Sorry, we couldn’t pass on the pun!

New Year’s Eve is almost here and for many, this means making lists of resolutions to keep in 2020. This year, before making a long to-do list, start with a vision of what you want the year to be instead.

Prioritize

Take some time to reflect over the past year(s) and think about what you’d like the new year to be like. What changes would you like to see and what would you keep the same?

There are many areas to consider: health, family, friends, academics and extra-curriculars (for students), hobbies and skill-building for the future and so on. Hot tip: focus on the areas that are most important to you and where you want to see change. Getting more active and healthy may be more critical than joining a book club so you can read more books (though that might be easier!).

As you prioritize, ideally you will find that you are focusing on just a few areas – and that’s a good thing. Starting the year with an overlong to-do list is daunting and it is probably not likely you will get them all done by year-end, so stick to the high-priority items that you know will make the biggest impact for you.

Visualize

Visualization is a common technique to give form for concepts and ideas. Along with writing down what you want to do, having visuals makes them easier to remember too. We’re recommend this simple, tangible and actionable approach.

• • Write down your priorities. For example, it may be “learn to play guitar”, “get more active and healthy” and “get better at writing”.
  • For each priority, find (or draw, which might be even more fun) an image – someone playing a guitar, someone playing basketball, a book you admire.
  • Put these images in your journal so you can get a quick visual reminder of what you are aiming to do this year.

By the way, if you’re not already keeping a journal, now’s a good time to start one. Even if you don’t write in it everyday, it makes it much easier to track your progress.

Itemize

Now that you have a “vision” of what you want to do based on your priorities, you can now get to the next level of detail and create specific goals.

For example, you might want to aim for a goal of running a 5K race if getting more active is part of your vision. It is important that the goals are achievable within the time-frame of the year and are within your reach. They could stretch your abilities a bit as long as they are doable. Once you have a goal identified for each of your priorities, write them down in your journal!

For both adults and kids, research has shown that all these steps will make it more likely that the goals are achieved, so put in the time – for yourself, and while guiding your younger child.

Historically, people have been making new year’s resolutions for centuries. A new year is a new beginning and brings with it tremendous possibilities. If you’re short on time and busy with end-of-year festivities, here’s our very short guide to help your reflect and refresh yourself now – and maybe work on the goals later!

Best wishes for the new year and the new decade in 2020 from the gang at Meemli!

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(A teacher’s perspective and another favorite of ours!)

Sleep in. Stay up late. Play video games…all day.

According to my high school students, they’d like to spend their summer vacation. Now, the reality may be different (parents?), but the freedom and possibility that summer represents to children – to all of us – is very real. Another very real thing: back to school has kicked off around the country.

But luckily, the freedom and possibility that make us love summer can also help your child successfully transition back to school, reading, perhaps even with a greater appreciation for it.

Why Read

If you found your way to this blog, fantastic! You are probably already convinced of the importance of reading for academic success. And mountains of research back you up. A Department of Education study assures us that families play a big role because the amount of reading done outside of school can greatly impact a student’s success in school.

Unfortunately, academic skills often decline over the summer. If your child has read nothing but tweets and fortune cookies all summer (ok, it happens), they might have begun a trip down the summer slide. But don’t panic. You still have time to get them back on track.

How To Read

In short: build stamina. From my experience, the first couple of weeks of school doesn’t pass without at least a couple students reminding me that my 8:45 English class is happening at least a couple hours before they’re supposed to be awake. But teachers often expect kids to hit the ground running. So begin to help your child find a reading routine. The reading requirements that are awaiting them in English class, social studies, science, economics, etc. will be much easier if your child is already accustomed to reading daily.

Now, if your child hasn’t been reading consistently this summer, start small. Fifteen minutes is probably about right for a middle or early high school student. They can do it. They will build from here, to 20, 25 even 30 minutes. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if your child started this school year reading 30 minutes daily? This is probably one of the most important things that you, as a parent, can do to support your child’s success in school this year.

What To Read

As a teacher, I have asked a student what he or she like to read and been told, “I dunno” innumerable times. Ah, yes. Often, behind the sullen, frustrated or bored tone is a child who genuinely doesn’t know what he or she likes to read. Don’t give up if you get this response!

I’ve found great success asking students about their favorite TV shows or movies and tying them to genres and books. Fans of Walking Dead can Google “young adult (YA) zombie novels.” Is Gossip Girl their thing? Run a search: “books like gossip girl.” Jurassic World? Ender’s Game? Hey, these two were originally books, so that’s easy! (Also, your local librarians would love to help your child find a book. They live for these moments.)

Don’t be disappointed if your child isn’t interested in “important authors” like Shakespeare, Hawthorne or Melville. That’s what school is for. Generally, in class, your child will be reading more difficult texts that are not easy to relate to or understand. Independently, your child should be able to choose. Shakespeare’s great, but he’s not at the top of my personal summer reading list either.

Remember, it doesn’t matter if you want to read this book or not. It matters that they do.

Where To Find Resources

Time to tap the Internet. There are many great online resources that can help your child become a better reader (I could do a whole post on them) and here are some good ones to get started.

Check out YourNextRead.com which features long lists of “to read” books for many of my students who “don’t like to read.” GoodReads.com also has hundreds of lists of books for every taste.

Then there are the sites with high-quality content, especially non-fiction, aimed at middle and high schoolers, here are a few:TeenInk (written by teens), NY Times Learning Network, Smithsonian’s TweenTribune.

Final Tips

It’s a simple thing, but reading logs can be a great motivator. From reluctant readers to bookworms, reading logs satisfy. It’s just gratifying to see how much you’ve read. You can find printables online, or simply keep track of the basic info on a piece of notebook paper: book title, start/end pages, and amount of time read. Do what seems most motivating for your child.

Discuss the books with your child to help develop deeper understanding – ask about the main idea, the plot, the characters, what the author is trying to achieve etc. (Think your child may need help with reading or writing? Check out free reading and writing assessments on Meemli Academy or just contact Meemli.)

And my favorite: read with them. Can you find fifteen minutes to actually sit down and read too? The most successful reading program I’ve ever experienced was at a school that had daily reading time during which the teachers were also required to drop everything and read. No email, no grading, no lesson planning, just read for pleasure. It was transformative for everyone. You can be a role model and inspire your child to read by doing it yourself.

What are your tips to get your kids reading? We’d love to hear them!

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(We’re re-sharing another of our annual favorites – take charge of your new school year!)

Does it feel like summer’s gone, though the calendar doesn’t say so? Are you beginning to feel stressed? Could be because your summer break’s ending (104 days, calculated according to Phineas and Ferb). Good news – being back to school is not all bad! Understandably, starting a new school year and getting adjusted to a new schedule can make you tense, but with the right approach, the new school year can be more enjoyable than you expect.

Here are some simple tips that can make all the difference on how you feel about getting back to school and starting a new year/grade.

 

Check Your Attitude.

There are plenty of ways that you can mentally prepare for the upcoming year. Try to approach the year with a positive attitude – just think of all the fun experiences you’ll have along the way! For example:

• School’s the only time in your life you get to see so many of your friends every day.
• You can reconnect with your favorite teachers and maybe you’ll get some new ones.
• You get to do extracurriculars and school activities – with friends!

Depending on how you’ve spent your summer, going back to school might feel like a complete turnaround, so it’s worthwhile to set aside some time to refocus yourself. According to the American Psychological Association, mindfulness can be defined as “a moment-to-moment awareness of one’s experience without judgment.” Mindfulness techniques come with a whole host of proven psychological benefits, like stress relief, increased focus, and better memory. While it may not suit everyone, it might be worth a look and a discussion with your parents on whether you should try it!

Make A Plan.

A new year means a new schedule, and a new schedule always takes some getting used to. We know you’ll be busy between your school and your extracurricular activities, but the amount that you’ll enjoy the upcoming year depends on your ability to budget your time. Make a plan ahead of time to reduce your stress and help you feel on top of your school life, instead of being burdened by it.

Part of making a plan is taking into consideration what is hard for you and what is easier. Keep that in mind as you make choices, if writing reports takes more work, make a note to yourself to always get started earlier on your reports. If you tend to get tense about tests, cut yourself some slack and don’t schedule too much the evening before one. When you’re making a detailed schedule, which you should (and parents should help their younger children with this), use your planner to keep track of all your commitments, not just the ones for school.

Finally, make your plan bigger – think about what you want to get done at the end of the school year. If possible, mix in personal goals (want to try out a new sport) with academic ones (want to improve writing skills) and even social ones (make new friends) and think about how you can go about achieving them – you have the whole new year ahead of you to work on them!

Use Your Support Network.

Even if you’re mentally prepared for the new year and have everything planned out, you can be sure that things will come up unexpectedly. Maybe your teachers pile on some extra assignments all at once, or you miscalculated your time and your weekly schedule is all out of whack. And of course, there are all the social pressures that come with school that can sometimes feel overwhelming.

When things get tough, go to your support network. It can be a combination of friends, family, teachers, coaches, anyone you trust to have your back and give you the support you need and the advice you seek. Don’t be afraid to lean others from time to time, but be ready to repay the favor when someone needs to lean on you.

Keep in mind, if the pressure gets to be too much, don’t hesitate to see speak to trusted adults and request professional help. There is no shame in that (it happens to millions of people worldwide) and getting the right kind of support can help you feel a whole lot better.

These are just a few of the ways you can get ready to make the most out of the new school year. To kick it off, check out this song, a blast from the past you can listen to while you start planning your future. What are your favorite ways to get ready for school? Let us know in the comments below!

 

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Many schools are already out for the summer, though it’s not technically summer yet. How are those summer plans coming? While parents (and teachers) may worry about how to stop the “summer slide”, students are of course looking forward to enjoying a break – a break from routine, deadlines and stress. Is it possible to do both? Yes, of course! A little creativity will help you stop the summer slide while also recharging the batteries for the next school year – we’ll show you how.

 

 

Make Two Lists

Sure, pretty much anything that needs to be done starts with a list. But make one list of what you MUST DO and one for what you WANT TO DO.

The “must” list is where you add the academic tasks, the books to read and write reports on, the extra coaching or classes needed to polish up certain skills and so on. There might be non-academic tasks that must get done too – maybe related to sports, or a family trip, but we’re guessing that they are less of a chore!

Now for the “want” list – here’s where the fun stuff will show up. The summer break is a good time to refresh your brain as well as your spirit, so it makes sense to spend some of the time in doing non-school related activities. Hobbies that normally get little attention during the school year can flourish during summer. But, it is helpful to limit the list to the ones that would be most satisfying to get done. If joining a local theater group for a month is more exciting than building a robot with friends again for the second straight year, it makes sense to just list the first one.

For both lists, since there are only so many weeks during the summer break, it is important to keep them manageable!

Pick Your Activities

Starting with the “must do” list, the academic activities can probably be grouped into specific ones that have to be done a certain way (book reports for example), and others, like “improve your essay writing skills”, that can be done in many different ways from signing up for private tutoring and summer school to choosing more flexible online options (like on Meemli). Choosing the best way will depend on many factors like cost, timing, location, what is covered etc.

For the “want to do” list, again there could be many activities to choose from, ranging from do-it-yourself to organized groups, classes and programs with the same factors of cost, timing etc. influencing choices. The good news is that any area of interest can be made into something where you develop creative and critical thinking skills. From video games to art, anything can be set up as an activity that reduces the summer slide. (Check out our tips for projects you can do on your own that sharpen your brain while developing your interests.)

Time It Right

Yes, summer is not endless, and in fact, it usually flies by really fast. So with the “must do” and “want to do” lists all ready, there’s one more thing to figure out – when to do them.

Here are some basic tips that will help make the most of the summer break:

• start with a real break for at least a few days,
• mix in “must do” with “want to do” activities on a daily or weekly basis,
• and finally, schedule the academic work closer to the end of the break so your brain is already primed and ready for when school starts.

And hot tip to reduce stress: don’t pile it all towards the end of the break!

Be Social

This may not have made it to the “must do” or “want to do” lists but it is something that all students should make time during the break. Whether it is playing games, watching movies, or just going out for ice cream, it is mentally and emotionally refreshing to spend time with family and friends, especially as there’s not much time to do that during the school year. Maybe they can join in some of the planned activities (taking classes with friends is a lot more fun!), but in any case, socializing – in person, not online! – should be something to make time for during summer.

Just Relax

With the lists and planning, whether for must-do or want-to-do items, you may despair that summer feels just like school – too much structure and scheduling! While some may enjoy that, it is important to give yourself some time to just relax with no schedules and nothing planned.  Your brain, body and spirit all need it and you’ll find yourself more refreshed and willing to get engaged in your activities. Check out this article (great for parents as well as students) on why downtime is so important!

So set aside a few days to kick back, not worry about the summer slide or to-do lists and maybe find a real long slide in some park where you can go and enjoy being a kid!

Learning loss from the summer slide is easily prevented. It only takes a commitment to not spend all your time playing video games or streaming movies, but to mix in activities that engage brain and body, and have some open, unscheduled time as well.

Enjoy your summer!

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(Enjoy this updated re-post of one of our favorites!)

Now that you’re well into the second half of the school year and summer break is not too far off (though it feels that way!), do you feel you’re getting into a rut? Is school not that interesting anymore? Maybe it is time to step back and think about what you want and work out your own personal plan for building for the future while still enjoying the last few weeks.

On top of honing study skills and getting serious about college, we recommend spending a little effort to get more value from the time spent at school with your peers – it is fun and helpful too!

 

There’s no one-size-fits all high school experience; everyone is different. But there are some things every student can do to enrich that experience. The key is that each student should make their own plan and do it their way to get more from school and enjoy the process!

Get Extra From Extracurriculars

You’d have heard it a zillion times by now “Take advantage of your school’s extracurricular activities to boost your college application and resume”. Sure, a better college application is one of the key benefits you get from participating in various clubs and sports.

But don’t do it just for padding your list of accomplishments. (And oh by the way, admissions officers can see through just-checking-off-a-box kind of engagement.)  Get involved in what interests you and you would enjoy – whether it is for the fun peer group or the challenge and excitement of the activity itself.

At this point, you’re probably already in clubs and sports – if you’re not, go ahead and see if you can still join, it is better late than never! – so now’s a good time to check if you’re getting the most out of these activities. Are you learning new things that you’re excited about? Are you meeting the kind of people you want hang out with? If you feel that your experience has become routine and not so interesting, you still have time to make changes. See if you can get more by changing your role, getting more involved, or if need be, switching to something else.

Get More From Your Teachers

Is there one class you enjoy far beyond the rest? Perhaps it’s the subject matter that interests you, and you want to study it more in college. Chances are, you like that teacher too, as they’ve taken the time to make learning about the subject something you really care about.

Go beyond asking about homework and tests and really talk to some of your favorite teachers. They can be a source of helpful ideas on everything from which major may suit you best in college to which events you should attend to feed your passion, whether it is in drama or math. Of course they can help with your college or job recommendations too, but getting to know great teachers and staying in touch can be an enriching experience in your life.

Get More From Your Friendships

By now you might have a core set of friends at school. First, take the time to deepen the friendships you already have. Seek out the people you want to spend time with, and make it a point to go do some fun activities with them in between your study sessions. School is one of the few places where you’ll have the time and access to friends that you need to build great friendships that could stand the test of going off to different colleges/cities/careers in the future.

Apart from your core group, now’s also the time to get to know more of your peers. Build your network! It is not a cold, calculated move to help your future job prospects, but another way to enrich your life. The more people you know, the more diverse your experiences and the more you learn about the world we live in. If nothing else, you’re less likely to be bored!

Get More From Your Community

Actually, it is all about “get more from your community by giving more of yourself to it”!

Community involvement is also another favorite “must-do” to put in your college application. But, once again, it’s not just about the application, it’s what you get from it. Do you see a pattern here? Often, what you do to enrich your life and expand your horizons end up being good for your college applications and resumes!

Working for a cause you care about with a group of passionate, like-minded people is a joy into itself. And you don’t have to wait for any specific time to do it. There are opportunities throughout the year, to suit any particular interest and time availability. You can do anything from organize a beach or park cleanup to creating quilts or blankets for the homeless. Opportunities abound, and you get to pick what you like to make a difference!

Get More As A Senior

If you’re a senior, you’re already counting down the weeks to graduation and seriously trying to keep off senioritis. Still, there’s plenty more you can get from the last few months of school!

As your high school life is winding down, now’s the time to get the most out of everything you can, and the list above works well for seniors too. Get to know the teachers you care about and make sure you can connect with them after school. Spend more time with friends who may be heading off in different directions, and connect with more people you’d like to stay in touch with (after all, that’s what social media is for). Have fun with your clubs and sports (and if you can’t, don’t waste too much time on them). And, make connections in your community too. If you’re volunteering in nonprofits, schools etc., get to know the leaders and staff there. You may want to work there during summers, or you could recommend others who might. If you care about something or someone, figure out a way to keep them in your life.

Schools are not just about academics. There’s so much for you to enjoy, and there are people for you to enjoy it with. Take the time to savor it all and most of all, take time to make and nurture your connections!

And one final tip, smiles make the days and weeks go by faster ????

Have a tip to share? Leave a reply!

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