignments, responsibilities, and deadlines and navigating it can often be very challenging. We all know the feeling of having a “to do” list a mile long and not even knowing where to begin. Learning how to tackle one’s schedule in an organized and efficient way can seem daunting, but if equipped with strategies one can successfully conquer the calendar chaos. Throughout adolescence, some of the most important skills teenagers can learn are time management and organizational skills. Here are 5 easy steps suggested by Michelle Szabo, Instruction Program Manager at the Stern Center, to help your teenager avoid feeling overwhelmed and instead feel in control and confident.

1.      BE PROACTIVE:

It is important to identify a problem early, before the situation has a chance to spiral out of control. Don’t wait until progress reports come out before identifying a break down in organization that may be hindering your teen from excelling academically. If you peek in your teen’s backpack and find crumpled up papers of unfinished homework assignments and quizzes with less than favorable results don’t be discouraged. It is never too late to start creating effective organizational habits. Executive function lies on a spectrum and everyone has the ability to learn these skills if given the proper plan.

2.     MAKE A PERSONALIZED PLAN:

Once you and your teen have agreed that there is a need for a more organized routine, the first step is to create a plan of execution. It is important to discuss what challenges your teen faces, what they struggle with the most, and what your collective goals are. Lay out the objectives and discuss how your teen learns best. Every person is different; discover which strategies are best for your student. Would keeping a binder help or would a daily calendar/planner be more beneficial? Ask questions and brainstorm together to find out which customized plan is the best to start with.

3.     ESTABLISH A SYSTEM:

Once a plan has been formulated, the next step is to develop a system of actions that will help your teen remain organized on a day to day basis. Some individuals may need more supervision than others. Does your teen struggle with clutter and needs to simply make sure he or she hole-punches each paper and puts it in a folder to ensure it doesn’t end up at the bottom of a bag? Or do you need to have a more hands on approach with your child where he or she needs to check in with someone at the end of the school day to make sure everything is accounted for? Develop clear and concise tactics to make sure each goal identified in the plan is being met. 

4.     MANAGE THE PROCESS:

Help your teen choose a resource most conducive to their learning style that allows them to facilitate their own learning as well as track their progress. Options include posting sticky notes in places that act as helpful reminders, creating daily “to do” lists, creating notes on their phones, or having a planner where they can write in each homework assignment. Just remember that these resources are not set in stone. If you and your teen find that one management tactic is not for them then you can always try another. This process is all about trial and error.  

5.     MONITOR PROGRESS:

Be diligent about making sure you and your student are tracking his or her progress. It is important to regularly evaluate which strategies are working the best and which ones may not be worth your student’s time. If you and your teen are willing to experiment and change strategies when it is necessary you will be able to work together to create a system that is most effective and that gets you closer to achieving your collective goals.   

Written by Stern Center Staff: Michelle Szabo and Allison Provost

Best Ways to Get Organized for the New School Year

Photo Credit: Sourabh

It’s already back-to-school time again and with that comes all the preparation and excitement for the new school year. Decisions around the house will once again revolve around choosing between schoolwork versus video games, getting homework done amidst a fully scheduled calendar and deciding whether to prepare lunches the night before or in the morning.

For some, these decisions will be easily made – work first, play later. For others procrastination may be the name of the game, putting off work until the last minute, which can often lead to lack of sleep and endless parental nagging.

And yet there is another subset of the population who struggles with what neuroscientists have called “executive function.” Executive function refers to all the cognitive processes that allow us to achieve goals – prioritizing, managing time, separating the big picture from details, shifting from one task to another (often called flexibility), checking as you go and reflecting on your outcome (self monitoring).

For individuals challenged with executive function skills, it is not a question of motivation or effort, but rather just not knowing where to start or how to proceed. Without specific teaching, getting organized is not all that easy. As with many other life skills – like skiing, reading, singing – some of us have more intuitive talent than others.

My Secret Learning Challenge

by Katie Halsey

For many years, I have known that I have a learning challenge. I remember as early as second grade having a reading comprehension problem and it has followed me through to my adult life. I have always kept quiet about it because I was embarrassed. While it was a challenge it never kept me from being successful, in fact, I graduated from college cum laude and now run my own business.

Somehow I managed, but I was always curious to know if I could overcome the lingering feeling of inadequacy. As I said, it did not keep me from pursuing a career as a paralegal early on and currently as a personal trainer. However, I would now like to further my career and get certified as a health coach, which means a lot of detailed reading and needing to comprehend all of the material for the test.

There's that feeling again. What do I do?

I Just Wish to Be Like Me

by Matt Zahn

The following is a college application essay written by Stern Center alum, Matt Zahn, that talks about his struggles with dyslexia and his determination in finding his own success:

Life is full of ironies. Throughout childhood kids are constantly seeking to be like everyone else. They long to be part of a larger group where they can identify and blend, such as the soccer team, scouts, band or the local ballet troupe. Groups offer a comfort and stability from the angst of youth. Before long, high school, senior year and college applications roll around. Suddenly kids must stand out from the crowd. They can no longer afford to blend in. Young adults must stand on their own two feet, advocate for themselves and navigate the college admissions process. For most this is a dramatic and uncomfortable change; for others, however, being different has been a way of life.

The scene: a Norman Rockwell classroom, the sound of children running by laughing candidly, the raw warmth of recess-sun-kissed skin, the smell of Fritos hanging in the air. This is my life in third grade. The matronly teacher, Mrs. McCloud, herds the children into the circle of chairs to read Dr. Seuss’ I Wish That I Had Duck Feet. Everyone follows along with their fingers, each taking a turn to read paragraphs rhythmically. It’s my turn to read. Letters float off the page before me.

                                                             Iw ish
                                                             thatI haddu ckfeet
                                                             An dIca nte llyouw hy.
                                                             Youca nspl asharo undin duck feet.
                                                             Youdo n’tha vetok eepth emdry.

Suddenly, I’m sweaty and fidgety. I lean back on my chair so far I fall over. The class erupts in ripples of laughter. All order is lost. Phew.

In the Spotlight: Stern Center Alums Run in Mad Marathon

by Laurie Caswell-Burke

   From left to right: Alums Stephanie Hackett and Doug Rumsey pose with
   Board member Will Billings and Stern Center instructor Pam Billings at the 
   2013 Mad Marathon finish line.

In less than three weeks two Stern Center Alums will be among 1000 runners and walkers persevering up and down the magnificent hills and valleys of the Mad River Valley. Stephanie Hackett and Doug Rumsey are eager for other alums to join them on Sunday, July 6th for what is known as the “World’s Most Beautiful Marathon.” At least 30 additional runners and walkers are “running/walking for a cause” to support the Stern Center scholarship program. Every year the Stern Center offers over $130,000 in scholarship dollars to students who need services. 

Doug Rumsey returns for a second year traveling from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida where he works in advertising. He is excited to run in Vermont, his birthplace, where he grew up in the Burlington area. Training an average of 35 minutes a day, running on roads and on the beautiful Florida beaches, often with his dog Jake, he is ready for the Mad Marathon relay team. 

“The Stern Center has been my rock for over 35 years- it’s a place I call home. Running in this marathon is a small token of my way of giving back to an organization that has been my rock, a place that is always there for me,” he said. 

He is busy fundraising with an ambitious goal of raising $2,000. 

In the Spotlight: Stern Center Instructor, Sandy Boyer

by Sandy Boyer

Stern Center alum gearing up to graduate from college with a education degree.

One of the benefits of being a Stern Center instructor is that, unlike teachers in a school system, I will oftentimes begin with a student who is just learning to read in first or second grade, and remain with that student through middle school, and in unique cases, all the way through high school. 

I had a visit this morning from one of my former students, Owen Hartman, who studied with me from second grade through junior high school to overcome struggles resulting from dyslexia. By the time he reached high school he no longer needed additional Stern Center support, and his learning challenges did not in any way slow his path towards college. 

Owen is now nearing the end of college and will student teach next fall in a first grade classroom to complete his major in education. He has aspirations to continue on to a Master's level and is considering a focus in special education. I was so happy to hear he had chosen this path because as a teacher he will inspire young students with his kindness, understanding, patience and pleasant sense of humor.

President's Message: Learning Disabilities Month: A Time to Celebrate

by Dr. Blanche Podhajski

October is Learning Disabilities Month. For me, it is a time to celebrate all we have learned from brain
science over almost half a century.  It is also a time to honor all of the successes of students with learning disabilities and their teachers.

 

What is a learning disability? 

A learning disability is a brain based difference in learning that makes some academic skills harder to acquire than others. A recent report, Don’t “Dys” Our Kids: Dyslexia and the Quest for Grade-Level Reading Proficiency, commissioned by the Campaign for Grade Level Reading and the Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation, indicates that about 2.4 million children and youth in this country have been diagnosed with learning disabilities. Most people are familiar with the term dyslexia, a neurobiological condition that is not the result of poverty, culture or developmental delays (Fiester, 2012).   Other learning disabilities are dysgraphia, difficulty writing and expressing ideas through written language, and dyscalculia, difficulty with math.