'The Myth of the Straight A Student' and Teaching Our Kids to Have Balanced Lives

Good morning,

Today we are sharing an article from The Washington Post about the pressures of today's students to be "straight A students" and get into the top colleges.

"Everyone is not getting straight As. Even those who do won’t necessarily end up at Harvard; there are too many other factors. As the college admissions process has grown more competitive, parents have become increasingly concerned about academic performance. More parents are pushing for higher grades when their children earn less than a B. But grades are subjective, and they can be deceptive. Teachers may inflate grades. A student who takes an easy course load may do better than a student taking all advanced classes. Some teachers may be exceptionally harsh graders. Even between schools, there can be major differences in standards and how students are assessed. Grades also may be weighted to account for course rigor. By acknowledging these inconsistencies and limitations, we can help kids focus on more important goals, such as accruing knowledge, determining strengths and interests, and developing a love of learning. As Alexandra Robbins illustrates in “Overachievers: The Secret Life of Driven Kids,” a book about the pressured daily lives of eight Whitman students, you don’t need a perfect GPA to be successful."

However it's important for parents and students to realize that there are many opportunities out there and being well-rounded, giving back and searching for a more balanced life can also, and in many cases lead to just as much lifelong success.

"There are thousands of colleges in the United States. When parents and students peruse the list of schools their local high school’s graduates actually attend, it expands their awareness beyond name-brand institutions. The tide also may be turning when it comes to college admissions. Richard Weissbourd, a child and family psychologist on the faculty at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education, issued a report that calls on colleges to change their admissions criteria to emphasize caring for others and meaningful ethical engagement over laundry lists of accomplishments. More than 50 admission deans have endorsed his report, including the entire Ivy League. Schools still want to see academic rigor, but not at the expense of students leading balanced lives."

Here at Linder Educational Coaching, we encourage our students to work to find that balance- where they can succeed in school but also expand their awareness beyond just the grade letter. We work with students to not only help them pass the test, but to learn skills which they can carry forward into their adult lives to be successful. If you want to work with professionals to help your student gain more balance in their lives while maintaining good grades, call us today or visit us online at: http://www.lindereducationalcoaching.com/