Homeschooled Teens- Organization and Deadlines
How well would you say your teen is organized on a scale from one to 5, one being the worst and 5 being the best? .
I think one easy indicator could be the state of their room. A visual will probably give you a pretty good answer.
Your teen will soon be off on their own and much of the responsibility falls on the parents to make sure that they understand that our society still works using schedules and time. Whether your teen will go straight into the workforce or on to higher education, they need to know how to manage their time and organizational skills will come in handy.
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Employers like it when the employee gets to work on time and completes their assigned task when asked. Most college professors do not care if the student is sick or has a special event the evening before an assignment was due. When a paper or an assignment is due, it is due!
We are the example!
How are you at being on time and organized?
There are many ways to help teach your teen the skills of organization and being on time. One of the best ways right now is through their schoolwork.... making deadlines and due dates for tests and assignments
It is important that you set deadlines for when assignments are due, like reports, essays, a book read and ready to be discussed, a math or science unit completed, ....studied up and ready for the test on test day.
Set these important dates at the beginning of the semester or quarter. This will help keep you organized as well as help prepare your teen for college and real life.
It is also important to decide on the consequences of not meeting the deadlines.
Do you make deadlines in your homeschool?
Do you write out the dates for the major assignment due and test dates for your teen? How often? Weekly, monthly, quarterly?
What works best for you and your teen?
Write up a document, a contract. Whether your teen is compliant or strong willed, I strongly suggest that before the year even begins, you write up a document where they can see the deadlines, if you have planned them out. If not the rules and consequences for not completing or being prepared for an assignment or test can definitely be written out before the school year begins.
Have both parents if desired and your teen sign the document. This way they know the dates, rules, and consequences from the beginning... no surprises!
The written document takes away the excuse of them not knowing. This will help them take responsibility for their actions. It is always a good thing to let your children know what is expected of them. (make sure you keep a copy in a safe place and ask them to put it in a location where it is visible.
The hardest part for most parents is that our children know us so well and they know our soft spots and how to make use of them. Beware. Don't fall for their excuses. Stick with what was decided and the consequences of their actions.
Extenuating circumstances may arise as to why work was not done. But if they plan to continue their schooling after high school, at a higher level, and want to be a great employee, they need to know that deadlines are real.
Help them find the tools that work best for them. Have them use their phone, a digital planner, or notebook to write down these important dates.
The Digital Organization Tips for Homeschooling High School, by my friend Sara, from Techie Homeschool Mom help you as a teacher stay organized.
Make sure you grab her free Techie Homeschool Student Planner.
What suggestions do you have for helping your teens be organized?
Enjoying the journey,
~Michelle
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